Global Urbanism

Atif resides in the community of Rexdale which informs much of his research work, practice and thought. His graduate research refracts the fields of surveillance studies, science and technology studies, architecture and visual studies, security studies and drone warfare. 

Read more about Atif's thoughts and journey in his Students in the Spotlight feature. "Students in the Spotlight" is a conversation series with members of the SofC Student Academy and Urban Leadership Fellowship program.

Chloe Watt, (UTSG) Undergrad - Bachelor of Arts in Architechtural Studies
Project : A Home For Everyone

Chloe Watt is a fourth year architecture student who is interested in expanding both her professional and personal growth within the field of urbanism. Her interests lie predominantly in urban ethnic enclaves and the creation of urban social exclusion within cities, as she was a research assistant for the Chinatown BIA. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and spent her childhood there, but have since moved internationally to live in Phoenix, Vancouver and finally Toronto. Chloe feels fortunate to have moved between these cities because it helped her gain a more global perspective on what it means to live in different cities within different cultures. 

Daniel Tse is a civil engineer and master’s candidate in Cities Engineering and Management. Passionate about cities and infrastructure, he hopes to impact the sustainability and resilience of global urbanization. Daniel completed his bachelor’s degree at UBC and worked in land development consulting in Calgary for 5 years before moving to Toronto. In his spare time, he enjoys the storytelling of podcasts, the context and subjectivity of art, and the intercultural and self-discovery opportunities of solo travel. He has interests in queerness, equity, and urban and global affairs. He has a hobby Instagram account @tuesday.in.toronto.

Minh Anh Nguyen, (UTSG) Undergrad - Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Asian Studies and Political Science
Project : New Cities for Newcomers: Designing Canadian Cities for Immigrants

Mia Nguyen is currently the Co-President of the Contemporary Asian Studies Student Union (CASSU). As a research award recipient for the Insight through Asia Challenge 2019, supported by the Asian Institute at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Mia travelled to Israel and investigated the reproductive rights and citizenship status of Filipino caregivers and their Israeli-born children. In addition, Mia had the opportunity to intern at Ernst and Young in Manila, where she worked on public sector projects related to the development of national and municipal strategies for Smart Cities, Smart-Climate Urban Infrastructure and Smart Farming. 

Nathan Stewart, (UTSG) Graduate – PhD in Economic Geography
Project : Investigating Interfirm Governance Structures and Innovation in Toronto Marketing Services Cluster

Nathan Stewart is a third year PhD candidate with a dissertation research that is focused on investigating the impact of strategic partnerships on innovation in Toronto's marketing services cluster. This research is part of a larger project concerned with determining the larger impact of vertical disintegration on the long-term growth prospects of regional economies specialized in the production of intermediate goods and services. 

Naziha, a fourth year student, has her research interest in urban development policy in cities of the Global South and immigration policy and multiculturalism in Canada. After graduating, Naziha is hoping to pursue a Masters in Urban Planning with a concentration in development, power and policy and Social Planning. In her free time, she likes to read, write poetry and bake chocolate chip cookies. As a member of the School of Cities Academy, Naziha is hoping to engage in innovative research methods, and to learn and share the political and structural processes of global urbanism. She is also hoping to have in-depth relationships with her fellows so she can take their projects beyond the School of Cities. 

Qin Wang, (UTSG) Undergrad - Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies, Technology of Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism Stream
Project : Informal Urban Residences

Qin Wang, a 22-year old architecture student, considers themselves a creative and proactive individual. Qin seeks to integrate algorithmic computational tools and data analysis with architecture design to discover problems, reasons, and offer new possibilities. Qin’s travel experiences to Lima, Hongkong, Tokyo, New York, Shanghai and other international cities fostered interest in the relationship between architecture and urban fabric —the heterogeneous artifacts in the urban environment all forming a unique impression of a city. This phenomenon motivates Qin to unveil the wholeness to the heterogeneous parts in urban settings and to study how their interaction and relation to each other form the final wholeness of the city. 

Vaibhavi Shinde, (UTSG) Graduate – Masters of Architecture
Project : Building Identity

Vaibhavi Shinde, currently in her second-year, moved to Toronto seven years ago to pursue her undergraduate degree in Architectural Studies. As a resident of Canada, she feels strongly that the multiculturalism of the nation is thoroughly underrepresented when viewing its built fabric. Thus, she is interested in conceiving what Toronto might look like if the cultures that reside within the city became a tangible or sensible element of its architecture. 

Cindy is a second-year student who is passionate about global development, urban governance, and environmental sustainability.

Xinyang Ye, (UTSG) Undergrad - Bachelor of Arts in Social & Cultural Anthropology and Contemporary Asian Studies
Project : Comparative Analysis of Risk, Discourse, and Policies around Pollution and Waste Management in Metropolitan Cities

Amber Xinyang Ye is a 3rd-year international student with an interest in issues around urban displacement, international development, state sovereignty and climate justice. She aspires to conduct quantitative researches and apply them to meaningful social actions. She resonates with School of Cities' focus on service-based learning and is interested in the program's tri-campus, interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Yun Shi, (UTM) Undergrad - Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics and Ethics, Society, & Law
Project : Challenges and implications of Global Urbanization in the present and the future

Yun Shi is currently a third-year political science specialist interested in political theory/philosophy, political economy, environmental issues in the developing world, and a range of issues in politics and the market. Yun Shi is newly interested in urban planning, policy, law, and domestic governance, ready to pick up and share enthusiasm with like-minded peers.