Photo by Roberto Rocco, TU Delft
RESEARCH
Past Work
Incremental Housing and Material Flows in the Global South
This project explored niches for sustainable transitions in the housing sector and new innovative practices related to the use of sustainable materials, reuse and recycling, and incremental construction and planning. By exploring incremental building practices, the project aimed to understand socially-relevant, just, inclusive and realistic solutions for persistent housing shortages, particularly in the Global South.
See our special issue in the International Journal of Housing Policy on "Reimagining incremental housing: city-making within and beyond the state." Also see an article in Environment & Urbanization on "Incremental housing as a node for intersecting flows of city-making" here and our CFP for papers on the topic here.. A matchmaking workshop for this project, "Building sustainable and inclusive urban futures: Incremental housing and material flows in the Global South," took place on February 21, 2019. See a report of the event here.
This project explored niches for sustainable transitions in the housing sector and new innovative practices related to the use of sustainable materials, reuse and recycling, and incremental construction and planning. By exploring incremental building practices, the project aimed to understand socially-relevant, just, inclusive and realistic solutions for persistent housing shortages, particularly in the Global South.
See our special issue in the International Journal of Housing Policy on "Reimagining incremental housing: city-making within and beyond the state." Also see an article in Environment & Urbanization on "Incremental housing as a node for intersecting flows of city-making" here and our CFP for papers on the topic here.. A matchmaking workshop for this project, "Building sustainable and inclusive urban futures: Incremental housing and material flows in the Global South," took place on February 21, 2019. See a report of the event here.
The Statute of the Metropolis and Planning Reform in Brazil: Analyzing Land Use Planning Practices and Effective Institutional Changes
Funded by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, this research compared land use planning practices in Brazilian metropolitan regions before and after the approval of the Statute of the Metropolis. This law regulates the constitution of regional and regional public policies across Brazil, providing a window of opportunity for municipal and state governments and civil society entities to organize themselves to elaborate metropolitan plans. The research aimed to analyze the initial institutional effects of the Statute of the Metropolis to understand whether its adoption has changed planning practices in some regions of Brazil.
See the final Lincoln Institute Working Paper here, and an article here (in Portuguese) about this project from RMBH, the state development agency of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte.
Funded by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, this research compared land use planning practices in Brazilian metropolitan regions before and after the approval of the Statute of the Metropolis. This law regulates the constitution of regional and regional public policies across Brazil, providing a window of opportunity for municipal and state governments and civil society entities to organize themselves to elaborate metropolitan plans. The research aimed to analyze the initial institutional effects of the Statute of the Metropolis to understand whether its adoption has changed planning practices in some regions of Brazil.
See the final Lincoln Institute Working Paper here, and an article here (in Portuguese) about this project from RMBH, the state development agency of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte.
Sustainable Corridors? Exploring the Interface between Infrastructure Planning and Social Transformation
This project, funded by Utrecht University's research hub on Transforming Infrastructures for Sustainable Cities, focused on the concept of “corridor” developed as a socio-technical system integrating territorial and economic growth with local community interests. Corridors are increasingly applied to regional and sustainable development planning in the global south as a government-led top-down planning approach. The project explored whether and how corridors emerge as a critical approach integrating planned infrastructure with local environmental and social concerns, focused on transformative development through community participation at a metropolitan scale.
As part of this project, our symposium examined how corridors are conceptualized, developed, and lived in contemporary cities, with a focus on São Paulo, where a tradition of corridor planning is shaping contemporary metropolitan development. The event, held November 21–22, 2019 in São Paulo, examined if corridors are a planning boundary that can critically integrate planned infrastructure, environmental concerns, and social issues into a metropolitan scale. The event explored the relationship between the planning of infrastructure and its transformative impacts for sustainable outcomes in local communities.
This project, funded by Utrecht University's research hub on Transforming Infrastructures for Sustainable Cities, focused on the concept of “corridor” developed as a socio-technical system integrating territorial and economic growth with local community interests. Corridors are increasingly applied to regional and sustainable development planning in the global south as a government-led top-down planning approach. The project explored whether and how corridors emerge as a critical approach integrating planned infrastructure with local environmental and social concerns, focused on transformative development through community participation at a metropolitan scale.
As part of this project, our symposium examined how corridors are conceptualized, developed, and lived in contemporary cities, with a focus on São Paulo, where a tradition of corridor planning is shaping contemporary metropolitan development. The event, held November 21–22, 2019 in São Paulo, examined if corridors are a planning boundary that can critically integrate planned infrastructure, environmental concerns, and social issues into a metropolitan scale. The event explored the relationship between the planning of infrastructure and its transformative impacts for sustainable outcomes in local communities.
Land Value Capture in Comparative Perspective
I have been broadly interested in the equity implications of planning tools, and specifically, on land value capture, comparing São Paulo and Toronto. LVC refers to the public sector’s recovery of part or all of the land value increments through taxes, fees, exactions or through improvements to benefit the community. While privately-held land often increases in value due to public investments in infrastructure, economic development, changes in land use or population growth, a justice-oriented rationale holds that such profit should belong to all city inhabitants. In São Paulo, I explore a tool called outorga onerosa do direito de construir (OODC), which allows developers to pay for development rights in exchange for social goods and local urban services. In Toronto, the tool known as Section 37 allows developers to trade development rights for cash or in-kind contributions.
My research was mentioned in an article from Novae Res Urbis and in U of T News. Click here to see a presentation on this project, an IMFG report on the project, and articles in Land Use Policy and Environment and Planning A.
I have been broadly interested in the equity implications of planning tools, and specifically, on land value capture, comparing São Paulo and Toronto. LVC refers to the public sector’s recovery of part or all of the land value increments through taxes, fees, exactions or through improvements to benefit the community. While privately-held land often increases in value due to public investments in infrastructure, economic development, changes in land use or population growth, a justice-oriented rationale holds that such profit should belong to all city inhabitants. In São Paulo, I explore a tool called outorga onerosa do direito de construir (OODC), which allows developers to pay for development rights in exchange for social goods and local urban services. In Toronto, the tool known as Section 37 allows developers to trade development rights for cash or in-kind contributions.
My research was mentioned in an article from Novae Res Urbis and in U of T News. Click here to see a presentation on this project, an IMFG report on the project, and articles in Land Use Policy and Environment and Planning A.
Paradiplomacy in Toronto and São Paulo
This project was a joint initiative of the University of Toronto (Global Cities Institute) and the University of São Paulo (Institute of International Relations). As cities – especially global cities – take on more and more important powers and functions, they begin to operate at levels of government and geography that transcend the local context in which they are embedded. These initiatives and programs are often called “paradiplomacy.” The project funded two meetings in each city to compare the cities in terms of governance, their general role as subnational governments in international relations, and the kinds of initiatives they have been taking which transcend or overlap with their local functions.
See GCI’s report on events in São Paulo in December 2014 here, in Toronto in April 2015 here, more information on the University of Toronto-University of São Paulo research partnerships here, and an article mentioning the UofT-USP project here.
See my papers with Richard Stren on paradiplomacy in Toronto and São Paulo and on the role of mayors as political actors.
This project was a joint initiative of the University of Toronto (Global Cities Institute) and the University of São Paulo (Institute of International Relations). As cities – especially global cities – take on more and more important powers and functions, they begin to operate at levels of government and geography that transcend the local context in which they are embedded. These initiatives and programs are often called “paradiplomacy.” The project funded two meetings in each city to compare the cities in terms of governance, their general role as subnational governments in international relations, and the kinds of initiatives they have been taking which transcend or overlap with their local functions.
See GCI’s report on events in São Paulo in December 2014 here, in Toronto in April 2015 here, more information on the University of Toronto-University of São Paulo research partnerships here, and an article mentioning the UofT-USP project here.
See my papers with Richard Stren on paradiplomacy in Toronto and São Paulo and on the role of mayors as political actors.
Community-engaged learning in graduate education
This research explored the impact of the graduate-level community-engaged learning (CEL). The research had the objective to investigate the impact of the CEL experience on the knowledge and skills (both theoretical and applied) of graduate students and to examine the impact of the work of graduate service learning on students within the relevant communities. The research explored how CEL may be deepened in graduate education.
See my paper with Charles Levkoe and Amrita Daniere on community-engaged learning in graduate planning education.
This research explored the impact of the graduate-level community-engaged learning (CEL). The research had the objective to investigate the impact of the CEL experience on the knowledge and skills (both theoretical and applied) of graduate students and to examine the impact of the work of graduate service learning on students within the relevant communities. The research explored how CEL may be deepened in graduate education.
See my paper with Charles Levkoe and Amrita Daniere on community-engaged learning in graduate planning education.
Food security, urban agriculture and housing
Through work at Toronto Community Housing and later at Canadian Policy Research Networks, I explored links between food security and housing, with a particular focus on community food security, an alternative approach for dealing with food insecurity that applies participatory community development strategies.
To read Towards Food Security Policy for Canada’s Social Housing Sector, click here.
To read the Toronto Community Housing Community Gardening Manual, click here. To see the Resource Guide, click here.
Through work at Toronto Community Housing and later at Canadian Policy Research Networks, I explored links between food security and housing, with a particular focus on community food security, an alternative approach for dealing with food insecurity that applies participatory community development strategies.
To read Towards Food Security Policy for Canada’s Social Housing Sector, click here.
To read the Toronto Community Housing Community Gardening Manual, click here. To see the Resource Guide, click here.
Self-help housing
Through work at UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) in Rio de Janeiro, I produced an evaluation tool to measure the Millennium Development Goals for community-based organizations working in self-built housing. This tool included indicators to raise awareness on the MDGs and to promote debate on the social production of habitat and local development.
Through work at UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) in Rio de Janeiro, I produced an evaluation tool to measure the Millennium Development Goals for community-based organizations working in self-built housing. This tool included indicators to raise awareness on the MDGs and to promote debate on the social production of habitat and local development.