Rural Planning and Development students, alumni, and faculty shared findings from a number of research projects at the 2025 Confluence Conference.
Ferdous Huq - Community Gardens and Food Justice: Exploring Access, Equity, and Effectiveness
Ben Tobias-Murray - Examining Local Food Procurement Practices: Costs, Strategies and Benefits of Purchasing Local Food in Long-term Care Homes
Lucas Berek - Growth on the Edge: Economic Development Challenge...
The Ontario Professional Planners Institute recently published a story titled "Mobilizing Economic Planning Knowledge
for Rural Ontario" that emerges from research conducted by graduate students and faculty. Take a read of the story based on research by Lucas Berek, Eliza MacLauchlan, Christine Miller, Damilola Oyewale, Natasha Pennell, Avery Velez, and Ryan Gibson.
The May 9, 2025, press conference of the National Housing Standards for Migrant Agricultural Workers at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo provided important insights for planning researchers focused on rural communities. The Coalition for National Housing Standards for Migrant Agricultural Workers (CoNaMi) led by Dr. Susana Caxaj, successfully brought together a diverse mix of voices, including seasoned researchers, passionate advoc
Take a read of a recently published an article by Lucas Berek in the Orangeville Citizen titled "A message from rural Canada to our urban friends". The article focuses on a recent presentation delivered as part of the Team Dufferin - County of Dufferin Tariff Response and Business Resources.
On May 15, 2025, Ryan Gibson shared insights a lunch and learn session co-hosted by the the Community Foundation of Grey Bruce and Brightshores Health Systems Foundation. The event brought together over 30 lawyers and professions to explore how rural areas are places of wealth and to understand that this wealth is increasingly mobile. Without careful consideration, much of it could leave rural areas as younger generations move to urban centres. The present
Calum Jacques recently published Master of Planning (Science) thesis, Agriculture as an Amenity: A Case Study of Peri-Urban Farmland in Tokyo, Japan, examines how small-scale farming continues to exist within Tokyo's expanding urban landscape. Unlike many North American cities where urban development often displaces agriculture, Tokyo has managed to preserve pockets of farmland that serve multiple roles, including food production, education, and disaster p
Sarah-Patricia Breen (Selkirk College), Ryan Gibson (University of Guelph), and Hannah Main (Dalhousie University) recently published a new article in Canadian Public Policy. The article examines the distribution of federal public transit funding, highlighting a significant urban-rural disparity. The authors argue that current federal funding mechanisms predominantly favor urban centers, leaving rural and remote communities underserved. This imbalance not
As part of the 2025 Knowledge Translation and Transfer Conference, Ryan Gibson shared reflections on the Rural Futures: Mobilizing Knowledge and Sustaining Partnerships initiative. The Rural Futures initiative ensured rural knowledge and experiences within the university were translated and mobilized to rural partners in local government, community-based organizations, charities/nonprofits, Indigenous communities, all levels of government, businesses, and ...
How can rural communities weather the current economic uncertainty? What can we learn from previous economic downturns that might provide insights for future strategies and activities? On May 7, 2025, Ryan Gibson share research insights on these topics as part of Dufferin County's Tariff Response and Business Resources.
The Weathering the Storm? Strategies for Rural Stability and Growth in Uncertain Times session took a closer look at Dufferin County’s ru
Lucas Berek's newly published Master of Science (Planning) thesis, The Living Room of a Rural Community: Economic Development in New Tecumseth, Ontario, offers a timely and nuanced exploration of how rural communities are adapting to rapid change. Using New Tecumseth as a case study, Berek investigates how towns with deep rural roots are responding to rising affordability pressures, shifting demographics, and post-pandemic recovery challenges—all while sit
