Offered each fall semester, Semester in Residence at CityLAB is a 15-unit course designed for passionate, motivated, and enthusiastic students. If you want to learn from the community, apply your studies to make change, and expand your personal and professional networks, then this is the course for you!
Students and staff from the City of Hamilton co-create and design an innovative real-world project to address the problem, gaining valuable insight and data that can be shared and potentially scaled up. Students attend class daily at CityLAB’s co-working space located next to City Hall, providing students with the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the City of Hamilton. Students in any faculty from McMaster are welcome to apply.
Check out our SIR Ambassadors “A Week in the Life of a SIR Student” magazine.
Our fantastic SIR Ambassadors, Maleka El Naghi and Amandeep Saini, have created an online magazine that takes you through a week in the life of our Semester in Residence students: from classes to a visit to Tim Hortons Field to student testimonials, this magazine can help you decide if taking Semester in Residence at CityLAB could be the right move for you!
In the Design component of SIR at CityLAB learn how to explain and apply design thinking principles and tools, such as User Journey Maps, to generate solutions that incorporate sustainability, resiliency, equity and cost-effectiveness goals.
At the end of the semester, students will be able to explain the structure and operations of the City of Hamilton, identify the issues and complexities facing municipalities in the provision of equitable services and safe and resilient infrastructure, and critically analyze the City’s approach to public engagement.
Design class is also an opportunity for students to meet guest speakers such as experienced urban planners and architects to learn more about the professional fields when working for the City.
Dialogue lectures and activities guide students to learn how to successfully facilitate a dialogue between and within municipal governments, organizations, community groups, and citizens, while also developing a greater awareness and understanding of community engagement practices and skills.
In Project Management students collaborate with instructors, classmates, project partners, and additional stakeholders to develop an experiential learning-based project. The collaborative and complex project is an opportunity for students to apply the learnings from design, dialogue, city building, and project management to their project.
Visit our Past Projects page to explore previous SIR at CityLAB projects.
Through field trips around Hamilton and class activities, students have the chance to explore Hamilton and identify and critique historical and ongoing systemic inequities that simultaneously both prevent and discourage certain individuals and groups from participating in the communities.
City Building also provides the opportunity for students to meet community activists, leaders, and City Councilors from various backgrounds to discuss and learn how they can take action and enact change in their local communities.
Being a part of a tight-knit community has been one of the greatest takeaways for SIR at CityLAB students. SIR encourages students to get to know each other, grow strong friendships, and work together to build a warm learning environment.
Some fun activities SIR students get up to: Lunches at the Farmers Market, Pumpkin carving, pancake breakfasts!
Note: We recommend discussing how the CityLAB SIR program will fit into your course schedule and degree requirements with your academic advisor before you apply. You can also view your advisement report in Mosaic to assess if CityLAB SIR will fit into your remaining elective space.
CityLAB Semester in Residence (CMTYENGA 4A06 & 4A09) is a 15-unit course designed for passionate, motivated, and enthusiastic students. If you want to learn from the community, apply your studies to make change, and expand your personal and professional networks, then this is the course for you!
We are currently accepting applications on a rolling basis!
Please read through the FAQs for applying to Semester in Residence at CityLAB before applying. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Community Engagement at citylab@mcmaster.ca
CityLAB is an innovation program partnership between the City of Hamilton, Mohawk College, McMaster University, and Redeemer University. CityLAB brings together student, academic, and civic leaders to co-create a better Hamilton for all. CityLAB matches students and faculty with City staff to develop innovative solutions to City-identified projects that align with the City’s Strategic Priorities.
CityLAB projects take on complex challenges and experiment with new solutions, all while mentoring and engaging the next generation of leaders. Through this collaboration, CityLAB will not only deliver co-created solutions that support the City’s Strategic Priorities, it will also provide a rich experiential learning environment for students and city staff alike. Together we unite to deliver a better Hamilton for all.
Semester in Residence (SIR) at CityLAB is an experiential opportunity that allows McMaster and Redeemer students to work alongside local community organizations and City of Hamilton staff on real change-making projects to address social and political issues in Hamilton. The program, hosted at the CityLAB Hamilton Innovation Hub (58 Jackson Street West, beside City Hall) aims to build students’ capacity in leadership, community engagement, project management, and design thinking. The SIR program consists of two academic courses (CMTYENGA 4A06 and CMTYENGA 4A09) that are taken concurrently during the fall semester. The two courses are equivalent to a 15-unit academic semester. As such, for most students, the SIR courses listed above are the only courses students take while participating in the program.
Please see the ‘How will two courses adding up to 15 units fit in with my schedule/program requirements?’ section for further details.
Any undergraduate student who will be enrolled in Level III and above in the upcoming fall semester is eligible. Students from all faculties and programs may apply, and there are no prerequisites to participate. This program is open to international students as well.
Everyone! SIR is an opportunity for students of all disciplines to grow and develop their community engagement and project management skills. You don’t need prior experience in community engagement or project work. You just have to be open to listening and learning about the needs of the Hamilton community, and how to best support those impacted by the issues we address. We understand everyone has a different set of skills and experiences gained from school, work, volunteering, and life experiences, and we know each and every one of you will bring something unique to the SIR program.
If you want to:
… then SIR at CityLAB is for you!
SIR students are expected to be available in person at CityLAB during business hours, Monday to Friday from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. During this time, students will be attending classes at the CityLAB building in downtown Hamilton and working on their projects alongside City of Hamilton staff or local community organizations.
A more detailed breakdown of the schedule will be developed and shared before the start of the term.
Note: We recommend discussing how the SIR program will fit into your course schedule and degree requirements with your academic advisor before you apply. You can also view your advisement report in Mosaic to assess if SIR will fit into your remaining elective space.
Applications for the SIR program open in April, with a late May deadline. Once we review applications, we will let you know if you have been accepted into the program before the enrolment period for the upcoming academic year opens (by mid-June).
McMaster students accepted into the program will be provided with course permission, and will be able to register for CMTYENGA 4A06 and CMTYENGA 4A09 as usual using Mosaic after they have been accepted. Redeemer students are encouraged to meet with Kim Lammers, Registrar (klammers@redeemer.ca) to discuss available options. Redeemer students need a 7.0 cumulative GPA (70 or B-) to be eligible. If you have difficulties with the application form, please email citylab@mcmaster.ca for assistance.
At present, the SIR program is only offered in the fall term (September to December). If you’re looking for a similar experience, consider CMTYENGA 4B06 / INSPIRE 4B06:Urban Innovation and Policy with CityLAB, which is typically offered in-person during the Intersession term in May (6 units). Please consult Mosaic to see if the course is being offered.
City of Hamilton staff and local community organizations submit a broad range of projects and challenges for students to work on throughout the year. We work with City staff, community partners, and faculty to scope out appropriate projects for the SIR program, and a final list of approved projects will be presented in early September. The projects will be co-created between City staff, community leaders, faculty members, and students, so they will change depending on specific interests. All projects will align with the City of Hamilton’s Strategic Priorities.
Here’s a link to past projects and final reports.
CityLAB SIR students are assigned to projects by the instructional team based on skills, interests, and to ensure interdisciplinary teams.
Planning ahead is a great idea, but the permission phase only happens as part of the application process. You will have to wait until the year you apply for the permissions process to activate.
No, participation in the SIR program does not involve living in a specific residence! “Semester in Residence” simply refers to the idea that you will be spending the whole fall semester participating in the program. Currently, SIR classes take place in downtown Hamilton in the CityLAB Innovation Hub, right beside City Hall at 58 Jackson Street West.
The SIR classroom space is located in downtown Hamilton at 58 Jackson Street West. There is access to an elevator and accessible washrooms.
Each semester, the SIR program also organizes field trips to various parts of the city. If you require accommodations, these can be made in collaboration with SIR faculty and staff.
For further questions regarding accessibility, please contact citylab@mcmaster.ca.
The SIR program consists of two academic courses (CMTYENGA 4A06 and CMTYENGA 4A09) that are taken concurrently during the fall semester. The two courses are equivalent to a 15-unit academic semester.
The SIR courses are meant to be immersive experiences and will not necessarily fit everyone’s program requirements. Depending on your program, you may be able to use all or part of the credits towards your degree requirements. You should discuss how SIR will fit into your degree requirements with your faculty’s academic advisor. We recommend doing so before you apply.
CMTYENGA 4A06 / CMTYENGA 4A09 cannot be taken as standalone courses; they must be taken together as a full 15-units as part of the broader SIR program.
Overloading is possible, however, it is not recommended since the workload for the 15 units is equivalent to a full course load and can be intensive and demanding. If you want to overload, you can check with your program for approval should you wish to add a course.
If you want to take a course that overlaps with CityLAB SIR, please contact us at citylab@mcmaster.ca to discuss scheduling options.
Some faculties and programs allow students to use their participation in the SIR program to fulfill the thesis requirement for their degree. If you are interested in this, consult your academic advisor to see if this is possible in your program.
There is a course outline, which is often updated after each semester. The course outline will include grading. In general, all individual and group assignments/projects that you complete during the semester will receive a grade; all of these grades then contribute to your SIR grade.
View previous course outlines.
Our core teaching team is made up of an interdisciplinary team of educators:
You have some time to enroll since you are already approved to join the SIR. You can enroll any time before the start of term.
If you’ve been approved, register for both courses at the same time, for a total 15 units. If you only register for one of the courses at a time you won’t be able to enroll.
Answering key questions about the employment and training needs of Hamilton youth.
What are barriers and challenges for youth (ages 14 to 29) to access employment in Hamilton?
Project Description: Hamilton’s Youth Strategy, informed by youth residents, identified access to employment and training as a priority. With objectives to increase employment, improve wages, and access to financial supports, the City of Hamilton must first better understand the barriers and challenges faced by young people. This project will work along City staff and the HamOntYouth Steering Committee to answer key questions about the employment and training needs of Hamilton youth.
City Staff: Jesse Williamson, Healthy and Safe Communities Department
Researching and identifying best practices and key considerations for the development and implementation of ‘help-your-neighbour’ programs.
How can we help build social capital in neighbourhoods facing barriers, to ensure people can support each other during climate-induced extreme weather events?
Project Description: Hamilton’s Climate Change Impact Adaptation Plan (CCIAP) is an action-oriented plan to minimize climate change impacts on residents and the community. Action 4.3 in the CCIAP is to “Establish buddy systems/help-your-neighbour programs to implement during extreme weather events.”
The focus of this project is to undertake research, including a municipal scan of efforts to identify best practices and key considerations for the development and implementation of ‘help-your-neighbour’ programs. More specifically, the City is interested in understanding best practices when these programs focus on neighbourhoods where there are higher concentrations of people and communities facing barriers. This includes the need to identify resources, tools and methods utilized in these programs to support effective neighbourhood networks of caring.
City Staff: Amy Angelo, Planning and Economic Development Department
Determining current carpool usage for students travelling to campus and potential barriers that may prevent this from being a successful engagement.
How can the City create an effective outreach strategy for McMaster students to encourage sustainable travel to and from campus?
Project Description: McMaster University is part of the Smart Commute program which encourages employers to promote sustainable transportation for their worksites. Smart Commute would like to expand its engagement and program tactics to help engage McMaster students to use sustainable transportation to campus. A main Smart Commute tool is the Rideshark app which helps people find carpool rides to reach central employment hubs. This project challenge is to determine current carpool usage for students travelling to campus and potential barriers that may prevent this from being a successful engagement. The project shall also engage with students to review ways to encourage public transit or cycling as an option for medium or short commutes and to promote the programs McMaster University currently offers to students such as the transit and bike share passes.
The main deliverable for the project is to create an engagement strategy to promote the Smart Commute program at McMaster with the goal of being able to adapt this strategy in the future for Mohawk College and Redeemer University.
City Staff: Miranda Floreano, Planning and Economic Development Department
View the project infographic here.
Developing innovative health promotion programming to increase knowledge, change attitudes and beliefs, and promote healthier relationships with alcohol and cannabis among postsecondary students.
How can the City’s Public Health Services encourage healthier relationships with alcohol and cannabis among Hamilton postsecondary students?
Project Description: The City’s Public Health Services Division is interested in developing innovative health promotion programing to increase knowledge, change attitudes and beliefs, and promote healthier relationships with alcohol and cannabis among post-secondary students. This project will engage with post-secondary students since they are familiar with the matters that affect their lifestyles, what factors resonate with youth, and what should be considered towards potential solutions.
Through this project, students will review the literature on effective and innovative strategies that may encourage post-secondary students to develop healthier relationships with alcohol and cannabis, gather data from their fellow students to learn more about the local context and needs, and develop content which will help inform a communications strategy. Hamilton Public Health’s goal for the project results is to develop better alcohol- and cannabis-focused programming in the future that meet the needs of the City’s post-secondary communities.
City Staff: Malcolm Scott, Healthy and Safe Communities Department
Understanding how existing City initiatives can inform and support a Community Benefits Framework, and how this may assist the City as a strategic tool for community wealth building across municipal operations and resource requirements.
What are existing actions being undertaken by the City of Hamilton that would fall under a Community Benefits Framework, and what more could be done if a Community Benefits Framework is adopted as a city-wide policy.
Project Description: A Community Benefits Framework acts as a guide for Community Wealth Building which includes Community Employment Benefits, Social Procurement, and Community Benefit Agreements. The City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Community Benefits Network are undertaking this project challenge to understand how existing City initiatives can inform and support a Community Benefits Framework, and how this may assist the City as a strategic tool for community wealth building across municipal operations and resource requirements.
City Staff: Romas Keliacius, Healthy and Safe Communities Department
Identifying future locations for Open Streets during and after LRT.
With Light Rail Transit (LRT) construction planned to start on King St in 2024 Open Streets will need to find a new location. Where should Open Streets operate in 2025 and beyond? How do other cities choose where to put their Open Streets programs? Which of the proposed ideas are most appealing to the general public?
Project Description: At Council’s direction, the City’s first Open Streets Temporary Linear Urban Park on King Street East was held in June 2023. King Street was closed to motor-vehicle traffic from John Street to Gage Avenue, approximately four kilometres in length. The event ran from 10:00am to 2:00pm and was attended by an estimated 15,000 individuals. In 2024, the event was held on two Sundays. With LRT construction planned to start on King St in 2024 Open Streets Hamilton (OSH) will need to find a new location. The project will involve:
Explore the 7 proposed Open Street scenarios for future scale up (contained in the official Council report on OSH)
Using community engagement techniques (eg. workshop and surveys) rank the options or add others
Do a deep dive on the highest ranked scenarios
Determine the best routes, number of events, etc, since when LRT construction occurs the event has to move from King
Explore how other cities determine where to put their Open Streets events
City Staff: Juby Lee, Project Manager, Sustainable Mobility, Planning & Economic Development
Instructor: Randy Kay, Darina Vasek, Rachel Johnson
Read the final report here.
Exploring barriers, opportunities, and potential for developing the Stelco lands.
What barriers are there to developing the lands? What opportunities are there to the residents of Hamilton as well as visitors? What is the potential?
Project Description: Using 3D modelling or living master planning the goal would be to have students take a closer look at the opportunities and constraints of the site and re-imagine what could be on these lands. The new owner of the property would like to see the 3.4 km waterfront opened to the public, creative use of the heritage attributes on the site, landscaping opportunities, and new land uses.
In conjunction with Slate, we would like to open up this opportunity to be part of the re-think about the Stelco lands. There are a number of project ideas here. Slate has submitted a Plan of Subdivision application which is the first step to looking at the lands from a very high level in how to divide the lands into blocks. Some of these blocks could protect for waterfront access and heritage resources while others can be designated for redevelopment. What could that look like?
City Staff: Tricia Collingwood, Manager, West Development Team and Business Facilitation
Instructor: Rachel Johnson, Project Management Instructor, CityLAB Semester in Residence
Using ArcGIS StoryMaps to boost engagement and share vital city stories.
How can ArcGIS StoryMaps be used to effectively disseminate information and increase engagement and transparency? What stories could be shared to support initiatives that are vital to the health of our city’s population, economics and environment?
Project Description: The preponderance of municipal data is place based and the City’s stories are so often defined by geography. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) combine the what and the where to build a geocentric understanding our city. ArcGIS StoryMaps combine maps, data, images, text and visualizations to share stories in a way that is accessible, engaging, and interactive. How can the City of Hamilton (Planning and Economic Development) integrate StoryMaps into its communication and engagement strategy?
This project entails research to identify ways in which a StoryMap application could be used by the City of Hamilton to share information, collect feedback, and engage stakeholders. To accomplish this, the team will need to:
Compile examples of how other municipalities are utilizing ArcGIS StoryMaps
Gather or develop resources for StoryMap creation to understand tool capabilities.
Identify potential City of Hamilton themes to, for instance:
Entice investment in Hamilton.
Help residents access services related to housing.
Share development projects.
Promote City climate initiatives (programs, solar potential)
Highlight tourist sites and events.
Develop and document the creation of one or more prototype/pilot exemplar StoryMap(s)
Present and demonstrate the product to broader internal audience.
City Staff: Krysha Dukacz, Co-ordinator, Information Systems & Cartography Planning, Planning and Economic Development
Improving public access to Council and committee participation processes.
How can the City of Hamilton provide dynamic procedural information to citizens wishing to speak to Council, and onboarding information for those citizens appointed to the City’s agencies, boards and sub-committees?
Project Description: This project aims to enhance citizen engagement and streamline the process for residents wishing to address the City Council and those appointed to the City’s agencies, boards, and sub-committees. We will develop a dynamic, user-friendly informational resource that provides clear and creative guidance on how to effectively communicate with Council.
The initiative will focus on:
1) Procedural Information: Offering comprehensive, accessible instructions for citizens on how to present their views to the City Council. This includes step-by-step guides, FAQs, and interactive tools to simplify the process.
2) Onboarding for Appointees: Providing detailed onboarding materials for new members of City agencies, boards, and sub-committees, ensuring they are well-informed about their roles, responsibilities, and procedural expectations.
3) Creative Solutions: Leveraging innovative approaches and technology to make the process more engaging and user-friendly, ensuring that residents have a clear understanding of how to participate in local governance.
Guided by the procedural by-law and the municipal act, the project will aim to foster greater community involvement, transparency, and effective communication between the public and City officials.
This project should address two key problems which relate to both the city staff and Hamilton residents:
1) The city’s current onboarding process primarily consists of a few digitized documents which are very long and dense with information. The first problem is that the current format makes it difficult for new and current local board members to efficiently access and utilize this information.
2) Secondly, the complex nature of the existing rules/procedures when delegating with the city council creates a gap in understanding that limits the participation/engagement of citizens.
City Staff: Loren Kolar, Legislative Coordinator, Office of the City Clerk
Instructor: Rachel Johnson, Semester in Residence Project Management
Activating Copps Pier Park to foster connection, creativity, and use.
What can the City do to encourage use of Copps Pier Park (could be for events, temporary art, storytelling, etc) that will help connect residents to the place and use it more frequently? What resources could be developed? How will staff evaluate success?
Project Description: Copps Pier Park at Pier 8 is a City-owned public space that connects residents to the waterfront and features a 30-meter wide accessible walkway, multiple art installations, a playground, beach, a performance stage and pedestrianized roads. The park was recently opened to the public (2022) and the City wants the public to visit and value the park as a new asset available to all. The City’s placemaking team has been asked to animate these public spaces to help connect residents with the waterfront and demonstrate the potential of the spaces. We know there are resources that we can provide to make it easier for the public to use Copps Pier Park for their events and activities and would like students to suggest resources we can provide.
The City wants people to visit and use public spaces at Pier 8 now and over the next 10+ years while construction is happening. Currently, the City wants people to use and value the new assets at Copps Pier Park (like the performance spaces). However these spaces are new and aren’t well known. It’s not always clear what spaces can be used, how to get approval, how much it will cost, what the spaces are called, the logistics of the space (like electrical, etc).
City Staff: Sarah Ehmke, Senior Project Manager, Placemaking and Animation
Looking at Hamilton’s LRT Project from a climate justice lens.
Context: After years of contentious debate, in 2021, the City of Hamilton recommitted to its Light Rail Transit (LRT) project on the account of and through the funding of $3.4 billion dollars by the federal and provincial governments (Government of Ontario, 2021). This 14-kilometre LRT corridor with 17 stops will run along King Street from McMaster University to Eastgate Square, a route currently served by the 10-B Line Express HSR bus (City of Hamilton, 2023). Metrolinx, the crown corporation governing the project, has committed to providing fast, cheap and reliable transportation while ignoring the environmental and social implications the LRT will have on Hamilton and its residents. The LRT development will serve as a foundation and guideline for five future major transit projects in Hamilton, including the A-Line. Formed in 2017 in response to the opportunities presented by the Hamilton Light Rail Project, the Hamilton Community Benefits Network (HCBN) has and continues to advocate for community dialogue and social-environmental considerations around the B-Line LRT project.
Students: Diana Samanou, Griffin Kinzie, Hannah Horlings, Isabela Sipos, Kiana Craig, Simon Batusic
Staff: Karl Andrus – HCBN Community Benefits Manager
Instructors: Randy kay, Kojo Damptey, Elizabeth Bang, Darina Vasek
Building a Healthy Active Living: Empowering Riverdale Residents
Context: SCORE! is a pilot project to introduce sustainable health practices and support to low-income immigrant families, primarily those with children aged 5-11, based in the Riverdale East & West neighborhoods in Ward 5. SCORE! was formed in response to observations of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among new immigrant families in the neighbourhoods. The goal of SCORE! is to connect people to nature-based activities, healthy food systems, promote HAL and climate sustainability.
Students: Oyin Aderibgbe, Atoosa Berenji Kalkhoran, Alicia Au, Ibreez Asaria, Fatma Samatar, Zimo Wang
Instructor: Kojo Damptey, Darina Vasek, Elizabeth Bang, Randy Kay
City Staff: Patty Montague, Project Manager, SCORE!
Addressing the gap in education surrounding densification within Hamilton.
Context: In Hamilton, over 1900 acres of greenbelt land is at risk for urban expansion due to Bill 23. Hamilton residents and the City Council want a progressive and viable urban growth management plan to freeze our boundary and accommodate growth within our existing urban area.
Students: Vicki Yianakis, Jacob Oussoren, Hannan Minhas, Amrit Marwaha, Mo Amjad, Daniella Chukwu
Staff: Ian Borsuk (Environment Hamilton)
Instructor: Kojo Damptey, Darina, Vasek, Elizabeth Bang, Randy Kay
Incorporating Climate justice into decision making.
Context: The Hamilton Climate Change Impact Adaptation Plan (CCIAP) is a proactive effort to lessen the impact of climate change on Hamilton. This evidence-based strategy uses the most recent climate forecasts to protect our infrastructure, companies, and residents. The City of Hamilton’s Office of Climate Change Initiatives (OCCI) main priority is to safeguard the residents of our community using this plan, while also minimizing the expenses, duration, and negative effects on health. They seek to strengthen operations and improve community resilience in the face of environmental issues by beginning to understand diverse community viewpoints, concerns, and barriers, in order to develop a climate justice framework.
Students: Rand Al-Wazzan, Sifad Chowdhury, Tasneem Alnahhas, Ishaq Siddiqui, Dylan Yu
Staff: Trevor Imhoff -Senior Project Manager, Beatrice Ekoko – Project Manager
A revamp of Hamilton’s cycling routes for renewed cycling enthusiasm.
Context: While cycling conditions in Hamilton have improved greatly over the last decade, the city has failed to properly promote cycling in the community. The city’s official website includes trails that are out-of-date, clunky, and missing important information. The last update occurred in 2006, prior to much of the current biking infrastructure. In almost 20 years, demographics and the city itself have changed dramatically, requiring a similar change in the biking information currently available.
Students: Adam Locke, Esther Kok, Fatima Hameed, Madhura Kadam, Ramona Ribaudo-Begin
City Staff: Rachel Johnson, Cairan Egan
Instructors: Randy Kay, Elizabeth bang, Kojo Damptey, Darina Vasek
Amending Municipal Law to Protect the Right to Health and Safety
Context: Between 2051-2080, it is estimated that 60 days annually will be over 30 degrees. As heatwaves become more regular, tenants without reliable access to cooling are left at higher risk of heat-related death and illness. Currently, there is no maximum heat by-law in Hamilton amidst the ever-increasing summer temperatures. ACORN Hamilton advocates for the interests of low to moderate-income tenants; the most pertinent being the sweltering temperatures in their units. Unfortunately, many landlords prioritize profits over the health and well-being of their tenants, add AC-related fees, raise costs, and suggest impractical solutions such as moving.
Students: Helena Orteza, Alex Phelps, Ayesha Manal, Surbhi Rao, Victoria Cuthbert
Project Advisors: Olivia O’Connor – Head Organizer for Hamilton ACORN
Instructors: Randy Kay, Kojo Damptey, Elizabeth Bang, Darina Vasek
Through the Lens of Market Home Rentals and Market Homeownership
Context: This project is interested in solutions targeting the market home rentals and market homeownership aspects of the continuum. The project commenced by orienting to the housing continuum and understanding the pinch points that exist throughout in order to inform the project’s foundational knowledge of housing issues in the city, realizing that parts of the housing continuum do not operate in isolation –– both the problems and potential solutions. The findings that surfaced were thematized to encapsulate major issues related to housing in Hamilton as expressed by the various community stakeholders the team engaged.
Student Team: Kenneth Chen, Riya Patel, Eden Pang, Nivethinie Sivakumar, and Lesha Shah
Faculty: Dave Heidebrecht, Darina Vasek, Elizabeth Bang and Randy Kay
Watch the project video and infographic here.
Exploring the State of Hamilton’s Rental Market Place
Context: This project was centred on exploring the issues that Hamilton tenants face in the rental marketplace. Today, renters in Hamilton are unable to afford housing due to increasing living costs and low wages. With increasing rent prices over the last few years and a lack of security because of “renovictions” and informal evictions, residents are struggling to find affordable and suitable housing. Tenants are also experiencing difficulty moving up the housing continuum and are instead regressing backwards. Another important component of market rental housing is student housing. Within Hamilton, students are experiencing difficulty finding affordable and adequate housing. Students are not provided with sufficient education on navigating landlord-tenant relations, tenant rights, and the overall leasing process. Altogether, these issues point to a gap in market rental housing that must be addressed. With this in mind, the market rental housing group was tasked with consulting community stakeholders and providing recommendations to the City of Hamilton on strategies to improve market rental housing.
Student Team: Aveena Sriharan, Noor AL Omran, Jazz Walia, Val Flores & Ericka Hamilton
Exploring Tools for Affordable Housing in the City of Hamilton
Context: The cost of living has dramatically increased in Hamilton. Hamilton is now one of the least affordable North American cities to live in. Community partners, academics, and City Staff agree that a lack of supply, as well as zoning, funding, resource, and collaboration issues make affordable housing a complex and multi-level problem. In this report, we outline the scope of our work from the semester and dive into our exploration process, community consultations, findings, and recommendations. Research and consultations with stakeholders have identified a need for the city to build a renewal strategy for revitalizing and developing on municipal owned land that identifies:
Student Team: Anastasija Zecevic, Bohmee Kim, Maryam Sheikh, Rachel Long, Rhea Saini
Unaffordable Rental Housing
Context: In the City of Hamilton (CoH), many tenants report that their rent takes up a majority of their income, while they struggle to pay remaining non-housing expenditures. This is the result of Hamilton’s lack of affordable rental stock. There are many gaps in existing municipal policies that hinder the production and maintenance of affordable rentals in the city. The CoH recognizes these issues in Hamilton as they have committed to implementing a Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap (HSIR). This semester, CityLAB is contributing to the CoH’s HSIR by conducting research through engagement with diverse stakeholders. Our group’s project centers on affordable rentals. Throughout numerous conversations with City staff, community organizations, and organizations representing the private sector, our team has determined three key reasons for Hamilton’s shortage of affordable rentals: (1) the loss of existing affordable stock due to reno- and demovictions, and vacancy decontrol, (2) the high costs of building and developing new stock, and (3) the financialization of housing.
Student Team: Anne Tinio, Bianca Magdalinis, Eunice Tunggal, Ivan Kredl, Lucas Holler
Focusing on community needs.
Context: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 impacted individuals in all sections of the housing continuum, such as negatively affecting people’s income stability. However, these impacts had disproportionate consequences for individuals on the left end of the housing continuum. Specifically, the high level of uncertainty and lack of stability led to lost jobs and lower wages for members of low-income and vulnerable communities. From September 6, 2022, to December 8, 2022, a group of five McMaster students, Kundan Ahluwalia, Elza Joji, Shauna Ko, Fiona Sharpe and Ritika Sudan worked with CityLAB instructors and various stakeholders to discover the needs, concerns, and future plans for Hamilton’s community housing sector, which resulted in the proposal of a few recommendations to the currently developing HSIR. While the Project Group aims to advance HSIR, it also aligns with the City of Hamilton’s Strategic Priorities (2016-2025), primarily, Healthy & Safe Communities, Built Environment & Infrastructure and Culture & Diversity. The Project Group believes that there needs to be a long-term solution to address the lack of affordable and accessible housing in the City of Hamilton.
Student Team: Kundan Ahluwalia, Elza Joji, Shauna Ko, Fiona Sharpe, Ritika Sudan
Precarious to Stable Housing
The City of Hamilton is experiencing a housing crisis that has been exacerbated by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing affordability in Hamilton continues to decrease, while homelessness is increasing. Altogether, these effects have led to an unhealthy housing continuum. Transitional housing occupies an uncertain place within the housing continuum and Hamilton’s homelessness strategy going forward. The City, province and federal government have adopted a Housing First approach to combat homelessness that aims to place people experiencing homelessness into affordable or market rentals or community housing. Our group aims to understand the current state of transitional housing and adjacent services, what is going well, and gaps and barriers that are being faced by service providers.
Student Team: Alexandria Gonzales Daniel Majik, Nate Steeves Sneha Mukherjee, Zeynep Yilmaz
Watch the project video here.
Exploring Sustainable Mobility & Cycling Infrastructure
Context: At the end of September 2021, the Cycling Infrastructure Project Team (the CITeam) began working with Peter Topalovic and Trevor Jenkins of the Sustainable Mobility Program, who brought forth the objective of improving Sustainable Mobility’s public engagement for cycling infrastructure projects. Together, both groups developed the primary objective of the project: to develop a standardized approach to Sustainable Mobility’s cycling infrastructure engagement in a manner that is directly informed by stakeholders. During the semester, the CITeam developed three main deliverables for the City of Hamilton, specifically:
Student Team: Nico Belanger, Wajeeha Cheema, Sophie Gordon, Falisha Razack
Project Partner: Trevor Jenkins & Peter Topalovic (Project Managers, Smart Commute, City of Hamilton)
Faculty: Dave Heidebrecht, John Maclachlan, Darina Vasek, and Randy Kay
Promoting Green Development Standards in Hamilton Through an EDI Framework
Context: At the start of the project, it was believed that there was no progress concerning Green Development Standards (GDS) in Hamilton. However, after several informational interviews, the student team discovered that the city is considering GDS for low-density developments, and there has been consultation with the development industry. The student team identified this as an opportunity to raise public awareness of GDS and to include diverse stakeholders in GDS policy design. This understanding was premised by the Design course learnings that address the complexity embedded in urban planning and city-level decision-making processes. The student team facilitated a community dialogue event with developers, community organizations, and city staff to broaden the breadth of consultation of GDS and gather ideas about what an inclusive GDS in Hamilton might look like. Ultimately, the goal of the GDS project evolved to inform better GDS policy that considers Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles. This project is aligned with the City of Hamilton’s Corporate Climate Change Goals 1) buildings; 2) climate adaptation; and 8) Diversity, Health, and Inclusion.
Student Team: Sahra Siyad, Kazza Topp-Nguyen, Mehak Kapur, Jasmine Devine, Maleka El Naghi
Project Partner: Lynda Lukasik (Executive Director, Environment Hamilton); Brody Robinmeyer (Project Manager, Friendly Streets for Black, Indigenous & Racialized Communities, Environment Hamilton)
View the project video and infographic here.
Making Hamilton’s Municipal Elections More Accessible
Context: The overall goal of the project was to increase participation in the upcoming 2022 municipal election. To achieve these goals, the Municipal Elections Group undertook a two-part research project which involved: (1) a demographic data analysis to identify who is and who is not voting in Hamilton’s municipal elections, and (2) focus groups to understand barriers and co-create strategies to increase engagement among one specific demographic group—youth. These components led to a presentation to the City’s Elections Team and the creation of a recommendations report that was provided to the City of Hamilton, with the hopes that these recommendations will be implemented to make the municipal elections process more inclusive and accessible.
Student Team: Milica Hinic, Sharon Lim, Megan Marsh, Muntaka Siddique, Vithuyan Sugumar
Project Partner: Conor Flood & Tammy Reeves (Coordinators, Elections, City of Hamilton); Aine Leadbetter (Manager, Elections & Print/Mail)
Hamilton LRT Community Benefits Project
Context: The Hamilton LRT is a planned transit line in Hamilton, Ontario spanning 14 kilometers from McMaster University to Eastgate Square and was approved by Hamilton’s City Council on 15 September 2021. The LRT is a major public infrastructure project and will have varying impacts on different communities and residents across the city. For this reason, it is important that residents are engaged in the planning and design of the LRT. CityLAB SIR partnered with HCBN to support and further its goals in developing a CBA with Metrolinx, the City of Hamilton, and the local community. More specifically, the CityLAB Project Group helped to conduct community-based research through virtual dialogue events on what community benefits residents would like to see included in the agreement and developed a recommendations report summarizing key findings and suggested next steps for the project. The group also developed an event template for the HCBN to guide future virtual dialogue events, which is based on the cost-free model of the events hosted this semester. The CityLAB Project Group also refined an existing HCBN survey which seeks to provide another avenue for residents to share their feedback and ideas on LRT community benefits.
Student Team: Amandeep Saini, Mirjana Poljak, Tom Parapilly, Mahek Shergill
Project Partner: Karl Andrus (Community Benefits Manager, Hamilton Community Benefits Network); Koubra Haggar (Lead Organizer, Hamilton Community Benefits Network)
Context: The Complete Streets Intersection Makeover Project (CSIMP) Team collaborated with Hamilton Sustainable Mobility City staff and the Ward 1 Office to achieve the overarching goal of informing Ward 1 residents about Complete Streets design and to facilitate a meaningful virtual community engagement event that gathered community input about redesigning intersections in Hamilton’s Ward 1 community. The work of the CSIMP Team aligned with several of the City of Hamilton’s Strategic Priorities, including: (1) Community Engagement and Participation, (3) Healthy and Safe Communities, (4) Clean and Green, and (5) Built Environment and Infrastructure (City of Hamilton, 2017). The report will be used by City staff and the Ward 1 councilor to continue the Complete Streets Intersection Makeover project and to inform further work on Complete Streets intersection projects in other Wards and other Cities.
Student Team: Foram Patel, Julia Menezes, Tanisha Palmer, Sarnti Sornpaisarn
Project Partners: Cindy Mutch (Senior Project Manager, Community Engagement)
Project Partners: Rachel Johnson (Project Manager, Sustainable Mobility) and Peter Topalovic (Project and Program Manager, Sustainable Mobility)
Faculty: Dave Heidebrecht, Brian Baetz, Darina Vasek, Randy Kay
Read the full report here.
Enhancing Public Engagement in Hamilton through the Engage Hamilton Platform
Context: In June 2020, Engage Hamilton (EH), an online platform was launched that was meant to compliment the different engagement tools and strategies the City of Hamilton uses to promote greater public engagement and make it easier for residents to participate in civic activities. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform has become the main source of public engagement, instead of being used as a complementary tool. This is due to the COVID-19 restrictions that were imposed by various levels of government which meant that all in-person public engagement had to be placed on hold in order to prevent the spread of the virus. This has prompted the city to host all public engagement activities online instead. implementation. For the project, CityLAB students collaborated with City partner Cindy Mutch to create interactive and creative seasonal community-building projects to help build the online community on the Engage Hamilton platform as well as increase the platform’s database.
Student Team: Adam Chojecki, Maheen Shahid, Divya Tamilselvan, Zoe Ullyett
Exploring how the City of Hamilton can best Re-Establish Community Engagement that has been Lost during the Pandemic
Context: The City of Hamilton regards community engagement and participation as an important municipal priority. The City hopes to collaboratively build a sense of community through transparency, accessibility, and public participation. For many years, this goal has been driven forward by the work of the Neighbourhood Development Section (NDS), formerly known as the Neighbourhood Action Strategy. The NDS works with communities to support resident-led initiatives and help make Hamilton more connected. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought the work of the NDS to a halt as a result of the re-deployment of their staff and an inability to host their usual in-person events. For this project, the NDS partnered with a team of students at CityLAB Hamilton, to tackle this issue and develop recommendations regarding how the NDS should re-connect with residents and effectively support community organizations.
Student Team: Blessing Akinniranye, Harshul Bhanjana, Rebecca Gysbers, Saud Haseeb, Maryam Taj
Project Partners: Al Fletcher (Manager Neighbourhood Development, Healthy and Safe Communities)
Preventing Disastrous Climate Change Consequences for the Future of Hamilton’s Community
Context: After the declaration of a climate emergency in March of 2019, the City’s challenge now is to determine Hamilton’s climate priorities and strategize actions to create a green future, one in which Hamiltonians are ready for the impacts of climate change. The primary aim of this project was to develop a list of sustainability and community engagement recommendations that can be applied to Public Works’ Climate Resiliency Strategy, which is set to be implemented beginning in 2021. To achieve this, students worked with Arlen Lemming (Senior Project Manager, Public Works) to investigate: (1) Current sustainability actions implemented in the climate plans of other municipalities, as well as an assessment of these actions’ measured/projected benefits; and (2) Hamilton’s sustainability/climate context (strengths, needs, opportunities). At the end of the project, students organized interviews with global climate leaders and directors of Hamilton’s NPOs; a website prototype of an online engagement tool for residents; a comprehensive final report including recommendations for the Public Works’ Climate Resiliency Strategy for City staff.
Student Team: Ananya Yadav, Derya Demirci, Henery Challen, Wendy Zhang
Project Partners: Arlen Leeming (Senior Project Manager, Public Works)
Developing an Engagement Strategy for the Hamilton Parks Master Plan
Context: The City of Hamilton currently lacks an overarching parkland design and acquisition strategy. As a result, reactionary land purchases have caused an imbalance in the location of parks, and who they have been designed for. Additionally, ever-changing requirements for sports facilities need to be considered city-wide to determine if there is an adequate supply of community sports parks. These problems are exacerbated by urban intensification. Thus, in order to ensure equitable access for all Hamiltonians, the City needs a more strategic approach; a Parks Master Plan. The focus of the Parks Master Pre-Plan project is to provide an engagement strategy that is accessible, wide-ranged and supportive of the City of Hamilton’s vision to creating a sustainable recreational parks network. In alignment with the City’s Vision “To be the best place to raise a child and age successfully”, the Parks Master Plan’s vision is to make Hamilton a better place for everyone and support residents through all of life’s stages (City of Hamilton, 2018, p.2). The CityLAB student group began collaborating with the Department of Landscape Architecture on the Parks Master Pre-Plan in October 2020 under the guidance of Cynthia Graham and John Vandriel. The CityLAB student group joined the project in the pre-plan phase and were tasked with investigating and developing an engagement strategy that the City of Hamilton can use to gauge the park-needs of its community members.
Student Team: Graeme Fishman, Sage Hartmann, Clare Mcgall, Stephanie Wang
Project Partners: Cynthia Graham (Manager of Lanscape Architectural Services) and John Vandriel (Landscape Architect)
Preparing Hamilton for Extreme Weather Caused by Climate Change to build a resilient community
Context: In March 2019, the City of Hamilton declared a climate change emergency. This declaration was in recognition of the need to address climate change on a municipal and neighbourhood level. Environment Hamilton (EH) is a local non-profit that both advocates for municipal-level responses to climate change and community building to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. In service of their efforts in Hamilton communities, EH has established the Climate Ready Hamilton (CRH) network. The focus of this collaborative project was to build neighbourhood resilience to extreme weather and ensure that residents of Hamilton neighbourhoods are prepared for the adverse effects of climate change. The project looked at developing an asset map that highlighted resiliency hubs in the Beasley neighbourhood and further the CRH network. The CRH mission aligns with the City of Hamilton’s 2016-2025 strategic themes of healthy and safe communities; clean and green; and built environment and infrastructure. CRH contributes to the City of Hamilton’s goal of being the best place to raise a child and age successfully.
Student Team: Suffia Malik, Daniella Mikanovsky, Deepak Palanichimi, Jermey Swenauth, and Claire de Souza
Project Partners: Lynda Lukasik Ph.D (Executive Director, Environment Hamilton), Beatrice Ekoko (Senior Project Manager, Environment Hamilton), Trevor Imhooff B.E.S (Senior Project Manager Air Quality and Climate Change, City of Hamilton)
Creating a Community Art Toolkit to practice community art in Hamilton
Context: The creation of the Art in Public Places policy, including a chapter on community art, is in line with the City’s strategic plan and will allow Hamilton to create a culture of community engagement, participation, economic prosperity and growth, and healthy and safe communities among other benefits. Creating this encompassing policy can foster placemaking and holds the potential to lead the way for art to be used throughout Hamilton. This project was intended to refine the Art in Public Places policy chapter relating to community art through various community engagement methods, data collection and analysis, and ultimately the creation of a toolkit in collaboration with City Partners. The Community Art Toolkit serves as a how-to guide for people interested in practicing community art in Hamilton, which will encourage its continued creation.
Student Team: Salo Rodriguez Solarte, Hannah Lobb, Ada Zhu, Gurvir Chana, Ameya Nair
Project Partners: Ken Coit (Manager of Placemaking, Public Art and Projects), Jen Anisef (Cultural Project Specialist, Placemaking, Public Art and Projects)
Developing an active transportation network of multi-use trails around Cootes Paradise
Context: From October to December of 2019, a team of five CityLAB SIR students have worked in partnership with representatives from the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Burlington Trails Council (HBTC) on the early stages of the Cootes Paradise Greenway Loop project. A Greenway is an outdoor active transportation network consisting of multi-use paths, pedestrian walkways, and on-street cycling facilities for both commuter and recreational use. Recreational greenways can be networks of trails linking water-based recreational sites and areas. These trails and routes often have a scenic quality as they pass through diverse and visually significant landscapes. The recreation focus may be on urban or rural areas and the scale may be local, regional, national or international. On a broad scale, this greenway concept has been proposed to serve and connect residents and visitors of Hamilton and Burlington. It has been determined that the first step to achieve the broader Hamilton-Burlington Regional Greenway is to surround the Cootes EcoPark system with a greenway of its own. This project primarily fulfills the City of Hamilton’s strategic priorities of “Clean and Green” and “Built Environment and Infrastructure”. The project report outlines a strategy to implement a greenway around Cootes Paradise and is a comprehensive review of the work that was completed by the Cootes Greenway project group with recommendations for the project’s next steps.
Student Team: Elizabeth Marr, Nicholas Leslie, Saadiya Pathan, Albert Mac, and Eleni McGowans
Project Partners: Daryl Bender (Project Manager, Active Transportation Planning and Economic Development), Jessica Brommer (Project Manager, Landscape Architectural Services, Public Works, Environmental Services), Wayne Terryberry (coordinator of Outdoor Recreation and Natural Lands McMaster University, President of the Ontario Trails Council)
Faculty: Dave Heidebrecht, Brian Baetz, Anna Marie Pietrantonio
Determining What Constitutes a Connected Cycling Network for Hamilton
Context: With an increased emphasis on active transportation being pertinent to future mobility solutions across the globe, cycling has come to the forefront of future development. In the most recent Transportation Master Plan of Hamilton, cycling was determined to be a vital aspect of future strides towards sustainable mobility. Hamilton currently has been developing a network of cycling infrastructure that is ever growing. With the help of Social Bicycles (SOBI), cycling has been made an even more accessible mode of transportation. Moreover, as the city has declared a Climate Emergency, Hamilton has had an interest in increasing cycle-based transportation through creating a Minimum Grid network. The goal of this project was to inform future change within the existing cycling network to increase accessibility for all ages and abilities through community engagement.
Student Team: Deborah Quist, Gabriella Christopher, Hannah Stoesz, Maryam Rana, Parsa Ayani, Tad Moretti
Project Partners: Rachel Johnson (Project Manager, Sustainable Mobility), Peter Topalovic (Project Manager, Sustainable Mobility)
Building a Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP)
Context: This project was undertaken in order to support the City of Hamilton in preparing for a successful pilot implementation of the Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP) program within the North End neighbourhood in Hamilton, Ontario. By following the three-phase SNAP framework developed by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), this project aims to develop the preliminary research necessary for creating comprehensive community-level climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. Specifically, this project focuses on phase one of the framework, which is intended to develop an understanding of local issues and identify stakeholders within the community. Data collection through the use of preliminary surveys and relationship-building with stakeholders is a key component of the initial phase. The focus of the report supports the work done within the initial phase of the project, seen through background research of the target neighbourhood, taking into account previous and ongoing development in the North End. To learn more about the project, the report outlines the preliminary survey, key stakeholders, and asset identification.
Student Team: Hannah Lobb, Elizabeth-Anne Marr, Ameya Nair, Albert Mac, Nicole Graziano, Sam Patrick, Deepak Palanichami, Saadiya Pathan, Abigail Laulman, Frank Liang, Paerhati Najiman, Taylor DeCoste
Project Partners: Trevor Imhoff (Senior Project Manager, Air Quality and Climate Change), Andrea McDowell (Project Manager, Air Quality and Climate Change), Adam Watson (Project Manager, Healthy and Safe Communities)
Semester in Residence at CityLAB is a project-based experiential program where students work in interdisciplinary teams mentored by staff from the City of Hamilton and local community organizations, as well as course instructors, to address real challenges affecting communities in Hamilton. CMTYENGA 4A06 is one of the two mandatory courses part of SIR.
Using an inquiry model and drawing on an associated city-identified challenge, this course develops disciplinary capabilities in design thinking and dialogue to promote effective change-making and community engagement. Below are examples of questions explored in both the design and dialogue sections of this course.
Design:
Dialogue:
Six hours; One term Co-requisite(s): CMTYENGA 4A09 Prerequisite(s): Registration in Level III or IV and admission into the Semester in Residence at CityLAB
Semester in Residence at CityLAB is a project-based experiential program where students work in interdisciplinary teams mentored by staff from the City of Hamilton and local community organizations, as well as course instructors, to address real challenges affecting communities in Hamilton. CMTYENGA 4A09 is one of the two mandatory courses part of SIR.
Using an inquiry model and drawing on an associated city-identified challenge, this course develops disciplinary capabilities in project management to promote effective change-making. Below are examples of questions explored in this course:
Six hours; One term Co-requisite(s): CMTYENGA 4A06 Prerequisite(s): Registration in Level III or IV and admission into the Semester in Residence at CityLAB
Semester at CityLAB is composed of both CMTYENGA 4A06 – Design and Dialogue Inquiry and CMTYENGA 4A09 – Applied Project Experience. Both courses must be taken as co-requisites.
View previous course outline for Fall 2025.
View previous course outline for Fall 2024.