Op Eds, Essays, and Reports
Coronavirus & Cities
Brail, S. Visualizing the Impact of COVID-19 on Toronto. Spacing. December 13, 2022.
Brail, S. COVID-19 and the Future of Urban Policy and Planning. Current History, 121 (838), 298-303. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.2022.121.838.298.
Brail, S. How the coronavirus pandemic is changing Toronto life and business – for better or worse. The Conversation. May 3, 2021.
Li, Youjing and Brail, S. Toronto after the 1st wave: How COVID-19 affected three key markets. Spacing, April 29, 2021.
Brail, S. Patterns Amidst the Turmoil: COVID-19 & Cities. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science. 2021.
Brail, S., Heblich, S., McGahan, A. The Innovation Imperative: How the pandemic has changed the urban environment where innovation thrives. Financial Post, March 10, 2021.
Brail, S., Des Rosiers, N., McGahan, A. For the arts, the show must go on after COVID-19. Policy Options. June 29, 2020.
Brail, S. Coronavirus and Engaging Cities: Towards Community Recovery (English). (French version here). Bang the Table. June 26, 2020.
Brail, S. An opportunity to reimagine the role for platform economy firms. Policy Options. June 23, 2020.
Brail, S. and Donald, B. From Gin to Gel, why Canada’s manufacturing capacity matters. Policy Options. April 21, 2020.
Brail, S. Cities lead the charge on coronavirus front lines. The Conversation. April 2, 2020.
Digital Cities & Urban Innovation
Brail, S. Advancing prosperity and economic opportunities through a twin transition. The Hill Times, February 20, 2023.
Brail, S. and Donald, B. Robotic Cargo Transport: New Technologies, Novel Practices & Policy Readiness in Canada. Report for Transport Canada, 2021.
Brail, S. The Innovation Imperative: Why Canada needs to harness the power of the platform economy. Financial Post, March 31, 2021.
Brail, S. Climate Crisis, Equitable Engagement, Inclusive Cities: Rethinking Urban Mobility. Bang the Table. November 2020.
Brail, S., Hadfield, G. and Stein, J. Governance Innovation Final Report. Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. June 2020.
Brail, S. Cities need to innovate to improve transportation and reduce emissions. The Conversation. November 24, 2019.
Brail, S. and Donald, B. Canada left behind as ride-hailing services go global. The Conversation. September 10, 2018.
Community & Economic Development
Brail, S. 2022. Short Term Rental Platforms and Impacts on Housing, Rental Markets, and Affordability in Advancing the Right to Housing in Toronto: Critical perspectives on the GTA’s housing crisis and how to solve it, Affordable Housing Challenge Project, University of Toronto, 46-51.
Brail, S., Conteh, C., and Hackman-Carty, L. The Municipal Role in Economic Development. Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance. May 3, 2022.
Brail, S. How partnerships can help cities cope with technological disruption. Policy Options. July 3, 2018.
Brail, S. What TCHC needs to do next with Regent Park. Spacing Toronto. June 25, 2018.
Brail, S. Community Engagement with the Changing City. Bang the Table, 2018.
News Media
Coronavirus & Cities
The uncertain future of hybrid work. Global News AM 640, April 2023.
Fostering innovation in our cities. Municipal World Shares, July 2022.
Torontonians are driving more since pandemic began, city report finds. CTV News Toronto, November 30, 2021.
Pizzas, burgers, sandwiches. More of these restaurants opened during the pandemic. Will the trend continue?Toronto Star, May 27, 2021.
The Surprising Resilience of Restaurants. University of Toronto Magazine, Spring 2021.
Looking at Toronto after the first wave. The Medium, January 24, 2021.
The restaurant industry is hurting. That’s not stopping these entrepreneurs. The Globe and Mail, December 3, 2020.
As the COVID-19 crisis cuts jobs, Canadians cash in on hobbies with ‘side hustles’. Canadian Press, November 17, 2020.
Untethered by the pandemic, urban workers consider a pastoral life, Christian Science Monitor, September 16, 2020.
How will commuting change after coronavirus? Experts weigh in. Global News. June 24, 2020
Space is the new luxury: Could the coronavirus prompt an urban exodus in Ontario?. Global News. May 25, 2020.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, Airbnb, Vrbo listing abound in Ontario. The Logic. April 27, 2020
Toronto’s public life all but vanishes amid COVID-19 crisis. Toronto Star. March 17, 2020.
How can Canadians quarantine from COVID-19 if they can’t afford it?. National Post. March 11, 2020.
Digital Cities & Urban Innovation
Airbnb plan to expand housing listings bad for Vancouver. CityNews Vancouver. November 17, 2022.
Une communauté veur créer une ville <<intelligente>>. Le Devoir. October 23, 2021.
What’s next for Quayside? The resumes of the four teams vying to reimagine Toronto’s waterfront might offer a hint. Toronto Star. October 20, 2021.
How technology can empower communities. MaRS Discovery District. November 26, 2020.
Sidewalk Labs pulls out of Toronto’s Quayside Project, blaming COVID-19. Toronto Star. May 7, 2020.
Sidewalk Labs pulls out of Toronto Quayside project. State Scoop. May 7, 2020.
Academics face many challenges researching Uber, Airbnb and their ilk. University Affairs. November 25, 2019.
How Uber’s new safety features aim to stop murders, kidnappings and other crimes. Cnet. October 4, 2019.
Can a Ridehailing App be Ethical?. Vice. March 7, 2019.
City of the Future? Humans, Not Technology, Are the Challenge in Toronto. The New York Times. December 29, 2017
Lyft to Begin Operations in Toronto, Its First Market Outside the U.S.. The New York Times. November 13, 2017.
Mobility
Public transit users concerned proposed TTC service cuts will increase safety risks. CTV News, January 21, 2023.
Public transit struggling to lure back riders amid deficits, rising costs of living. CBC News, January 15, 2023.
TTC riders to pay more for less frequent service that’s more crowded, says transit agency. Toronto Star, January 5, 2023.
Toronto’s pink delivery robots have been pulled off the streets and may be banned next week – but is that the right move? Toronto Star, December 11, 2021.
Ride-hail alternatives seek empowerment and safety. Toronto Star, October 30, 2021.
Stuck in the past, can Mississauga ever quit the car? Councillors frown on plans to reduce parking. The Pointer, June 4, 2021.
As city committee debates e-scooters, concerns over a ‘missed opportunity’. Toronto Star, April 27, 2021.
Mississauga triples some parking fines in waterfront area amid high COVID-19 demand. Mississauga.com, April 23, 2021.
Mobility tech offers cities enormous opportunities for helping residents get around – if they can avoid the quagmire. Toronto Star, January 11, 2021.
Planning the future of transportation? Think sustainability, social equity, experts say. CBC News, September 25, 2020.
Can we fix Toronto’s transit by 2030? With an expected population of 8 million, experts say it’s already too late. Toronto Star. March 5, 2020.
Can Innisfil, a town without its own bus service, build a transit-centred city of the future?. Toronto Star. December 8, 2019.
Toronto’s newest car-share company caters to a need for speed. CTV News. July 20, 2019.
Lyft and Uber Want to Fund Better Roads…For Lyft and Uber. Vice. April 25, 2019.
Community & Economic Development
Ontario government passes bill to address housing crisis. The Medium, December 5, 2022.
Canada’s housing shortage is bad for business — and getting worse. The Globe and Mail, October 27, 2022.
Millennials surpass baby boomers as Toronto’s dominant population for first time, census shows. The Toronto Star, April 27, 2022.
Affordable housing, proximity to nature draws more Canadians to smaller urban centres. The Canadian Press, February 9, 2022.
Population booming in southern Ontario’s cottage country, new census data shows. The Toronto Star, February 9, 2022.
Kanata North is ready to become more than just big tech. CBC News, November 10, 2021.
Canadian supply delays come as a warning that future interruptions could be worse. CBC News, October 24,
Economic recovery and the Edmonton election: Compare the mayoral platforms. CBC News, October 5, 2021.
Is NIMBYism behind frustration on development or do Vaughan residents not realize sweeping change is happening?, Vaughan Citizen, August, 9, 2021.
The East Harbour transit hub site can’t have housing because it’s been set aside as an employment zone for ‘high value’ jobs, city councillor says, Toronto Star, May 21, 2021.
With Rail Deck Park probably dead, here’s where Toronto could look for other new green spaces, CBC News, May 14, 2021.
Doug Ford’s government ignored a local community by destroying the Dominion Foundry site. Here’s why all Toronto should care. Toronto Star. January 21, 2021.
Forget Sidewalk Labs. Quayside plans promise ‘iconic’ architecture and – affordable housing. Toronto Star. December 27, 2020.
Radio, TV, and Podcasts
Fostering innovation in our cities. Municipal World Shares Podcast, July 2022.
How some restaurants opened and adapted during the pandemic and what’s next? The Toronto Star This Matters Podcast, June 4, 2021.
The urban environment after immunity. After Immunity Podcast, June 2, 2021.
How COVID-19 is changing Toronto business and life. The Weekend Morning Show with Dave Trafford, Newstalk 1010 Radio, May 8, 2021.
Demand for industrial storage space spurs boom in warehouse real estate. The Cost of Living, CBC Radio, February 21, 2021.
My Perfect City: Employment in Toronto. The Compass, BBC News World Service, December 23, 2020.
The Spark Guide to Civilization, Part One: Movement. Spark – CBC Radio. September 25, 2020.
Will COVID-19 be followed by an urban exodus?. Global News Radio. May 28, 2020.
Episode 12 – Shauna Brail. The Art of the Neighbourhood Podcast. May 23, 2020.
Events
Upcoming
Past
Beyond Covid-19: The Future of Cities and Urban Policy. Cañada Blanch Centre, London School of Economics, November 8, 2022.
Digital Platforms, Pandemic Pivots and the Role of Government: The Case of App-Based Food Delivery. Presented to the Ontario Ministry of Finance, Office of Economic Policy, Economics Community of Practice: Digital Economy, Online event, September 20, 2022.
Micro Mobility and Micro Utility Devices, Ontario Smart Mobility Readiness Forum, Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, June 29, 2022.
Negotiating with Robots in the Public Realm, University of Toronto Transportation Research Institute / Mobility Network, Toronto, April 26, 2022.
How Has the Pandemic Impacted Global Cities? Some Evidence from London, Paris and Toronto. Institute on Municipal Finance & Governance, University of Toronto, March 29, 2022.
Digital Infrastructure: Reconfiguring future urban infrastructures, University of Manchester / Melbourne / Toronto, June 24, 2021.
Shared Mobility: Responding to new societal norms, The Globe and Mail Events, March 24, 2021.
Cities Post-Covid: What Does the Future Hold? Toronto Association for Business & Economics. January 14, 2021.
COVID, Inequalities and the Future of Cities. LSE International Inequalities Institute, December 7, 2020.
Urban Leadership and Innovation During Times of Crisis. Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. December 3, 2020.
Sustainability in Urban Planning. University College Literary & Athletic Society, October 21, 2020.
Urban Transformation & the Pandemic: Shifting Mobility in Cities. Urban Economy Forum, October 5-6, 2020.
The Future of Cities: Urban Life and Work Beyond COVID-19. Rotman School of Management. July 15, 2020.
Will the Future of Planning Change Due to the Pandemic?. June 23, 2020.
Cities after COVID. Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. June 16, 2020.
Webinar: The Social Benefits of On-demand Transit. Pantonium – Tomorrow’s Transportation Today. June 5, 2020.
The World after COVID-19. Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. May 12, 2020.
How COVID-19 is affecting global supply chains?. Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. April 30, 2020.
Shauna Brail 