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2023 Research Projects 

Building on the processes and partnerships formed in the past few years, CivicLabTO Research launched a call for proposals within the City of Toronto, leveraging the new, Ontario Collaborative Innovation Platform (OCIP). The following research needs have been shared via OCIP with the City’s eight higher education institution partners to connect with relevant expertise. CivicLabTO Research also matches these projects with incremental funding through Mitacs and the Climate Action and Resiliency Research Fund (CARRF) as applicable, all in support of informed public policy. 
 

Project details subject to change. Academic collaborators and outcomes will be listed as available. 

Consumption based GHG emissions: Embodied Emissions in Construction of Buildings and Infrastructure 
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Collaborators:
  • University of Toronto & the Environment & Climate Division (City of Toronto)

Overview:
  • To investigate the consumption based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from construction in the City of Toronto, including a GHG budget for construction and the potential of the circular economy to reduce embodied GHG in the urban built environment  
     

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Investigating Innovative Funding Mechanisms for Funding and Implementing Climate Adaptation Actions and Programs
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Collaborators:
  • Environment & Climate Division (City of Toronto)

Overview: 
  • To identify potential funding partners and industry engagement opportunities to amplify City budgets and resources in support of climate adaptation actions and programs. 

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Researching the Potential for Workforce Development of Prefabricated Exterior Cladding Services for Homeowners
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Collaborators:
  • Environment & Climate Division (City of Toronto)

Overview: 
  • To deliver a research assessment of the feasibility, barriers, and carbon reduction potential of exterior insulated cladding for Toronto homes, including options for workforce development and regulatory alignment to support a prefabricated exterior cladding insulation industry in southern Ontario.
     

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Measuring, Monitoring, Evaluating and Reporting of Climate Resilience as relevant to the City of Toronto
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Collaborators:
  • Environment & Climate Division (City of Toronto)

Overview:
  • This literature review will identify best practices in measuring and monitoring climate resilience as well as recommend methods, tools, and indicators that the City of Toronto could use to measure progress in enhanced community and corporate climate resilience.
     

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Review of Neighbourhood-level Climate Vulnerability in the City of Toronto
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Collaborators:
  • Environment & Climate Division (City of Toronto)

Overview: 
  • This project to feature a review of available data on climate risks at the neighbourhood level and indicators of climate vulnerability and resilience, including a climate vulnerability index for Toronto neighbourhoods with results displayed spatially in a user-friendly manner.
     

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Showcasing the Feasibility and Cost-Effectiveness of Electrifying Small Businesses
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Collaborators:
  • Environment & Climate Division (City of Toronto)

Overview:
  • With approximately 80,000 small businesses in need of low carbon retrofits, this project aims to demonstrate that adoption is technologically viable and economically beneficial by developing a replicable model that can be easily adopted by businesses throughout the region, conducting a thorough risk assessment and identifying any implementation hurdles. 
     

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Approaches to Supporting People Experiencing Complex and Overlapping Vulnerabilities in Downtown East Toronto
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Collaborators:
  • Social Development, Finance & Administration (City of Toronto)

Overview: 
  • This research will explore the complex needs of individuals who are unhoused or street involved in the Downtown East area of Toronto and will identify best practices for authentic engagement and the utilization of City and community resources to better serve vulnerable populations.  
     

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Changing Driving Behaviours
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Collaborators:
  • Fleet Services (City of Toronto)

Overview:
  • The City of Toronto operates one of the largest and most diverse fleets in North America, including vehicles of varying degrees of complexity, such as vans, street sweepers, construction machinery, and garbage trucks. This project will explore measure to encourage the safe operation of vehicles, the most effective operator training methods and how to we accurately detect or predict driving risks. 
     

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City of Toronto Service Equity Initiative
Collaborators:
  • People & Equity (City of Toronto) 

Overview:
  • This project will generate data in support of evidence-based solutions to address the unequal access to, and experience with, municipal services experienced by equity deserving communities in Toronto. This work will build on the City’s Data for Equity Strategy and guidelines.
     

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Exploring Legacies of Injustices and Inequities from Transportation Construction in Toronto
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Collaborators:
  • Infrastructure and Development Services (City of Toronto)

Overview: 
  • This project is focused on documenting inequities and injustices related to transportation infrastructure in Toronto based on a comprehensive review and analysis of historical and archival material. The goal is to improve awareness of these issues amongst City staff and partners who are programming and designing transportation infrastructure daily and to inform the Transportation Master Plan.

 
 
Inclusive Economic Development Research Agenda
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Collaborators:
  • Economic Development and Culture Division (City of Toronto)

Overview: 
  • The City of Toronto is exploring how to support inclusive economic development - improving economic opportunities and outcomes across Toronto's population in parallel to overall growth of the city and regional economy. This project is to inform an inclusive economic development research agenda, identifying research methods, sources and data points to document trends in Toronto’s economy (specifically the emergence of an ‘hourglass’ economy), and to compare with similar variables/trends in peer jurisdictions. 

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Innovative Approaches to Sociodemographic Data Collection in the Child Care Sector
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Collaborators:
  • Children’s Services (City of Toronto)

Overview:
  • This project seeks to leverage methodologically sound options for collecting sociodemographic data to understand which families are accessing childcare in Toronto and identify who is being left behind. The goal is to enhance equitable access to affordable spaces, promote accountability and ensure equitable outcomes for families in need.

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Mapping ISP Interconnections & High Capacity Network Assets
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Collaborators:
  • Technology Services Division (City of Toronto)

Overview: 
  • To establish a methodological framework for using the Network DiagnosticTool to identify and ascertain the approximate location of IXPs in the City of Toronto, and to ascertain what, if any effect, private peering may have on the characteristics of downstream (consumer) internet services.
     

 
The Journey to the Rexdale - Casino Woodbine Community Benefits Agreement
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Collaborators:
  • Humber College & Social Development, Finance & Administration - Community & Social Services (City of Toronto)

Overview:
  • The Rexdale – Casino Woodbine Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is a powerful example of community organizing, political will, and municipal policy levers centered around the local Rexdale community in northwest Toronto. Community groups, policymakers and governments across Canada wish to replicate the Rexdale CBA model. This project will document the journey that brough the Rexdale CBA to life in order to inform future collaborations.

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CivicLabTO Research projects help advance an array of
City of Toronto’s strategic priorities

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© 2021 CivicLabTO

The Climate Action and Resiliency Research Fund (CARRF)

The Climate Action and Resiliency Research Fund (CARRF) is a City initiative to support strategic research in the areas of climate action and resilience. The Fund will be in place for the next three years (2023-2025) to support small and mid-sized research and program development  projects that support the implementation of TransformTO and related climate and resilience initiatives. This program is building and strengthening relationships between the City of Toronto and academic experts, creating new student learning opportunities in the spirit of the City’s CivicLabTO collaborations. For questions about CARRF, please contact civiclabto@toronto.ca

Climate Action and Resiliency Fund Projects

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