Alexander Wray

3

Articles

0

Comments
People make their way through downtown Ottawa on June 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Return‑to‑office mandates may not be the solution to downtown struggles that Canadian cities are banking on

Alexander Wray, Western University; Jamie Seabrook, Western University; Jason Gilliland, Western University, and Sean Doherty, Wilfrid Laurier University

Instead of trying to force unwilling workers back to the office, Canadian cities should instead focus on developing downtowns that people genuinely want to visit and experience.
Researchers investigated how the availability of neighbourhood amenities may have contributed to changes in youth mental health and stress levels during the first six months of the pandemic. (Unsplash/Paul Hanaoka)

Neighbourhood amenities may have helped youth mental health and stress early in the pandemic

Alexander Wray, Western University; Gina Martin, Athabasca University; Jamie Seabrook, Western University; Jason Gilliland, Western University; Kendra Nelson Ferguson, Western University, and Stephanie Coen, University of Nottingham

Neighbourhood features may have helped youth cope with the mental health impact of pandemic restrictions. Parks didn’t play much of a role but food amenities and the suburbs did.
Researchers examined 15 Ontario municipalities with a major university campus, and found only one (Waterloo) had adopted plans designed to accommodate student housing near the campus. Student-oriented housing under construction in Waterloo, Ont., in 2016. (Evelyn Hofmann)

Student housing crisis: Municipal bylaws have created roadblocks for decades

Alexander Wray, Western University and Nick Revington, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)

Local governments have far too often been let off the hook for approaches that discreetly limit where students may live.

Contact Alexander for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration