Shauna Brail – The Conversation

The Réseau express métropolitain train on a test run from downtown Montréal on July 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

October 8, 2024

Canadian urban mobility is woefully lacking, but building a better future is still possible

Betsy Donald, Queen's University, Ontario and Shauna Brail, University of Toronto

The disruptions caused by technology, the pandemic and climate change are reshaping how people and goods move in cities.

A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown. (Shutterstock)

May 7, 2024

Revitalizing Toronto’s downtown core after COVID‑19 greatly benefits the city and the region

Shauna Brail, University of Toronto and Tara Vinodrai, University of Toronto

Public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a huge shift to online work, drastically affecting office space and business districts. However, data shows that this may be changing.

Will urban life in Toronto — and other cities — return to normal after the pandemic? (Shutterstock)

May 3, 2021

How the coronavirus pandemic is changing Toronto life and business – for better or worse

Shauna Brail, University of Toronto

A new report looks at how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is changing Toronto’s patterns.

A crew works on building a 68-bed emergency field hospital specially equipped with a respiratory unit in New York’s Central Park on March 29, 2020. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

April 2, 2020

Cities lead the charge on the coronavirus front lines

Shauna Brail, University of Toronto

The impacts of coronavirus on cities are extraordinarily difficult. Yet around the world, cities are responding rapidly and decisively to the crisis and its implications for urban life.

Singapore is known as an example of forward-thinking urban transit planning; vehicle ownership permits are limited and available by lottery. Shutterstock

November 24, 2019

Cities need to innovate to improve transportation and reduce emissions

Shauna Brail, University of Toronto

Pilot studies in several cities have shown that innovative partnerships are essential in addressing urban transportation challenges and improving the quality of life for urban residents.

Ride-hailing services have gone global, and even women in Saudi Arabia – only recently given the right to drive – are getting in on the action. In this June 2018 photo, a female driver for Careem, a regional ride-hailing Uber competitor, is seen behind the wheel. AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

September 10, 2018

Canada left behind as ride‑hailing services go global

Shauna Brail, University of Toronto and Betsy Donald, Queen's University, Ontario

Canada is simply a consumer of ride-hailing services, and has not established any of its own Ubers or Lyfts, even as tiny countries like Estonia get in on the game. That needs to change.

Contact Shauna for