Shelagh McCartney – The Conversation

Only seven to nine per cent of Toronto university students live in residence. A new study suggests that scarcity carries an academic cost. TMU

August 12, 2026

Toronto students who live in residence get better grades, study finds

Kiana Basiri, Toronto Metropolitan University; Cynthia Holmes, Toronto Metropolitan University; Shelagh McCartney, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Ximena Rosenvasser, Toronto Metropolitan University

A study of more than 750,000 student records from four Toronto universities finds that living in residence is linked to better grades and higher satisfaction, especially for first-year students.

Building construction in uptown Iqaluit. The new Build Canada Homes initiative that fails to address the unique housing needs of the North. (WikiMedia)

February 8, 2026

Northern housing must be built as an integrated ecosystem — by the North, for the North

Shelagh McCartney, Toronto Metropolitan University; Aimee Pugsley, McGill University, and Julia Christensen, Queen's University, Ontario

As Canada rushes to build housing similar to the post-Second World War era, it must not forget how many chronic economic, health and housing challenges that onetime boom created for the North.

Before the 1960s and until 1990, university residences were constructed to support multiple chance encounters with students on the same floor or building through shared space. Dorm life in Washburn Hall, San Jose State College, early 1970s. (San José State University Special Collections & Archives)

August 10, 2023

Why old, shared dorms are better than new, private student residences

Shelagh McCartney, Toronto Metropolitan University and Ximena Rosenvasser, Toronto Metropolitan University

Student residences built in recent decades prioritize privacy, yet research shows a lack of student socialization spaces negatively affects students’ academic performance and well-being.

After an extensive renovation, an old house in a laneway in Toronto became a new two-bedroom home. (LGA Architectural Partners, Ben Rahn/A Frame)

February 4, 2021

How cities can unlock the potential of laneway housing

Shelagh McCartney, Toronto Metropolitan University; Ellen Molloy, Toronto Metropolitan University; Ely DeSandoli, Toronto Metropolitan University; Frances Grout-Brown, Toronto Metropolitan University; Laura Lebel-Pantazopoulos, Toronto Metropolitan University; Paul Arkilander, Toronto Metropolitan University; Puneh Jamshidi-Moghadam, Toronto Metropolitan University; Riley Malthaner, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Sally Nicholson, Toronto Metropolitan University

Laneway suites could increase rental stock in established neighbourhoods without affecting their character. Toronto has lagged behind other cities in Canada and North America.

Contact Shelagh for