Current TMCIS Supported Projects

A sub-project of the Place and Infrastructure research stream within the Bridging Divides research initiative, the Ethnic Diversity and Neighbourhoods project led by TMCIS' Academic Director Dr. Zhixi Zhuang explores several key objectives: to understand the extent to which the concentration of a minority group within a neighbourhood can lead to institutional completeness or have a detrimental effect on immigrant integration; to explore the role of ethnic-oriented social infrastructure in supporting institutional completeness and its potential benefits for the community at large, ensuring inclusivity within and beyond the boundaries of ethnic neighbourhoods; and to explore the potential for promoting the well-being of migrants in smaller cities that typically lack necessary physical and social infrastructure.

Within the Bridging Divides research stream, Place and Infrastructure, the Third Places as Social Infrastructure project led by Dr. Zhixi Zhuang seeks to address the increasing need for building social infrastructure to support migrant settlement and retention in non-traditional gateway cities in Canada. Building upon the theory of third places, the project strives to prepare a more detailed and nuanced understanding of the value and the role of third places in shaping the wellbeing of migrants and garner a more comprehensive understanding of the patterns and nuances of settlement and integration in suburban, rural, and non-metropolitan communities.

The Housing for International Students Bridging Divides sub-project led by Dr. Zhixi Zhuang seeks to develop a comprehensive understanding of international students’ lived-experiences with housing in Canada and will explore the challenges students may face in relation to the availability and accessibility to housing, services, programs, and amenities through surveys, interviews, and digital storytelling. The research aims to identify gaps in current housing programs and initiatives and investigates the extent to which higher-education institutions and community stakeholders may support international students to inform policy making and foster inclusive housing infrastructure and enhanced community cohesion.

This project is led by TMCIS' Academic Director Dr. Zhixi Zhuang in partnership with the Toronto Metropolitan Centre for Studies in Food Security. It aims to explore the challenges and barriers faced by informal food spaces to identify factors contributing to food insecurity and health inequities, inform policy and programming interventions that work to support more accessible and equitable food systems, and promote greater well-being within immigrant communities. The research will engage informal food entrepreneurs, community experts, and policymakers through walk-along interviews and focus groups to collaboratively co-create solutions that enhance community development and support immigrant entrepreneurial efforts.

The Urban Sanctuary, Migrant Solidarity, and Hospitality in Global Perspective Partnership brings together 36 academics and 36 partner organizations to co-develop and share evidence-based knowledge related to the policies and practices of accommodating vulnerable and precarious migrants and refugees in major urban centres in Africa, Europe, North America, and Latin America.

The project is directed by Dr. Harald Bauder and housed at the Toronto Metropolitan Centre for Immigration and Settlement (TMCIS). The project objectives are to:

1. Advance theoretical knowledge and practical understanding related to urban sanctuary, solidarity, and hospitality towards vulnerable migrants and refugees in the global north and south;
   
2. Build and enhance urban capacities to accommodate vulnerable migrants and refugees through international collaboration, networking, and knowledge exchange between researchers, practitioners, and urban policy makers; and
   
3. Develop novel municipal and community-based policy frameworks to facilitate innovative and evidence-based policy making at local and municipal levels for accommodating vulnerable migrants and refugees.