Zhixi Zhuang

Zhixi Zhuang is a Registered Professional Planner and an Associate Professor at the School of Urban and Regional Planning, Toronto Metropolitan University. Founder and director of the DiverCityLab (www.divercitylab.com, external link (external link) ), her research explores the growing urban diversity and how city-builders can instil the values of equity and inclusion into planning policies and practices. Specifically, her work focuses on how immigrant and racialized communities have made long-lasting marks in urban landscapes inscribing places with important cultural, historical and political meanings. She has conducted mixed-method and arts-informed research to effectively engage immigrant communities to gain a holistic perspective on immigrant integration, place-making, civic engagement and inclusive policy-making. Her research addresses the impacts of global migration on local governance and inclusive community-building and sheds light on equity-based approaches to planning and design with diversity.

Recent Publications

With Lok, R. (2023). Exploring the wellbeing of migrants in third places: An empirical study of smaller Canadian cities. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 4, 1-9. 

With Metersky, K., St-Amant, O., Guruge, S. (2023). Lessons learned from recruiting socially isolated older immigrants for a survey-based study in Toronto. (external link)  Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 56(1), 3-4.

Blogs

(2023). Pathways to Success: Building Support Infrastructures for Internationally Trained Planning Professionals (external link) . OPPI Planning Exchange.