We believe that diversity cannot add true values without meaningful inclusion. Before we can celebrate diversity, interrogating notions of inclusion and exclusion in city space is fundamental in understanding how to achieve inclusive cities that are diverse in a myriad of ways.
DiverCity Lab is a research lab founded and led by Dr. Zhixi Zhuang at the School of Urban and Regional Planning, Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada. We focus on the growing urban diversity in arrival cities and how city-builders can instill the values of equity and inclusion into planning policies and practices. We believe that diversity cannot add true values without meaningful inclusion. Before we can celebrate diversity, interrogating notions of inclusion and exclusion in city space is fundamental in understanding how to achieve inclusive cities that are diverse in a myriad of ways.
Our work explores the intersection of immigrant settlement and integration, urban transformations, and policies and governance that address social and spatial disparities. Through our core focus areas—migration and cities, suburban retrofitting, place-making, ethnic entrepreneurship, and diversity and inclusion, we have conducted mixed-method, arts-informed, and community-based research to effectively engage migrant communities, city building professionals, and policymakers, gaining a holistic perspective on migration governance, settlement and integration, civic engagement, and inclusive policymaking.
Our recent and ongoing research projects involve interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral partnerships at local, regional, national, and international levels. These projects are complex and dynamic, exploring a range of topics including, but not limited to, building welcoming social, physical, and technical infrastructure to attract and retain migrants in non-traditional gateway cities; informal food spaces and food security; housing for international students; migrant place-making in both digital and physical ‘third places’; migration and suburban transformation; and the role of municipal planning in immigrant settlement and integration.
