Successful planning for the built environment generally involves public regulation, and the assessment and allocation of fiscal resources to:
Effective and efficient planning of these systems is a major research area within the School. Faculty member currently work in three main areas: Transportation infrastructure, land use planning, and waste management systems. The following publications demonstrate research work in these fields:
P. Filion, K. McSpurren and B. Appleby, 2006. Wasted density? The impact of Toronto's residential density distribution policies on transit use and walking, Environment and Planning A 38, 1367-1392. 
The Toronto metropolitan region is known across North America for its relatively high residential density and public transit use. Yet, it does not derive as much walking and public transit use from its high density as it could. The research demonstrates a poor coordination of residential density with the presence of quality public transit and proposes policy options to improve this situation in the future.
J. M. Casello, 2007. Transit Competitiveness in a Polycentric Metropolitan Region, Transportation Research A Policy and Practice Vol. 41 No.1 pp.19-40.
This paper describes how well public transportation competes relative to the private automobile for a subset of trips in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The method involves a multimodal User Equilibrium (UE) traffic assignment model which quantifies travel cost by competing modes. Various service, operational, and pricing changes are proposed and evaluated for their impacts on mode split and system performance.
P. Steenhof, C. Woudsma, and E. Sparling, 2006. Greenhouse gas emissions and the surface transport of freight in Canada, Transportation Research D: Transport and Environment, Vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 369-376.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada has committed to an average annual reduction of greenhouse gases of 6% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The transportation of freight contributes to 9% of Canada’s emissions. Through the application of decomposition techniques and scenario explorations, we show that since 1990, increasing cross-border trade and a concurrent modal shift towards trucks were the most important determinants in increasing freight sector emissions. Looking toward 2012, based upon the most likely progression of many factors, emissions will rise a further 10% by 2012 and thereby push the sector to 35% above base year values.
P. Byer, M. Haight, et al. 2006. Household, hotel and market waste audits for composting in Vietnam and Laos, Waste Management and Research 24, 465-472.
In Vietnam and in Laos, there is interest by local authorities in separating and composting waste in order to reduce environmental and health problems at the local landfills and to produce a soil conditioner for a local agricultural use. To assist in the planning of composting projects, studies were carried out and the results herein are presented on estimates of waste quantities and composition.
H. Millward and T. Bunting (in press) Spatial Patterning in Urban Population Densities: A Temporal Model Compared with Toronto, 1971 2001 Environment and Planning A
This paper builds on the literature on population density distributions, but translates the consensus cross-sectional progression into three dimensions, presented as a 6-stage volcano model. Visual comparison and descriptive statistics show Torontos recent density patterns to be very similar to those suggested by the model: the central density cluster has reversed its decline, while peripheral clusters have developed at increasing distances from downtown. Local autocorrelation (LISA) allows areas of significant clustering and diversity to be mapped, and again shows strong conformity between the model and Torontos empirical patterns. Overall, density levels throughout the metropolitan area are homogenizing and randomizing, even while inner-city re-densification and peripheral densification proceed.
Y. Geng, M. Haight, and Q. Zhu, 2006. Empirical Analysis of Eco-Industrial Development in China, Sustainable Development Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com)
Increasing resource and environmental pressures have impacted China’s efforts to quickly promote quality of life, while protecting the natural environment. Industrial ecology (IE) is one possible solution. The advantages and barriers to applying IE in China are analyzed and recommendations are made.
Y. Geng, Q. Zhu, and M. Haight, 2007. Planning for integrated solid waste management at the industrial Park level: A case of Tianjin, China, Waste Management 27, p. 141-150.
Industrial parks play a significant role in the production of goods and services. One of the major challenges is proper management of solid wastes. The introduction, planning and adoption of integrated solid waste management into the Tianjin Economic Development Area in China including the benefits and challenges are identified and analyzed.
R. Shipley, S. Utz, and M. Parsons, 2006. Does Adaptive Reuse Pay? A Study of the Business of Building Renovation in Ontario, Canada, International Journal of Heritage Studies, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp. 505-520.
Older buildings are important aesthetic, cultural and economic resources but in many jurisdictions hundreds of historic buildings have been demolished because developers and bankers argued that the cost of adapting them for new uses is too high. Still, a growing number of reputable developers are completing exciting projects featuring innovative building renovation. However, when particular development projects are presented to decision makers, generally only the developer/lender’s cost analyses are presented and, therefore, they are unable to make truly informed judgments. This study examines the business of heritage development, which consists of building renovation or adaptive reuse; some reuse projects are more costly than new building, but not all, and the return on investment for heritage development is almost always higher.
L. Bi and M. Haight, 2006. Anaerobic digestion and community development: A case study from Hainan province, China, Environment, Development and Sustainability, in press.
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) technology has long been encouraged as an alternative source of energy, while contributing to resource conservation and economic development initiatives in rural areas. This study examines the current applications of AD technology in Hainan Province, China. Suggestions regarding utilization and diffusion of AD are presented to enhance the potential capacity of this practice.
N. Doerr-MacEwen and M. Haight, 2006. Expert Stakeholders’ Views on the Management of Human Pharmaceuticals in the Environment, Environmental Management, Vol. 38, No. 5, p. 853-866.
Human pharmaceuticals are ubiquitous water contaminants that may have subtle detrimental effects on aquatic organisms, and possibly also on human health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the scope of the issue and possible management strategies from the perspectives of expert stakeholders drawn from Canada, the United States and Europe.
