Media Interviews
“What European housing models could do for Canadian affordability.” Ian Bickis, Canadian Press. Yahoo Finance (November 3, 2024).
“Gimme shelter: The solution to Canada’s housing crisis is neither quick nor simple” Matt Reeder: Dal News (June 25, 2024).
“People love living in co-ops. So why did Canada kill the program?” Ximena Gonzales: Ricochet (November 8, 2023).
“Halifax officials worry provincial bill will block efforts to collect money for affordable housing.” Shaina Luck: CBC (October 19, 2023)
“What big builds mean for family homes, mom and pop shops: Gentrification Series #2.” Felishia Chandler for Portia White: Information Morning (October 6, 2023).
“Treating homeownership as a “smart investment” has fuelled the housing crisis.” Ximena Gonzales: Jacobin (September 20, 2023).
“Rental rates are rising faster in Nova Scotia than overall inflation.” Andrew Lam: CBC (August 18, 2023).
Interview on Nova Scotia affordable housing. “Nova Scotia hasn’t built public housing in 30 years. Why that’s a ‘huge mistake’.” Alex Cooke: Global News (June 26, 2023).
CBC Radio syndication interviews (11 stations) on federal budget. (April 3, 2023)
“14 mobilizing women impacting urbanism in Canada.” Sharee Hochman: Women in Urbanism (March 7, 2023).
“Behind Closed Doors: Canada’s rental crisis.” Anu Singh, Tyana Grundig, and Travis Dhanraj: CBC Marketplace (Season 50, Episode 15, February 24, 2023). [Link for viewers outside of Canada here]
Interview on the National Housing Strategy. (December 6, 2022). Joe Pugh: People First Radio.
Interview on the National Housing Strategy. (November 18, 2022). Shaye Ganam: 630 CHED radio (Edmonton), 770 CHQR radio (Calgary).
Podcast: Housing as a Collective Investment or a Means to Individual Wealth? (Oct 12, 2022). Dr. Rebecca Mayers and Isaac Keast: Dense City (episode 18).
Interview on international housing affordability. (September 16, 2022). Portia White: CBC Radio: Information Morning.
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission Final Report. (August 22, 2022). Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod: Saltwire.
Interview on non-resident property tax/deed transfer tax. (May 3, 2022). Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod: Saltwire.
Interview on population growth in Halifax. April 20, 2022. Ryan Bellefontaine: CityNews Halifax. (“Peninsula’s population on the rebound”)
Interview on rental housing in the federal budget. Chris Hall and Emma Woodhouse: CBC Radio: The House, (“The broken system and how to fix it”, April 16, 2022).
“Priced Out: Canada’s Rental Crisis.” Saman Malik and Shaina Luck: CBC Fifth Estate (Season 47 Episode 14, March 10, 2022). [Link for viewers outside of Canada here]
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission progress report. (January 11, 2022). Wendy Bergfeldt: CBC Cape Breton.
Interview on affordable housing. (November 8, 2021). CBC Nova Scotia News.
Interview on NS election. (August 16, 2021). Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod: Affordable housing and the NS election. Saltwire.
Interview on Bedford ferry funding announcement. (June 17, 2021) CBC Nova Scotia News (Newsmaker, minute 33:05-37:48)
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission report. (June 1, 2021) Thinking Out Loud with Sheldon MacLeod: Making changes to make housing more affordable. Saltwire.
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission report. in Laroche, J. (May 31, 2021) “Province must spend $25 million on affordable housing now, Commission says.” CBC News.
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission report. (May 31, 2021). CBC Nova Scotia News (Newsmaker, minute 40-44)
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission in Bhogal, P. (April 8, 2021), “Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission mandate doesn’t go far enough, says local anti-poverty group.” Chronicle Herald.
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission. (March 4, 2021). News 95.7, The Rick Howe Show (guest host Jordi Morgan).
Witness at the Provincial Legislature: Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development. (February 25, 2021). “Nova Scotia committee hears housing crisis isn’t just a Halifax issue“, Alexander Quon, Global News. “Province told that rural NS has ‘affordable housing crisis’“, Jean Laroche, CBC, “NS ignores affordable housing lessons provided by other jurisdictions, prof says“, Francis Campbell, The Chronicle Herald
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission. (January 29, 2021). News 95.7, The Rick Howe Show (guest host Jordi Morgan).
Interview on NS Affordable Housing Commission. (January 27, 2021). Truro News, Richard McKenzie.
Interview on LGBT seniors housing (with Jacqueline Gahagan). (December 14 2020). “Reporters hope for new policies on housing for LGBTQ seniors.” CBC News. Video: CBC News December 14, 2020
Interview on rising rents. (November 3, 2020). CBC Maritime Noon.
Interview in Neustaeter, B. (June 8, 2020), ‘Many different shades’: Canadians share their experiences of racism,” CTV News.
NDP press release on short-term rental regulation and rent control private member’s bill. Province House. (February 18, 2020). Quoted in Butts, H., “Short-term rentals make it tougher for Nova Scotians to find a place to live”, CTV News, February 19, 2020.
Interview on affordable rental housing in Halifax. (January 29, 2018). CBC Information Morning.
Invited Lectures
“Lessons from Nova Scotia on growing and sustaining community housing.” Keynote speaker, Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association. October 21, 2024.
“Affordable housing in HRM: a Snapshot.” Presentation for HRM Women and Gender Advisory Committee. September 2024.
“Housing types and roles and An Intro to Housing.” Presentation for SHAD high school students at Dalhousie University. July 5, 2023.
“Affordable housing in HRM: a Snapshot.” Presentation for HRM Women’s Advisory Committee. March 11, 2023.
“Housing affordability”, panelist with Chris Markides, Michael Kabalen and Jill MacLellan. Dalhousie Shift Conference. Halifax, March 10, 2023.
“Housing affordability: A key driver for migration to Atlantic Canada and a growing crisis at the same time,” panelist with Kelvin Ndoro, Angela Bishop, and Michael Tsourounis, Atlantic Real Estate Forum. Halifax, May 11, 2022.
“What–and who–is left behind in the capitalist pursuit of home ownership?” Keynote speaker, Detritus, Refuse, and Other Castoffs: Interdisciplinary Conference, Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students in English. August 11, 2021.
“How are we planning sustainable, equitable cities?” ENVR/GEOG-3850-A01 – Sustainable Manitoba Event, March 3, 2021.
“Solutions to Canada’s rental housing crisis? Learning from across Canada.” Csillag Lecture Series, University of Toronto. February 3, 2021.
“Planning and transit infrastructure”, panelist with Steven Farber, Martin Robichaud, and Alejandro Calderón-Quintero. Canadian Institute of Planners. Webinar. December 17, 2020.
“Housing on the brink“, panelist with Shawn Harmon, Jacqueline Gahagan, and Linda Wilson. MacEachan Institute for Public Policy and Governance COVID-19 Speaker Series. April 28, 2020.
“The housing landscape in Atlantic Canada for immigrants and refugees,” with Roberto Montiel. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health webinar, October 24, 2019.
“A key determinant of health: Meeting the housing needs of older LGBTQ2S+ Canadians,” panelist with Jacqueline Gahagan, Liesl Gambold, and Shawn Harmon. MacEachan Institute for Public Policy and Governance Speaker Series. October 22, 2019.
“An overview of rental housing approaches in Canadian municipalities,” panelist with Dianne Himbault and Noha Sedky, Canadian Institute of Planners webinar, June 5, 2019.
“Learning from a comparison of case studies in TOD.” Licensed Professional Planners Association of Nova Scotia Lunch ‘n’ Learn, January 25, 2018.
“Housing for an aging population,” panelist with Jacqueline Gahagan, Kasia Tota, and Elizabeth Haggart. MacEachan Institute for Public Policy and Governance Speaker Series. September 18, 2018.
Panelist, Licensed Professional Planners Association of Nova Scotia planning certification information session, Dalhousie School of Planning, April 12, 2017.
Panelist, The People’s Queen Street Camp, with Matthew Blackett and Ken Greenberg. Centre for Social Innovation, April 25, 2015.
“Demographic shifts and transit provision.” Canadian Urban Transit Association Youth Summit on Sustainable Urban Transportation. Vancouver. August 21, 2011.
Conference Presentations
Olsson, L. and Thomas, R. “Towards Inclusive Public Transport in Urban Regions.” CARIN-PT (JPI Urban Europe Project). February 6-7, 2025, Brussels, Belgium.
Olsson, L. and Thomas, R. “Exploring human rights and public transport.” Center for Mobilities and Urban Studies conference. August 22-23, 2024, Aalborg, Denmark.
Fedyk, W, Turner, S. and Thomas, R. “Nunavut 3000: Igluliuqatigiingniq “Building Houses Together”. Canadian Institute of Planners Conference. July 6-9, 2024, Edmonton.
Umpherville, B, MacLellan, J., and Thomas, R. “Sharing approaches to the housing crisis in Halifax and Nova Scotia.” Canadian Institute of Planners Conference. June 27-30, 2023, Halifax.
Thomas, R. “Questioning the Market Paradigm in Housing.” Canadian Institute of Planners Conference. July 5-8 2022, Halifax.
Olsson, L. and Thomas, R. “State-led gentrification: The effects of LRT infrastructure in Malmö, Sweden and Kitchener, Canada.” Association of American Schools of Planning. November 4-9, 2021, online due to COVID-19.
Thomas, R. and Blackmore, H. “2SLGBTQ Housing for older Canadians: Challenges and models.” Canadian Institute of Planners annual conference. July 7-10, 2020. Whistler [rescheduled to November 17-20, online due to COVID-19].
“Barriers to housing for LGBT seniors in Canada.” Webinar with Holly Blackmore, MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance. May 27, 2020.
“Affordable housing in Halifax.” with Jill MacLellan, Alan Howell, and Adriane Salah. Atlantic Planners Conference. St. John’s. October 2-4.
“Learning from municipal rental housing policies: Innovation and implementation.” Canadian Institute of Planners Annual Conference. Ottawa. July 3-6, 2019.
“Innovation in Canadian rental housing: What can Halifax planners learn from other cities?” Licensed Professional Planners of Nova Scotia Annual Conference. Halifax. May 29-31, 2019.
“Canadian rental housing policy: Implications for immigrants.” Metropolis Annual Conference. Halifax. March 21-23, 2019.
“Canadian rental housing policy: Implications for smart growth.” Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation National Housing Conference. Ottawa. November 21-22, 2018.
“Beyond the success story: Patterns in Canadian rental housing policy.” Association of American Schools of Planning. Buffalo. October 24-28, 2018.
“Overcoming barriers: Learning from case studies in Canadian rental housing policy and implementation.” [presentation file]. Association of European Schools of Planning Annual Conference. Gothenburg. July 10-14, 2018.
“Structured versus unstructured: Introducing students to experiential learning in a studio setting [paper].” [presentation file] Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Annual Conference. Denver. October 12-15, 2017.
“Using Case Studies in the Canadian Teaching Context [paper].” [presentation file]Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Annual Conference. Houston. October 22-25, 2015.
“Meta-analysis as a qualitative approach to case comparison.” Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Annual Conference. Philadelphia. October 30-November 2, 2014.
“Defining critical success factors in TOD implementation using rough set analysis.” World Society of Transport and Land Use Research Symposium. Delft. June 25-27, 2014.
“The iTOD project: actors, institutions, and governance.” Canadian Association of Geographers Conference. St. Catherines. May 25-30, 2014.
“A meta-analysis of international case studies in TOD: transferable lessons.” International Seminar on Transit-Oriented Development. Arnhem. September 19-21, 2013.
“Beyond the case study dilemma in planning: A meta-analysis of TOD cases.” Association of European Schools of Planning/Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Joint Conference. Dublin. July 15-19, 2013.
“Flexibility in housing choices: Implications for community resiliency.” International Sociological Association RC43 Housing Conference. Amsterdam. July 10-12, 2013.
“Integrating land use and transport planning: Meta-analysis of international case studies.” Aalborg-Amsterdam Sustainable Mobility Seminar. Amsterdam. January 28-29, 2013.
“The Filipino case: Insights into transportation choice and resiliency among immigrants.” Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Annual Conference. Salt Lake City. October 12-16, 2011.
“The use of qualitative methods in studies of immigrants’ housing patterns.” Association of Canadian University Planning Programs/Canadian Association of Geographers conference. Calgary. May 31-June 4, 2011.
“Lessons learned from a housing-transportation case study.” National Metropolis Conference on Immigration and Migration. Vancouver. March 23-26, 2011.
“Integrating housing and transportation choices using structural change: A case study of Filipino immigrants in the Toronto CMA.” Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Annual Conference. Minneapolis. October 7-10, 2010.
“Housing and transportation choices of Filipino immigrants in Toronto.” National Metropolis Conference on Immigration and Migration. Montréal. March 18-21, 2010.
“Integrating housing and transportation policy in BC: Implications for immigrant communities.” Symposium on Challenges to Affordable and Sustainable Housing. UBC. October 16, 2009.
“Context Specific: Immigrants’ housing and transportation choices.” Association of American Geographers Annual Congress. Session on Multiscalar Change and Planning Innovation in the Global City. Las Vegas. March 22-27, 2009.
“A shift towards youth in transportation planning.” International Making Cities Livable Conference. Santa Fe. June 1-5, 2008.
“Ethnic food on the decline: the preservation of immigrant diets in the postcolonial era.” Association of American Geographers Annual Congress. Session on Contested Geographies of Obesity. San Francisco. April 17-20, 2007.
“Exclusion, separation, creativity, and social capital: the possible links between urban sprawl and social and mental health.” Public Health Association of British Columbia conference. Vancouver. November 27-30, 2006.
“The impact of neighbourhood food choices and acculturation on immigrant diets.” World Planners Congress. Vancouver. June 17-20, 2006.