MPlan Independent Study Projects
Second year Master of Planning students conduct original research as individuals in the fall semester. You can browse the titles and where possible, the full reports and executive summaries.
2017
Ashraf, Areej. "Technology Enabled Ridesourcing: An Examination of Regulatory Frameworks and Public Discourse in Canadian Municipalities."
Supervisor: Ahsan Habib
Boivin, Margareta. "Holistic Approaches in Canadian Provincial and Territorial Water Strategies."
Supervisor: Patricia Manuel.
Chen, Jia Jing. "A Lighting Assessment of Residential and Commercial Streets at Nighttime."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport.
Clark, Kate. "Frederic H. Sexton: Voicing Reform Through Early Town Planning in Halifax."
Supervisor: Patricia Manuel.
Cordeiro, Dawn. "Assessing the Use of Direct Observation and Tactical Urbanism Methods Together as an Urban Design Tool: A Case Study of the Halifax Waterfront."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport
Dedels, Craig. "Including the Rental Sector in Community Energy Planning: A Qualitative Study in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia."
Supervisor: Patricia Manuel.
Espeseth, David. "Equitable TOD in Halifax: Exploring Affordable Rental Housing Strategies and Partnerships in Transit-Oriented Development."
Full report:
Evans, Siobhan. "Assessing Halifax’s Inclusivity and Social Sustainability via Accessibility Plans and Policies."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
Genee, Jason. "Evaluating the Effects of Sea Level Rise on Coastal Public Land Within the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport.
Gerrior, Michael. "Defining the Nova Scotia Intervale Habitat: An Assessment of the Roman Valley River System.
Supervisor: John Zuck.
Lemphers, Ben. "Barriers and Opportunity: A Meta-analysis of Affordable Rental Housing in Canada."
Full report:
Markides, Chris. "Visualizing Accessibility on the Halifax Waterfront."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
McCarthy, Stephen. "Investigation of Well-Being, Travel Behaviour, Built Environment, and Lifestyle Preferences."
Supervisor: Ahsan Habib
Robertson, Cameron MacDuff. "Representation of Sea Level Rise and Extreme Hazard on the Halifax Waterfront."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport
Salah, Adriane. "Closing Gaps and Opening Doors: A Study of the Changing Capacity of the Non-Profit Housing Sector in HRM."
Full report:
Shirtliff, Hannah. "The Monitoring and Evaluation of Alternative Energy Plans in Canadian Municipalities."
Supervisor: Patricia Manuel
Totten, Anne. "Smart Growth Success Story? Commercial Redevelopment in Halifax’s North End."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
Winder, Haley. "Smart Growth: A False Cognitive."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
2016
Barker, Melissa. "Green Space Allocation: Population Demand of Green Space on the Halifax Peninsula."
Supervisor: John Zuck.
Bercu, Sarah. "Spatial Accessibility to Family Physicians Providing Mental Health Services in Nova Scotia."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
Bray, Jonathan. "Discovering Dartmouth North's Community Food Assets and the Barriers to Reaching Them."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terahsima.
Client: Dartmouth North End Community Centre.
Craig, Sarah. "A Practical Streetscape Improvement Guide for Quinpool Road."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Client: Quinpool Road and Mainstreet Business Association.
Dalton, Meaghan. "Redevelopment: Working For or Against Affordable Housing?"
Supervisors: Jill Grant, Ren Thomas.
Derksen, Janelle. "Perceptions of Rooming Houses in Halifax and the Role of Regulatory Intervention."
Supervisor: Jill Grant.
Fine, Adam. "Tearing up Downtown Dartmouth: How Changes to the Street Layout Have Affected Pedestrian Connectivity".
Supervisor: Ren Thomas
Gnemmi, Joseph. "The Halifax Armoury: An Assessment of Value in the Crown."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo
Grant, Genise. "Mitigation of Construction Disruption: A Review of Construction Mitigation Approaches During Rapid Transit Construction in Four Canadian Cities."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport.
Kuhn, Penelope. "Opportunities for Improving Human and Ecosystem Health Through Recreation in Nature."
Supervisor: John Zuck.
Low, Scott. "The Dilemma of Dispersion: Barriers to Smart Growth and Recentralization in Halifax Suburbs."
Supervisor: Jill Grant.
Mane, Aditi. "Interpretation Background Study: Long Lake Provincial Park, Halifax, NS."
Supervisor: John Zuck
McKay, Sandy. "Third-Wave Neoliberalism in Theory and Practice: A Case Study of the Halifax Centre Plan."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Nicoll, Elizabeth. "Planning Policy and the Implications for Built Heritage: A Case Study of Halifax, NS."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
O’Dette, Nicholas. "Coordinating Plans in Canadian City-Regions: Implications and Opportunities for Small Town and Rural Communities."
Supervisor Jill Grant.
Rischmann, Friederike. "Analysis of Aging in Community in Halifax: Does the Concept of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities Help Urban Planners to Identify Local Factors for Aging-in-Community?"
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
Scanlan Dickie, Andrew. "E-Halifax: The Distribution of e-commerce on Halifax's Commercial Streets."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Scory, Stirling. "A Lighting Assessment of Dalhousie's Sexton Campus at Night."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport.
Shah, Saira. "Pedestrian Lives Matter."
Supervisor: Ren Thomas.
Thompson, Cameron. "Development Compliance in Downtown Halifax: Understanding Who Benefits from Municipally-Supported Variance Activity."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Zukowski, Jordan. "Evaluating Canadian Municipal Energy and Climate Mitigation Plans: Content Analysis and Potential for Effectiveness in Small and Mid-Sized Canadian Communities."
Supervisor: Patricia Manuel.
2015
Clarke, Angele. "Waste Disposal Facility Siting in Nova Scotia: Opportunities to Increase Procedural Equity."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
Davidson, Timothy. "Completing Agricola: A Complete Streets Design for Agricola."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Feng, Mia. "Planning for Solar Energy in Halifax Neighbourhoods."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport.
Grant, R. "Affordable Housing in Nova Scotia's South Shore: A Policy Toolkit for Lunenburg and Queens."
Supervisor: John Zuck.
Client: South Shore Housing Action Coalition.
Guo, Yanan. "Assessing Walkability for Seniors Around Northwood and the Berkley Gladstone Seniors’ Homes."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
Harper, Ian. "Grow Together or Sprawl Apart: How Professional Planners Perceive Regional Growth Management Strategies in the Alberta Capital Region, Metro Vancouver, and the Greater Toronto Area."
Supervisor: Jill Grant.
Hinton, Caitlin. "A Story Map of Africville."
Supervisor: Mikiko Terashima.
Jackson, Eliza. "The Blue Route: Principles for Encouraging Cycle Tourism in Nova Scotia."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Jellicoe, Sara. "Transit Infrastructure Indicators in Nova Scotia: Estimates of Baseline Data for the Ten Most Populous Municipalities."
Supervisor: Ahsan Habib.
Khayambashi, Samira. "Spring Garden Road: A Social Space."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Matheson, Spencer. "Estimating Nova Scotia's Fuel Consumption and Vehicle Emissions: An Accounting Approach Utilizing Local Level Data."
Supervisor: Ahsan Habib.
O’Reilly, Doolin. "Assessing Wheelchair Accessibility on Spring Garden Road, Halifax."
Supervisors: Patricia Manuel and Mikiko Terashima.
Papineau, Jake. "Assessing Sustainable Building Technologies from a First Nations Perspective: Community Plans as an Analysis Tool."
Supervisor: Frank Palermo.
Sedigh, Mina. "Development Plan: St. Patrick's Alexandra School Site, Halifax, NS."
Supevisor: Frank Palermo.
Simic, Colin. "Assessing and Visualizing Sea Level Rise, Floods, and Associated Vulnerabilities: A Case Study of Waterfronts in Halifax, Dartmouth and Bedford."
Supervisor: Eric Rapaport.
Smith, Dylan. Evaluation of Pedestrian Networks Indicators: A Graph Theory Approach."
Supervisor: Ahsan Habib.
Walker, Kaitlyn. "Improving Accessibility on Gottingen Street for People with Visual Impairments."
Supervisors: Patricia Manuel and Mikiko Terashima.
Wheeler, Christina. "Leadership, Coordination, and Power in Three Public Administrations: Halifax, Edmonton, and Vancouver."
Supervisor: Jill Grant.
2009
Abujaber, Fahed. "Towards a Walkable Heritage Landscape."
Full report:
Clarke, Christina. "Missing Link? Understanding the Role of Municipalities in Species at Risk Management."
Full report:
Dayler, Zachary. "The Halifax Planning and Design Centre: Charting a Strategic Path."
Full report:
Dill, Jesse. "Tools to Support British Columbia Local Government Climate Change Mitigation Policy."
Full report:
Douglas, Todd. "HRMbyDesign: Media coverage of a planning process."
Full report:
Kronstal, Karin. "A Place for Everyone: A Formative Evaluation of the Halifax Regional Municipality Immigration Action Plan."
Full report:
McBeath, Chris. "Home Zones: Shared Streets in Halifax."
Full report:
McGinnis, Gillian. "Urban-Rural Edge Area Nuisance Mitigation Strategies in Kings County, Nova Scotia."
Full report:
O'Connor, Ann. "Measuring Progress in Plan Implementation: Creating an Evaluation Framework for the Implementation of a Secondary Planning Strategy in Prt Williams, Kings County, Nova Scotia."
Full report:
Paterson, Marcus. "Slum Clearance in Halifax: the Role of Gordon Stephenson."
Full report:
Piorkowski, Theresa. "Natural Burials in HRM: A Sustainable Alternative to the Modern Cemetery."
Full report:
Sharifi, Nahal. "Site Analysis and Design Program for Iona Park."
Full report:
Sim, Lauralee. "Alternative Transportation in Fundy National Park."
Full report:
Zureck, Brian. "Evaluating Implementation of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan for Shelburne, Nova Scotia."
Full report:
2008
Ivanic, Erika. "Greening Suburbia? The Environmental Agenda of New Urbanism and Smart Growth."
Full report:
2006
Murphy, Jeremy. The Viability of Converting Public Housing Projects to Tenant-Managed Housing in Spryfield.
Full report:
2004
Green, Peter. "Coastal Access in Nova Scotia."
Full report: