Housing Market in Digital Twin for What-if? Analysis

Project Lead

Team Members

Zachary Patterson, Sandeep Agrawal, Sean Lauer, Lina Waqfi, Thomas Zhao

Sub-Theme: Housing and Migration

This sub-theme explores the impact of the rapid increase in immigration on the housing market in various regions of Canada and the challenges that immigrants, refugees and international students encounter in securing housing.

Objective

This project will examine the migrant perspective on Canadian housing markets, focusing on the connections between housing needs, spatial dynamics, and housing supply.

Research Questions

How can the housing market be optimized through tools such as policy interventions and market push/pull factors?
How can specific housing market models be used to run various 'what-if' scenarios and analyses?
How are migrant experiences affected by various factors including housing supply, alternative housing models, mortgage models?

Methodology

The project starts with an in-depth analysis of existing housing data using descriptive and perspective statistical analysis techniques and spatial tools. Next, new models of housing market dynamics will be developed to demonstrate the local specificities of Canadian cities better. Also, prediction models for housing supply and demand-related behaviours will be developed to be implemented in a digital twin study.

Outcomes

Publications

Waqfi, L., Mollajafari, M., Farooq, B., & Patterson, Z. (2025). The residential location choice of immigrants: A systematic review and future directions. Transport Reviews Journal. Accepted October 20, 2025.

Past events and presentations:

Presentation by Farooq, B., “Bridging Divides in Mobility: Migration, Behavioural Change, and Sustainable Futures,” 2025.
Organization of the 4th Workshop on Urban Systems Research, Toronto, Canada, October 6, 2025. Participants included researchers from TMU and Concordia (Place and Infrastructure theme), University of Toronto, and the City of Toronto.
“Towards Deep Reinforcement Learning-based Labour Market Dynamics for Integrated Transportation and Land Use Systems,” presented by Waqfi, L., at the 4th Workshop on Urban Systems Research, Toronto, Canada, October 6, 2025.
“Zone Level System Dynamics Model for Urban Transportation: Calibration and Multi-Year Validation,” presented by Fischer, N., at the 4th Workshop on Urban Systems Research, Toronto, Canada, October 6, 2025.
amilton Areas,” presented by Guardino, L., & Rodriguez Lee, S., at the 4th Workshop on Urban Systems Research, Toronto, Canada, October 6, 2025.
“Towards Deep Reinforcement Learning-based Labour Market Dynamics for Integrated Transportation and Land Use Systems,” presented by Waqfi, L., Farooq, B., & Patterson, Z., 8th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Urban Studies, Oxford, September 29–October 3, 2025.
Multiple presentations at the 3rd Workshop on Urban Systems Research held, Montréal, Canada, October 4, 2024.
Organization and hosting multiple presentations at the Bridging Divides TMU Fall Retreat 2024, in Toronto, Canada, October 10, 2024.
Presentation by Dewmi, “Immigration Impact on Current Housing Crisis in Canada,” University of Alberta Bridging Divides Team Winter Holiday Social, University of Alberta, December 18, 2024.