Ethnic Diversity and Neighbourhoods

This project delves into the dynamics of ethnic enclaves, their impact on integration, and the role of social infrastructure, especially in smaller cities.

1. Is there a tipping point of the proportion of one minority dominating a neighbourhood which could have a detrimental effect on immigrant integration?
2. Are communities in ethnic neighbourhoods institutionally complete? 
3. How could such ethnic-oriented social infrastructure benefit the community at large?
4. How to support the wellbeing (e.g., quality of life and sense of belonging) of migrants in smaller cities?

The project will mainly involve a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods such as the 2021 census data and interviews with key informants such as city officials and neighbourhood leaders. The research team will select three cities one each from first-tier, second-tier and third-tier cities. Location Quotients will be applied to see if the cities have moved between the above categories. Ethnicity data from the 2021 census at the census tract level will also be extracted and analyzed. Mapping using Geographic Information Systems overlaid with qualitative data will be a part of the analysis.

The project also includes updating an existing data visualization platform (external link)  developed by members of the team.

Publications and media:

Edge, S., Zhuang, Z., & Dean, J. (2024). Reshaping essential public spaces and services: Towards socio-spatial justice in a post-pandemic era.

Lok, R., & Zhuang, Z. (2024). Ethnic diversity, immigrant settlement, and municipal planning in a small Canadian city: The case of Brooks, Alberta. Report and other grey literature.

Zhuang, Z. (2023). Place-based approach to understanding immigrant retention and integration in Canadian and American non-traditional gateway cities: A scoping literature review.

Zhuang, Z. (2023). Pathways to success: Building support infrastructures for internationally trained planning professionals.

Zhuang, Z. (2023). Pathways to success: Building support infrastructures for internationally trained planning professionals. Website.

Lok, R., & Zhuang, Z. (2023). Ethnic diversity, immigrant settlement, and municipal planning in a small Canadian city: The case of Brooks, Alberta.

Past events and conferences: 

• Keynote speech, Research Matters Event, Toronto, Canada, September 2025.
• Workshop held on Becoming a Migration Researcher, November 13, 2025.
• “Welcoming campus, inclusive community: Building housing infrastructure for international students,” presented by Zhuang, Z., Conference, Seattle, Washington, November 2024.
• “Comparative place-based approaches in immigrant integration: Unveiling insights from non-traditional gateway cities in Canada and the US,” presented by Zhuang, Z., Conference, 2024.
• “Newcomer-driven placemaking and the arts: Insights from the Toronto Arts Council’s Newcomer and Refugee Engagement Program,” presented by Molho, J., 2024.
• “Stories matter: Using Photovoice to amplify migrants’ lived experiences in small and mid-sized Canadian cities,” presented by Zhuang, Z., CAG Annual Conference, Newfoundland and Labrador, August 2024.
• “Building welcoming communities: Towards a framework for understanding immigrants’ lived experiences in small and mid-sized Canadian cities,” presented by Zhuang, Z.

The project is in progress, literature review is currently ongoing.
Expected completion date: September 2026

Ethnic diversity; migrant integration; neighbourhoods; social infrastructure; wellbeing