FEAS hosts research workshop to advance sustainable urban transportation
Earlier this month, Canadian researchers, government leaders and industry partners gathered at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) for the Sustainable Urban Transportation Research & Innovation workshop. Hosted by the Faculty of Engineering & Architectural Science’s (FEAS) Office for Research and Innovation, under the leadership of Workshop Chair and Professor Dr. Said Easa, the highly collaborative event brought together 54 participants (including 22 industry and government representatives and 32 researchers) to share and discuss the latest technologies, innovations, and policies impacting transportation.
The workshop opened with presentations from municipal, federal, and industry representatives, which covered smart traffic technology, transit electrification, asset management, urban mobility and sustainable urban transportation.
Following the presentations, a panel discussion was led and moderated by Sean Nix, Manager of Transportation Operations for the Region of Peel.
Following the panel discussion, TMU faculty members from the Department of Civil Engineering and the School of Urban and Regional Planning presented their latest research across four thematic sessions: urban planning, policy and active transportation; smart mobility, geospatial tech and data science; sustainable Infrastructure, materials and asset management; and transportation safety, road design and remote sensing.
(Left) Master's civil engineering graduate Everline Mugenya sharing her research on hybrid control for communications-based train control (CBTC) systems under cyber-physical attacks with Adriano Mena, Policy, Research and Initiatives Advisor at York Region.
(Right) Ella Sherafat, a 2024 civil engineering master’s graduate and Rail Systems Designer at WSP in Canada, returned to TMU to present her graduate studies road safety research.
After a networking lunch, attendees explored a research poster session by FEAS graduate studies students and researchers, followed by in-depth roundtable group discussions co-chaired by government, professional and TMU experts. “Through these sessions, we identified that the journey to sustainable transportation is not solely reliant on technology,” shared Dr. Easa. “It equally requires governance and people to make it possible. All three pillars must advance simultaneously for long-term success.”
To end the insightful workshop, participants toured seven innovative labs from the Department of Civil Engineering, including the Laboratory of Innovations in Transportation (LiTrans), Risk-Informed Infrastructure Innovations (RIII), Advanced Materials Lab, Highway Materials Lab, Structures Lab, Remote Sensing Lab, and Road Safety Research Lab.
As an output of the interdisciplinary dialogue, FEAS has published a public report summarizing key themes and findings to help professionals and academics address the ever-changing transportation field.
(PDF file) Read the workshop report (PDF)
How can data, collaboration, and innovation drive sustainable urban transportation? This report summarizes insights from five expert-led workshop discussions and highlights actionable next steps for research, policy, and practice.
FEAS would like to thank the participating partners, including:
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Also, a special thank you to the faculty members on the organizing committee who made this workshop possible:
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“This workshop was both a networking hub for experts and a platform for sharing unique perspectives. We’re excited to host more themed workshops to inspire innovation and collaboration at all levels of academia, industry and government.”
"This workshop harnessed the collective expertise of our faculty, translating diverse perspectives into tangible solutions for the future of transportation and urban sustainability.”
Interested in participating?
For researchers, industry collaborators, and government members who would like to participate in future research workshops hosted by FEAS, please email elvira.tabaku@torontomu.ca