Community Engagement and Participation
Goal: “Hamilton has an open, transparent and accessible approach to City government that engages with and empowers all citizens to be involved in their community.”
Winter 2024
Research and recommendations to expand the Team UP to Clean Up community clean up program, with a particular eye to attracting more volunteers an using the program to support equity in the delivery of city services.
School Safety Zones (SSZs) policies need policy updates that are human-centred and evidence-informed.
How can the Macassa Lodge Adult Day program ensure it is optimally meeting the needs of the communities it serves?
How do residents of the City of Hamilton want to be communicated with about Water, Wastewater and Stormwater?
What entry gaps are children experiencing in early years education and what are strategies for seamless entry?
Identifying opportunities to increase participation in Recruitment
Design & build an interactive, easy to update digital solution that lists appropriate perinatal mental health services.
How can we reach Hamilton youth in impactful way to motivate them to use Hamilton transit?
What socio-demographic and self-identified factors impact the sense of belonging among immigrants to Hamilton?
Fall 2023
63 Construction Engineering Technician - Building Renovation students partner to provide affordable housing units in Hamilton
How might we identify problems surrounding urban sprawl and create a public education tool that addresses Greenbelt protection and the intersection of land use and environmental protection?
Incorporating Climate justice into decision-making
Building a Healthy Active Living: Empowering Riverdale Residents
Identifying opportunities to increase participation in Recruitment
How can the Macassa Lodge Adult Day program ensure it is optimally meeting the needs of the communities it serves?
What barriers do women in Hamilton face to cycling, and what can be done to increase the rates?
How do we get secondary school students to engage in active and sustainable modes of travel?
How to communicate with residents of the City of Hamilton about lead in drinking water?
Winter 2023
Fall 2022
How can HSR ensure that all Hamiltonian’s feel welcome and safe (from hate) while using transit?
How might we accurately assess the needs and balance competing priorities of residents and other stakeholders in the community regarding the housing market?
How might the City of Hamilton work with partners and citizens to address challenges in market rental housing and ownership affordability?
How might we, as SIR CityLab students, identify problems surrounding housing to build a long-term Housing Sustainability and Investment Plan (HSIP) that addresses affordable home ownership in cooperation with various stakeholders in Hamilton?
How might we help design strategies and policies to strive to ensure that there is a sufficient amount of adequate rental properties that are affordable for the residents of Hamilton?
How might we focus on engaging the residents of Hamilton to determine how we can understand the current issues around community housing and help Hamilton develop a better housing investment and sustainability plan for them?
How might we learn more about the needs and experiences of those using transitional and community housing in Hamilton in order to deliver a housing strategy which ensures a decrease in unstable living conditions?
What are the fundamentals of successful grant writing for digital equity programs?
How have other municipalities improved inclusion and measured progress, and which elements should be incorporated into a Hamilton campaign?
Winter 2022
How can we measure the impact of CityLAB projects and community engagement courses on students and faculty?
How can students be supported in effectively pursuing projects inspired by their first CityLAB Hamilton semester or course?
Fall 2021
How can we improve community engagement and encourage feedback from the community on cycling infrastructure projects?
Who is and isn’t voting in Hamilton’s municipal elections, and how can we enhance access to voting and elections information for all Hamiltonians?
How can Hamilton create a BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of colour) entrepreneurship program that meets and reflects the experiences and needs of the community?
What we can do to improve access and encourage participation in the next municipal election?
How can we engage a more diverse and representative sample of the community in the creation of the historical context statements while being mindful of the restrictions and barriers with COVID-19 and beyond?
Winter 2021
How can a post-secondary partnership help provide support, strategy, and research to aid the continued development of the Public Works Climate Resiliency Program?
How can we reduce the digital divide in the Beasley Neighbourhood by creating a community Wi-Fi program?
How can the Hamilton Public Library safely engage with members who are unable to access digital services during the pandemic?
How can CityHousing Hamilton create a furniture bank to address new tenant needs?
How can we use data to identify needs and solution in neighbourhoods facing income inequality?
How can we protect and conserve Hamilton’s historic buildings, landmarks, and communities?
How can we make improvements to the accessibility of the HSRnow suite of real-time, trip-planning products for persons with disabilities who use conventional transit?
Fall 2020
How can Hamilton maximize community engagement and citizens needs in the development of a Master Parks Plan?
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, how can we increase physical distance between pedestrians and maintain safe thoroughfares for cyclists?
How can public engagement be enhanced in Hamilton by further utilizing the Engage Hamilton platform?
How can the City of Hamilton best re-establish community engagement that has been lost during the pandemic?
Winter 2020
How can we help improve health outcomes of vulnerable populations with active transportation tools that already exist?
How can we encourage and support young adults to replace some of their sitting time with physical activity --- standing and moving --- to help reduce health risks linked with too much sitting?
As part of a landscape plan for Auchmar Estate, conducting primary research and secondary research highlighting historical uses and current community needs.
Develop program & cost effective options that fit the role of short-stay displays and information booth in a public space.
Planning a Walking School Bus in the area of G.L. Armstrong E.S. and Sacred Heart C.E.S.
Develop materials showing great routes to cycle recreationally in Hamilton.
Design a workplace and provide a business case to lower the City's carbon footprint.
How can the library better support the Hamilton community through educational initiatives that promote food literacy?
How can the Hamilton Public Library increase library participation for families with newborns and newcomers to Canada?
Fall 2019
Propose a method of communication to raise awareness about community paramedicine in Hamilton.
Researching the changing community needs and the barriers in accessing support resources in Hamilton.
Best practices for community art in Hamilton
Transforming the existing hallway into a more engaging space
Preparing Hamilton for extreme weather caused by climate change
Guides on how to grow and eat fresh produce in Hamilton
Determining what constitutes a connected cycling network in Hamilton
Helping Hamilton assess the impact of shoreline changes to fish
Balancing competing human rights with service animals
Cultivating cultural humility at the Hamilton Public Library