Transit’s Role in Enhancing Community Sustainability and Improving Quality of Life

How can we identify transit solutions and strategies that increase health and safety while balancing the needs of the greater community?

Project Description: Community organizations and government departments alike are often hard-pressed to deliver evidence-based research to support their program planning. In the rapidly changing context of COVID-19, access to reliable and fast research for a variety of health-related questions is more important than ever. Identifying the best evidence to inform program development is an urgent priority that requires multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure the bet result.

COVID-19 has uprooted the way in which many social and health services/programs are offered in the community; therefore, such organizations may need help with identifying the best evidence to inform decision-making for program planning. Public Health students at McMaster University enrolled in the Leadership and Applied Public Health course worked in groups of 3-4 and provided consolidated and actionable reports to inform best practices for program development.

City Staff: Ali Sabourin - Customer Experience and Innovation Manager - HSR

Faculty, Course, and Students: Emma Apatu (McMaster University), Sarah Neil-Sztramko (McMaster University), Leadership & Applied Public Health (30 students)

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Student reports and findings (Videos, Infographic, Sample Reports):

Nelda Cherrier, Stephanie Hopkins, Joanne Kearon & Robin Tetreault

Sample Reports:

Report Infographic:

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Where will the work go? Input into Customer Experience and Innovation planning and relevant strategic documents (e.g.: (Re)envision HSR)

Project Agreement

Your City in Data: Visualizing Info that Matters

How can we use data visualization and other engaging communication strategies to show the value of municipal services?

Project Description:

Municipal Benchmarking Network of Canada (MBNCanada) is a collaborative of Canadian municipalities whose mission is to enhance municipal service delivery by leading the development and application of municipal performance measurement and benchmarking programs. MBNCanada collects data from across 36 municipal service areas that informs evidence- based decision making and ensures municipalities are providing effective and efficient public services that citizens want and need. The data is summarized into an annual performance report.

The performance report, while available online to the general public, is not engaging to the reader and does not fully demonstrate the value of municipal services to the local user. In addition, the limited descriptive or contextual information that does exist could create confusion or result in misinterpretation.

Challenge Summary:

MBNCanada would like to create a product that uses data visualization and other communication strategies to translate MBNCanada data into a reader-friendly product for multiple end users (i.e., City Council, municipal service planners and the general public which tells a story about municipal performance and service delivery. The goal is to create a product that can inform municipal planning, illustrates service quality and value for money and enhances public trust and confidence. MBNC would like to address one or more of the following challenges:

1. What are the barriers to the public in understanding the value or quality of municipal services?

2. How can data be used to illustrate service quality, value for money, and enhance public trust and confidence in municipal services?

3. How can MBNCanada report on municipal service delivery in a way that is user- friendly and engaging to the general public?

4. How can data be presented in a manner that informs or enhances municipal service planning.

City Staff:

Greg Witt - Municipal Lead, Municipal Benchmarking Network of Canada (MBNCanada) and Senior Policy and Program Specialist, Housing Services Division, Healthy and Safe Communities

Meighan Finlay - Executive Director, MBNCanada

Faculty, Course, and Students:

Katie Moisse (McMaster University), SCICOMM 2A03 (150 students)

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Student Projects:

Water For All

Swamped by the Stats

Every Second Counts

Deliverables:

Students will submit a report containing two evidence-based audiences profiles, two sets of data visualizations, and a defense of their communication strategies.

Where will the work go?

The work will be used to facilitate the future production of the MBNCanada Performance Report in user friendly and engaging formats. 

 This work will also be made available and used by participating MBNCanada municipalities to inform the planning, implementation and monitoring and reporting of municipal service delivery. 

Portions of the report may also be used to report to municipal governments as part of municipal performance measurement reports

Project Agreement

FOR BACKGROUND ON THIS PROJECT, VIEW THE MATCH MAKER DISCUSSION BELOW

Testing and Tracing Contaminants in Chedoke Creek

How can we precisely identify and eliminate pollutant sources in our watershed?

Project Description: Rehabilitating our urban river systems from centuries of human impact is highly beneficial from a triple bottom line perspective, yet complex to achieve. Pollutant discharges to the environment can occur from a variety of sources, including storm sewers, combined sewers, and from unknown sanitary sewer cross-connections. To improve the water quality in the urban river systems, it is important to identify, regulate, and minimize sources of pollutants to each receiver. The identification of the pollutant sources is key - like 'contact tracing' of a virus. Confirming the precise sources is important, so that there is certainty in knowing that the effort you put into eliminating the source will be worth the time and cost.

For this challenge, we are looking for new ideas to help improve the Chedoke Creek subwatershed by better tracing the contributing pollutants. The developed solutions should however consider flexible application in any of Hamilton's subwatersheds.

City Staff: Christina Cholkan, Water/Wastewater Planning, Public Works

Faculty, Course & Students: Dr. Zobia Jawed, McMaster University, Master’s Engineering Design Project (2 students)

Challenge Summary: Develop or research and recommend emerging water quality technology to monitor pollutants of concern at pipe outfalls or in-creek, preferably remotely and/or in near real-time.

Goal: To design a framework to monitor and track selected contaminants in Chedoke Creek, improving on existing conditions.

Deliverables:

• Report

  • Analysis to be developed and presented using a triple bottom line approach and infographics where sensible

  • Includes actionable recommendations for City

• Presentation

  • Visually-based pitch to the City summarizing methodology and actionable recommendations

View Project Agreement

COVID-19 Effects on Parkland

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed how people use and value parkland?

Project Description:

The Landscape Architectural Services team leads parkland, trails, and open space development for the City of Hamilton. Experience has shown that although people intuitively understand the value of parkland, empirical evidence of its benefits is missing. This gap in evidence has sometimes meant proposed projects fail to get economic or political support. As the downtown population intensifies and budget challenges arise, we need more research data to show how the city benefits from the creation of parklands. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its probable change in people’s use of parkland, is an opportune time to conduct this research.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that people use parks, trails, and open spaces in our City and we want to better understand the changes that have taken place. We seek to answer the following questions:

1. How has usage of parkland and open space changed before, during and after the COVID-19 emergency? How have perceptions changed?

2. Are there regional or spatial differences? Do people with less access to private open spaces (i.e backyards) value the public ones more after COVID-19?

3. Are there correlations with mental health, physical health, weight gain, and other factors related to the lockdown versus access to local open spaces and parks?

This project will help staff better understand the use, perception, and value of parks, as well as inform the placement of open spaces across the city in the context of a pandemic .

City Staff: Cynthia Graham, Manager, Landscape Architectural Services, Public Works

Faculty, Course & Students:

Karen Dieleman, Redeemer University, CTS 410 Core capstone Experience (5-6 students)

Allison Williams, McMaster University, GEO4HC3 Geographies of Public Health (25 students)

Goal: To better understand the use of green public space, as impacted by COVID-19.

Deliverables: Primary Research (i.e. conducting surveys and/or collecting data)

View Redeemer Project Agreement

View McMaster Project Agreement

McMaster University Project:

Impacts of COVID-19 on human mobility and behaviors of recreationists

Student: Veronica Zhu

Redeemer University Project:

A study on the impact of Gage Park usage on well-being

Students: Sarah Snider, Benjamin Ashun, Spencer Kerssies, and Jacob Houzer

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BACKGROUND OF THIS PROJECT CHECK OUT THE MATCH MAKER DISCUSSION WITH CYNTHIA GRAHAM BELOW

Connecting Families with Loved Ones in Long-Term Care

How can we create an electronic platform for families to better engage in the lives of their loved ones in long-term care facilities at the city?

Project Description: The City of Hamilton operates two long-term care homes – Macassa and Wentworth Lodge. Staff at the Lodges have identified that there is a need to improve the way in which information is communicated to families about residents in long-term care. With the presence of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that long-term care homes are keeping open communication with families on the status of the homes. It is also important to look for new and creative ways to connect families with their loved ones while still maintaining the safety of all residents, staff, and family members. The Lodges are interested in exploring opportunities to communicate with families in real time – for example through activity calendars where family members can see the activities their loved ones are engaged in daily.

The end goal for the Lodges would be to implement an electronic platform that allows families to better connect and engage in the lives of their loved ones in long-term care facilities at the City. The Lodges see students being able to successfully support this project by conducting primary research into the communication needs and desires of families and residents including the type of information, frequency of communication and delivery methods. It is also envisioned that students would play a role in conducting secondary research on best practices and available technology options with a business case for recommendations based on outcomes of research. Development or implementation of any technical solutions would be out of scope.

City Staff: Jenn Hohol, Senior Project Manager, Healthy and Safe Communities

Faculty, Course, & Students:

Karen Dieleman, Redeemer University, CTS Core Capstone (5-6 students)

Cynthia Lokker, McMaster University, eHealth/HRM 724: Fundamentals of eHealth and the Canadian Health Care System (53 students)

Dr. Zobia Jawed, McMaster University, Master’s Engineering Design Project (2 students)

Deliverables: Primary Research (i.e. conducting surveys and/or collecting data), Secondary Research (i.e. review of literature and finding information from books and online), Business Case, and Developing a Website. End goal would be the recommendation of an electronic solution, however, focus for this term of would be research into what requirements would be needed. Scope of building solution would be anticipated to be too large for a single term.

Location: City-Wide, The Lodges are located in Ward 13 (Wentworth Lodge) and Ward 7 (Macassa Lodge), however, residents and families can come from anywhere across (or outside of) the City.

Project Agreement Redeemer

Project Agreement McMaster eHealth

Project Agreement McMaster Engineering

Redeemer University Project:

Researching communication improvements in Hamilton’s LTC Homes

Students: Sophia Bradbury,Maria Gonzalez, Kaitlyn Hogeterp, Gichan Hong, Chloe Rozema

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McMaster University Projects:

Technology for communicating between LTC homes and families.

Students: Aliyah Ahmed, Tanzil Sadid, Christopher Eastick, Marvelyn Oni, Tamara Mohanavathanan

Course: eHealth 724: Fundamentals of eHealth and the Canadian Health Care System

Communication Needs Of Long Term Care Homes and Residents' Loved Ones

Students: Ariba Alam, Bahram Rahman, Vernon Schneider, Ryan Strum, Bahiyyih Schmalenberg

Course: EHEALTH 724:Fundamentals of eHealth and the Canadian Health Care System - HTHRSM 724

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An implementation guide to making communication change that sticks.

Students: Sandeep Kumar, Viscardi, Virginia, Serrina Gunanayagam, Macbeth Vaz, Mira Makan

Instructor and Course: Cynthia Lokker, e-Health HRM 724, e-Health Program

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BACKGROUND OF THIS PROJECT CHECK OUT THE MATCH MAKER DISCUSSION BELOW