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Department of Human Geography

Julie Mah

Julie Mah
Assistant Professor
Email
julie.mah@utoronto.ca
Building HL 518

My research engages with these broader questions: How do we create more just cities? What does equitable development look like? I examine issues of housing affordability, evictions, gentrification and displacement, and the planning mechanisms that can be employed to address spatialized inequities, such as the use of value capture tools (e.g., inclusionary zoning). My interest in studying gentrification and displacement is grounded in how these processes help shape the housing affordability landscape. Current research focuses on: (1) gentrification and evictions in Ontario; and (2) evaluating the effectiveness of value capture tools to generate new affordable housing in Toronto.  

Education

Ph.D. University of Toronto – 2019 
MScPl University of Toronto - 2010 

Teaching Interests

  • Housing policy and urban development
  • Urban planning and policy 
  • Equitable development and affordable housing provision

Research Interests

  • Affordable housing provision 
  • Evictions and eviction prevention approaches 
  • Gentrification and displacement (direct and indirect) 
  • Value capture tools (e.g., density bonusing; inclusionary zoning) 
  • Equitable planning approaches 

Publications

Selected Publications: 

  • Mah, J. (2021). Gentrification-induced displacement in Detroit, Michigan: An analysis of evictions. Housing Policy Debate, 31(3-5): 446-468. Special Issue on Evictions: Shedding Light on the Hidden Housing Problem. 
  • Mah, J. (forthcoming). Broadening equitable planning: Understanding indirect displacement through seniors’ experiences in a resurgent Downtown Detroit. Environment & Planning A: Economy and Space. 
  • Berglund, L., Mah, J., Perry, T., & Rencher, P. (forthcoming). Missing Older Adults in a Gentrifying Downtown: Detroit’s Rebrand for a Young and Talented Pool of Residents. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 
  • Perry, T.E., Berglund, L., Mah, J., Sanford, C., Schaeffer, P., & Villeneuve, E. (2021). Advocating for the Preservation of Senior Housing: A Coalition at Work Amid Gentrification in Detroit, Michigan. Housing Policy Debate, 31(2): 254-273. 
  • Mah, J. and Hackworth, J. (2011). Local politics and inclusionary housing in three large Canadian cities. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 20(1): 57-80.

Reports: 

  • Mah, J. (2022). Evaluating affordable housing outcomes in Toronto: An analysis of density bonusing agreements. Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto. 
  • Mah, J. (2021). Evictions in Toronto: Governance Challenges and the Need for Intergovernmental Cooperation. Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.