UCalgary researcher leads exploration of urban accessibility barriers across the globe

For Dr. Victoria Fast, PhD, the foundation of her research program on creating accessible cities and societies is rooted in the ethos of a university, which is to bring together researchers and experts from various backgrounds to solve a problem. Her approach also helps break down the systemic exclusion of the citizens that her research seeks to help.  

"My approach aligns really well with what (the University of Calgary) is doing with the Institutes of Transdisciplinary Scholarship, which has helped me to connect with geomatics engineers, critical disability studies experts and researchers in computational urban planning,” says Fast. “Together, we're building scholarship and solutions around real-world problems.”  

Fast is leading the project, Computational Urban Accessibility: Understanding, Mapping, and Scoring Barriers in the Built Environment, which was recently awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant, along with 17 other UCalgary researchers.   

According to François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, supporting research such as Fast’s empowers researchers across Canada to advance their groundbreaking work and is “reinforcing Canada’s leadership in global research and innovation and paving the way for a more prosperous and sustainable future for everyone.”

“This funding will allow us to push the research forward and transform our understanding of urban accessibility barriers across the globe,” says Fast.

The project has three main goals: 1) to understand the variety of barriers faced by disabled people in urban settings; 2) mapping the barriers in urban settings; and 3) scoring accessible urban environments. At the foundation of it all is listening.   

“Listening to the community, working closely with disability advocacy organizations, and bringing on research team members that span disciplines and perspectives, allows us to learn from each other, to provide the best possible outcomes from the research,” says Fast.

UCalgary researchers consistently receive numerous SSHRC grants each year, a testament to the university’s dedication to advancing research that will improve society.   

Our researchers are tackling broad and complex issues that extend beyond our campus or city limits,” says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research). “These SSHRC grants support our scholars in two key components of research — advancing and creating new knowledge, and building collaborative partnerships to mobilize that knowledge.” 

2024 Insight Grants to UCalgary researchers 

The SSHRC Insight program supports research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. The funding is geared to both established research like Fast’s, as well as early stage research projects. The maximum value of a SSHRC Insight grant is $400,000 over three to five years. 

Faculty of Arts 

• Dr. Maria Petrova Bakardjieva, PhD, Department of Communication, Media and Film: All the news that’s fit to trust: Exploring the intersecting dynamics of trust in news, news repertories, and discursive publics. 
• Dr. Terri Kneeland, PhD, Department of Economics: Identifying strategic complexity. 
• Dr. Jean-René Leblanc, PhD, Department of Art & Art History: Orphan wells AR: Community-driven creative reclamation.  
• Dr. Thomas O’Neill, PhD, Department of Psychology: The future of work is hybrid: Engineering team success through leadership. 
• Dr. Kathryn Reese-Taylor, PhD, Department of Anthropology & Archaeology: Population diversity and economic development in the Ancient Maya city of Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico. 
• Dr. Blake Shaffer, PhD'18, Department of Economics: Field experiments on dynamic charging of electric vehicles. 

Werklund School of Education 

• Dr. Amy Burns, MA'01, PhD'08, Understanding wellbeing for women middle-level leaders in post-secondary education. 
• Dr. Michael Kehler, PhD, Redefining masculinities: Male-identifying teachers engaging boys as change agents. 
• Dr. Kim Koh, PhD, Designing authentic assessments to promote girls’ STEM literacy, interest, and self-efficacy. 
• Dr. Shelly Russell-Mayhew, BSc'94, MSc'98, PhD'03, Largely invisible: Understanding the complexities of weight stigma in career development. 

Haskayne School of Business 

• Dr. Pengfei Li, PhD, Location strategies of digital platforms at the city level. 
• Dr. Barrie Nault, PhD, Policies for digital platforms. 
• Dr. Rong Zhao, PhD, Investing economic substance behind environmental, social and governance (ESG) assertions. 

Cumming School of Medicine 

• Dr. Tanvir Turin Chowdhury, PhD, Family Medicine: Unpacking systemic barriers faced by internationally trained health professionals in the pursuit of alternative careers.  
• Dr. Katrina Milaney, BA'92, MEd'07, PhD'14, Community Health Sciences: Systemic bias in policy: Intersections between homelessness, child protective services, and families trapped in the system. 

Faculty of Science 

• Dr. John Aycock, BSc'93, PhD, Computer Science: LAVA: Large-scale Archaeological Videogame Analysis. 

Faculty of Social Work 

• Dr. Angelique Jenney, PhD, Using standardized client simulation to identify reflective practice competencies for CYC work.