Training
The Urban Policy Lab offers a wide array of educational programming, including student fellowships, skills workshops, professional development initiatives, and experiential learning opportunities.
Case Competitions
The Lab organizes an annual Urban Policy Case Competition — the only Munk School case competition focused on city issues — in which teams of Master of Public Policy and Master of Global Affairs students compete to develop solutions to an urban policy challenge, and present their ideas to a panel of expert judges.
Case Competitions
More than 100 students have participated in the Urban Policy Lab Case Competition, tackling issues such as the “first and last mile” mobility problem in Toronto (2019), transit-oriented development (2020), and local economic development and COVID recovery (2021). Judges participate from a diverse group of public, private, and not-for-profit organizations, including: the City of Toronto, City of Hamilton, City of Mississauga, York Region, Government of Ontario, Metrolinx, Pembina Institute, Brookfield Institute, Black Urbanism TO, the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas, and Urban Strategies Inc.
Skills Development Workshops
The Lab has organized and delivered more than two dozen skills and professional development workshops, attended by more than 650 Munk School students, on topics such as: public consultation, urban planning, strategic foresight, municipal budgeting, infrastructure planning, regional growth management, project management, and service design.
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Experiential Learning
The Lab designs experiential learning opportunities that encourage students to get out of the classroom and into the community. Our "Munk in the City" initiative, for example, motivated students to see first-hand the challenges faced by residents across Toronto, and consider the urban policy solutions that can address these issues.
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Career Planning and Networking
The Lab arranges mentorship and career planning conversations with alumni and outside practitioners, and creates opportunities for students to grow their professional network. Our annual speed networking event has connected Munk students with over 100 urban policy professionals across the Greater Toronto region. And our new mentorship program has helped students cultivate meaningful relationships with more than two dozen leaders in the field.
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