The Forefront: Ideas for cities

Smoke, noise, disorientation— when firefighters are inside a burning building, the ability to get out safely is a challenge.In this episode, we speak with Michael Stanfield, a former Toronto fire chief and co-founder of IFTech, and Alex Ferworn, Director of the Computational Public Safety Lab at TMU, about the “As Real as It Gets” suit, which utilizes virtual reality video game technology into potentially  life-saving technology for firefighters. 

The job market is changing at a rapid speed, making it difficult for both those looking to get hired and for those doing the hiring. How can we address this skills gap?In this episode, we speak with Matt McInnis, an educational technology leader, and with Gary Hepburn, dean of The Chang School, about microcredentials: a skills-based training and certification program developed in partnership with industry to help workers master the skills that employers need.

More than 50 per cent of Canadians report that their mental health has worsened since the beginning of the pandemic. And while treatments like therapy and medication can help, they can be hard to access — and expensive. In this episode, we speak with the team behind a music therapy app called LUCID: Aaron Labbé, who turned to music as a source of comfort during a mental health crisis, and Frank Russo, a TMU professor and neuroscientist. 

A lot of things about being a breast cancer patient can feel dehumanizing, but one thing that can change is what patients are given to wear on their chest. In this episode, we speak with patient advocate Jennifer Schultz and Jessica Mudry, director of the Healthcare User Experience (HUE) Lab at TMU, about applying humanities thinking — like fashion design — when it comes to finding patient-centred solutions to health care challenges.

In 2018, hackers got hold of TMU alumna Erin MacDonald’s personal information and began a tsunami of purchases — affecting her credit rating and causing profound stress. In this episode, we speak with Erin about the theft of her identity, along with global information technology leader Claudette McGowan and TMU-based computer scientist Javaid Zahid, who are creating a quantum wallet to better secure our information. 

Our award-winning podcast is back for another season! This time we’re exploring human-centred innovation, from designing a post-surgical garment for breast cancer patients to employing robotics to help first responders.

According to TMU's Centre for Urban Energy, by 2030, 80% of the world's population will live in urban areas, so the way we use energy will impact the way we live, work and grow as a community. This has many people – including TMU alumni, looking for alternative modes of transportation.In this episode, we speak with two alumni entrepreneurs about their pursuit of cleaner transportation options and TMU expert Bilal Farooq about how cities can be designed to reduce emissions produced by cars.

Canadians continue to be divided on bike lanes on city streets. However, research out of TMU shows that after developing protected bike lanes, four in ten users in Toronto were new cyclists. Before this infrastructure existed, these cyclists would have used an alternate means of travel. This is good news for municipalities looking to reduce congestion on city streets. In this episode, we explore the benefits of building safe cycling infrastructure and some of the issues preventing people from taking up cycling.

For city dwellers, noise is just part of the package – but how noisy is too noisy? Research shows that ongoing exposure to noise can negatively impact your health, leading to conditions like heart disease and diabetes. And according to the United Nations Environment Program – it's also a top environmental risk.In this episode, we hear from TMU's leading noise expert and a Toronto resident who took resolving the noise issues in her community into her own hands.

Canadian youth are becoming increasingly concerned about the climate change crisis impacting our country and the world. TMU's Leadership Lab is working towards building factual awareness around solutions to the challenge of climate change through a youth-driven initiative known as Generation Climate. In this episode, we discuss the implications of climate misinformation and the importance of engaging youth.

In Canada and around the world, Black Indigenous and people of colour are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Research has shown that racialized communities in Canada have higher exposure to air pollution and less access to green spaces. In this episode, we discuss the gaps in the research and the fight for environmental justice in Canada.

In 2021 the Standing Strong Task Force provided a list of recommendations for how the university can address the legacy of Egerton Ryerson and forge a new chapter. One of the recommendations was a renaming to reflect our university values better. The process included feedback from over 30,000 people, with over 2,600 name suggestions. In April 2022, the name Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) was announced. In this episode, we chat with TMU elder Joanne Dallaire, author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice and chair of the University Renaming Advisory Committee, Jennifer Simpson, as we explore the process behind the renaming and the significance of this move for TMU's Indigenous communities.

Toronto Metropolitan University's award-winning podcast The Forefront is back! This season, we look at how the university is tackling some of the environmental issues impacting Canadians.

In this season of The Forefront, we will explore the role Toronto Metropolitan University is playing in creating more inclusive, sustainable, and livable cities. 

In Ontario and across the country, hospitals are struggling with a nursing shortage. The issue has prompted the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing to work with the provincial government to provide support to hospitals through a job placement program for students. In this episode, learn more about how students are stepping up to fill this crucial gap in the healthcare system in the midst of a global pandemic.

Since 2008, 447 local news outlets in more than 300 communities have shut down across Canada. This includes everything from newspapers to local TV to community radio. School of Journalism Professor April Lindgren has been tracking the trend via The Local News Research Project which tracks changes to local news across the country. Experts say the loss of these outlets will threaten the wellbeing of communities and the functioning of local democracies. What is the future of local news in Canada and how can it be saved?

In a multicultural hub like the Greater Toronto Area, what impact do immigrant entrepreneurs and retailers have on the city? Urban and Regional Planning professor Dr. Zhixi Zhuang says the benefits go beyond economic ones and extend into establishing a sense of belonging and ownership for many newcomers and communities. In this episode, host Amanda Cupido chats with Dr. Zhuang and Mohamad Fakih, President and CEO of Paramount Fine Foods about the positive impacts of immigrant businesses.

When the pandemic began in March 2020, many people found themselves suddenly trapped at home — with everything from restaurants, to gyms, to playgrounds being shut down. A national survey found that less than 3% of Canadian children and youth were meeting the physical activity guidelines recommended by professionals. In this episode, host Amanda Cupido chats with School of Urban and Regional Planning professor Dr. Raktim Mitra about the impacts of living in downtown environments.

This year, the university is taking part in the City of Toronto Year of Public Art initiative, with a series of installments and exhibits. One of the installments, ‘The Ring’, is in honour of the Dish With One Spoon Territory, the land on which the university is built. In this episode, host Amanda Cupido chats with lead designer and artist Matthew Hickey about the sculpture’s significance, and how it emerged from the ongoing work of the university’s Truth and Reconciliation Strategic Working Group in collaboration with members of the Indigenous community.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people move to Toronto, which means the need for housing is not slowing down, however neither is the rising costs. This leads to an increase in the construction of high rises, which are polluting the environment. The solution? The ZEROhouse concept is a 1,100-square-foot stacked townhouse designed to be built on cheap land formerly occupied by one or two-storey buildings in existing neighbourhoods.