Shaping Mississauga: MUI Students Bring Urban Innovation to City Hall
As communities face challenges ranging from heritage recognition to transportation safety, there is a growing need for dynamic, collaborative approaches in urban development. IMI’s Master of Urban Innovation (MUI) program responds to this through its highly interdisciplinary framework, preparing students for influential roles in policy and leadership. For MUI students Nathalie Estephan and Matthew Lam, their graduate coursework gave them an opportunity to directly influence city policy by presenting solutions to some of Mississauga’s biggest urban issues to City Council.
The MUI capstone project, completed in year two of the program, offers a hands-on opportunity for students to work with partner organizations like the City of Mississauga. “Our MUI students bring cutting-edge, fresh ideas, and the City consistently demonstrates its commitment to innovation by creating space for our students and trusting them with impactful projects. These collaborations not only enrich the student experience but also contribute directly to shaping a more inclusive, and forward-looking community,” says Natasha Walli, Placement Manager.
For Nathalie Estephan and Matthew Lam, the capstone project was an exciting opportunity to immerse themselves in Mississauga’s cultural and demographic landscape. Nathalie’s project focused on expanding the city’s recognition of heritage to include cultural practices and community stories—not just buildings and structures. Following a thorough policy review and jurisdictional scan of over 15 cities, Nathalie and teammate Tasnima Fahmin proposed a framework that positions Mississauga as a cultural tourism hub, considering its depth of both tangible and intangible heritage. The recommendations include creating a database of intangible heritage forms (e.g. stories, cultural practices, traditions), serving as a valuable resource for education, cultural programming, and planning.
Reflecting on the experience, Nathalie shares, “[This project] allowed us to apply our training in evidence-based policymaking, strategic stakeholder engagement, and data-informed analysis – all through a place-based lens and with a strong mentorship and support from our capstone advisors. This holistic approach helped ensure that our recommendations were both grounded in global insight and realistically tailored to Mississauga’s governance and community context.”
For Matthew’s capstone project, he worked with Tim and Leichen to examine the City of Mississauga’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. “The problem was the initiative’s limited effectiveness in engaging diverse and high-risk populations, such as non-English speakers and vulnerable road users (e.g. pedestrians and cyclists), due to gaps in targeted communication and evaluation of outreach efforts,” recalls Matthew. The team identified at-risk populations and high collision frequency areas, as well as best practices in other cities with the Vision Zero initiative, proposing a data-driven engagement strategy. To better reach these high-risk groups, the students recommended developing targeted educational campaigns and community-driven initiatives, along with a short- to long-term monitoring framework for continuous improvements.
Both Nathalie and Matthew had the opportunity to present their findings to City of Mississauga staff, as well as their fellow MUI students, generating strong positive feedback. Nathalie hopes that by offering new ways for residents to connect with their local heritage and civic identity, this can make an impact on racialized and newcomer communities whose stories have been historically overlooked. Similarly, Matthew’s project focuses on enhancing citywide safety by addressing the unique needs of high-risk populations.
These projects highlight the importance of developing policies that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, whether by expanding the traditional definition of heritage or tailoring safety campaigns to specific groups. By taking an empathetic and inclusive approach to policy making, the teams demonstrate the true value of community-based urban solutions.
About the MUI Program
The Master of Urban Innovation (MUI) program is a 20-month professional graduate degree offered by the Institute for Management & Innovation (IMI) at the University of Toronto. The MUI program provides students with world-class education and training to help build dynamic, inclusive cities, and foster innovation-based urban economic development. Learn more here.
