Tenure Track Position in Land-Based Planning and Urban Design

Tenure Track Position in Land-Based Planning and Urban Design
FCS, Urban & Regional Plann.
Posted: October 21, 2024
Deadline to Apply: Friday, November 29, 2024

Located in downtown Toronto, the largest and most culturally diverse city in Canada and on the territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples, the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP) in the Faculty of Community Services at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor effective July 1, 2025, subject to final budgetary approval.

The primary research interest of the successful candidate should be in the area of Land-based Planning with emphasis on Site Planning and/or Urban Design. The successful candidate will pursue a strong, innovative research program or creative activity in the field of Urban Design that is externally funded and that produces cutting-edge, high quality results.

The successful candidate will engage in a combination of teaching, scholarly research or creative activity, and service duties while maintaining an inclusive, equitable, and collegial work environment across all activities. Teaching duties will entail teaching core and elective courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervision of students, and/or curriculum development. More specifically, the successful candidate will contribute to studio and experiential learning in the core of our program including, but not limited to Planning Studio 1 and 2, Land Use Planning Studio 1, Physical Planning and Design Fundamentals, and elective courses in the broad area of urban design, including Site Planning and Contemporary Urban Design.

Candidates must have a doctoral (PhD, DDes or similar) degree in Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design or a related field by the appointment date. Candidates must hold at least one accredited planning degree or have significant relevant experience in the field of planning. Candidates who are all-but-dissertation (ABD) and are able to demonstrate that they are very close to completion (such as, a set defense date) may also be considered. To support our School’s continued accreditation success, it is expected that the person who is hired for this position will achieve full membership as a registered professional planner (RPP) or for candidates without an accredited degree in Planning, demonstrate significant progress toward completing their candidacy requirements through the Professional Standards Board for the Planning Profession in Canada (PSB) during their probationary period. Any questions regarding eligibility or process for the RPP designation can be directed to the PSB.

In recognition of past land use planning practices that have contributed to colonialism, systemic racism and ecological disruption, our School emphasizes learning and exploring inclusive land-based approaches to planning, as part of our ongoing commitment to the reconciliation process. As such, we specifically welcome candidates who demonstrate the impacts of their work in creating more sustainable and equitable communities.

In addition, the successful candidate must present evidence of:

strong emerging scholarly research and/or creative activity that is current, innovative and impactful as evidenced by, but not limited to, monographs, peer-reviewed publications, peer-adjudicated design competitions, working papers, public policy contributions, presentations at academic conferences, community engagement and professional work, success in securing grants, research related awards, and other writing or creative production that contributes to the visibility and prominence of the discipline.
demonstrated potential for teaching excellence at the undergraduate and/or graduate curriculums including in studio-based learning environments, as evidenced by a teaching dossier that includes a teaching philosophy statement, experience with course and curriculum review and/or development, examples of best practices in inclusive pedagogy, including the effective use of classroom technology and any experience with experiential learning, sample syllabi, strong teaching evaluations, teaching awards, and other relevant achievements in teaching;
commitment to our values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as it pertains to service, planning and design practice, teaching, and scholarly research or creative activities, including a demonstrated ability to make learning accessible and inclusive for a diverse student population; and
an ability and willingness to contribute to the life of the School of Urban and Regional Planning and the University through collegial service.

Our committee recognizes that scholars have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of an excellent academic record. Candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions.

Also, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, Black-identified persons, other racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Candidates who self identify as belonging to a community historically underrepresented in Planning education and practice are especially welcome to provide details of how their lived experiences inform their scholarly and professional work, if applicable. Such candidates are also encouraged to self identify through our Applicant Diversity Self-ID questionnaire.

This position falls under the jurisdiction of the Toronto Metropolitan Faculty Association (TFA) [www.tfanet.ca]. Visit us at www.torontomu.ca/faculty-affairs to view the TFA collective agreement and a summary of TFA benefits.

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Serving a highly diverse student population of over 45,000, with 100+ undergraduate and graduate programs built on the integration of theoretical and practical learning and distinguished by a professionally focussed curriculum with a strong emphasis on excellence in teaching, research and creative activities, TMU is a vibrant, urban university known for its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, community engagement and city-building through its award-winning architecture.

Department of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP)
SURP is a significant contributor to Planning education in Canada with our professionally accredited undergraduate and Master’s programs. We are well-known for the quality of our applied approach to Planning education – especially our studio-based, experiential learning and career-ready focus – and 450+ excellent students from diverse backgrounds and geographies. We have 14 full-time faculty members. We recently celebrated our 50th anniversary, and over these five decades, we have developed strong and diverse community and professional partnerships to create important teaching and research opportunities. We have a large, loyal and engaged alumni network.

At SURP we highly value teaching, learning and research that unfolds in partnership with communities, governments, and private sector firms to deliver positive outcomes for more equitable, sustainable, and livable communities. Our experiential learning approach grounds planning education in working with communities, not for them. Our School prides itself on the excellence of its research and on the quality of its teaching. The School is also actively engaged in advancing anti-racism and anti-discrimination work in planning education, including centering equity and racial justice in our curriculum, student recruitment and retention, hiring practices, and approaches to community engagement. We are interested in candidates who will contribute to our existing teaching and research strengths through academic and professional excellence, diverse lived experiences, and innovative perspectives.

Visit us on X (@TMUsurp) and LinkedIn for updates on our research, teaching and community-engagement activities.

Working at TMU
At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. At TMU and within our department/school, we firmly believe that equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to this path; our current Academic Plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Dedicated to a people first culture, TMU is proud to rank number one on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity.

We invite you to explore the range of benefits and supports available to faculty, including access to our diverse faculty and staff networks.

Visit us on X (previously known as Twitter): @torontomet, @VPFAtorontomet and @TorontoMetHR, and our LinkedIn page.

TMU is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. To find out more about legal and policy obligations please visit the Accessibility and Human Rights websites.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense.

How to Apply
Applicants must submit their application online via the Faculty Recruitment Portal [https://hr.cf.torontomu.ca/ams/faculty/] by clicking on “Start Application Process” to begin. Applications, consisting of the following, must be received by Friday, November 29th, 2024:

a letter of application;
a curriculum vitae;
a statement of research interests and future research agenda;
two examples of scholarly, creative or professional work;
a teaching dossier and results of teaching evaluations when available; and
names of three individuals who may be contacted for references.

Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority, in accordance with Canadian immigration regulations.

Contacts
Any confidential inquiries about the opportunity can be directed to the Department Hiring Committee Chair Dr. Raktim Mitra at [email protected].

Candidates who belong to one or more of the equity-deserving groups recognized at TMU are welcome to connect with Debbie Thompson [[email protected]], Executive Director, Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion [www.torontomu.ca/equity].

Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about working at Toronto Metropolitan University are welcome to contact James McKay, Indigenous Human Resources Lead at [email protected].

For any confidential accommodation needs in order to participate in the recruitment and selection process and/or inquiries regarding accessing the Recruitment Portal, please contact [email protected].

To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate in your email/cover letter where (globalvacancies.org) you saw this job posting.