AMRITA G. DANIERE
Professor
Chair, Department of Geography at UTM
- Ph.D. Harvard University (1990) - "Determinants of Housing Demand
and Tenure Choice in Cairo and Manila"
- M.P.P. Harvard University (1984)- Public Policy
Department of Geography and Program in Planning
University of Toronto
Room 5063, Sidney Smith Hall
100 St. George St.
Toronto, ON M5S 3G3
phone: (416) 978-3236
fax: (416) 978-6729
e-mail: daniere@geog.utoronto.ca
Research Endeavors
Infrastructure provision in developing-country megacities including water and
sanitation services, housing, solid waste collection and disposal, and transportation.
Much of my published work in this area was funded by a research grant, for which
I was the co-principal investigator with Randall Crane, from the University
of California's Pacific Rim Research Program.
Development and implementation of policy and planning from a political-economy
perspective in third world urban areas. I and a co-author (Lois Takahashi from
the University of California, Los Angeles) have recently published a book (Ashgate,
2002) entitled Rethinking Environmental Management in the Pacific Rim: Exploring
Local Participation in Bangkok, Thailand, based on our ongoing research together
in Thailand on environmental policy and planning, especially at the community
level. The research was funded primarily by a Pacific Basin Research Center
grant from Soka University.
My most recent work focuses on the relevance of social networks to environmental
policy design and implementation and how knowledge regarding networks and community
perceptions might be incorporated into environmental management and governance
of urban areas. Lois Takahashi and I won a grant from the University of California's
Pacific Rim Research Program to study these issues in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh
City in 1999. I subsequently, in 2000, won a three-year SSHRC grant to continue
and deepen this research to include qualitative research and workshops between
the collaborators from the four different countries involved in this research
project. This past summer, I was able to use the remaining funds to conduct
research on social capital using experimental economic games with Professor
Jeff Carpenter from Middlebury College which has resulted in two submitted papers
with at least one more in the pipeline.
Finally, I have just won another three-year SSHRC grant to conduct research
with Professor Michael Douglass at the University of Hawaii on the relationship
between social capital, urban governance and civic spaces in Asian cities. I
am very much looking forward to this new area of inquiry.
Refereed Publications
Articles
- (primary author with Anchana NaRanong and Lois Takahashi) "Social Capital,
Networks and Community Environments in Bangkok, Thailand," Growth and
Change 33, 2002, 453-483.
- "Canadian urbanism and Jane Jacobs," Journal of Urban Affairs
22, 2001, 459-461.
(primary author with Lois Takahashi) "Public policy and human dignity:
Environmental policies and human values in Bangkok," Policy Sciences
32 2000, 247-268.
- "Sustainable urbanization in megacities: The role of nonmotorized transportation,"
Transportation Research Record (1695) 2000, National Research Council, Washington,
D.C., 26-33.
- "(primary author with Lois Takahashi) "Environmental behavior
in Bangkok, Thailand: A portrait of attitudes, values and behavior,"
Economic Development and Cultural Change 47 1999, 525-557.
- "More and better credit: Housing policy reform in Bolivia," International
Planning Studies 4 1999, 29-51.
Books and/or Chapters
- (primary author with Lois Takahashi) Rethinking Environmental Management
in the Pacific Rim: Exploring Local Participation in Bangkok, Thailand, Ashgate
Publishing Ltd., Aldershot UK (2002, 170 pages).
- (primary author with Lois Takahashi) "Social Networks, Social Capital
and Community Governance: Environmental Management in Bangkok's Slums,"
in Social Capital and Economic Development: Well-Being in Developing Countries,
Jonathan Isham, Thomas Kelly and Sundar Ramaswamy (eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing,
Cheltenham, UK (2002), pp.176-196.
- (primary author with Jose A. Gomez-Ibanez) "Environmental and communications
infrastructure in Chile," in The Spatial Distribution of Public Services:
The Case of Chile, John Meyer and Edward Glaeser (ed.), Harvard University
Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2001), pp. 185-224.
Undergraduate Teaching
- GGR 225 Geopolitics of Southeast Asia, 2000.
- GGR 338 Environmental Problems in Developing Countries, 2002.
- GGR 342 Geography of Southeast Asia, 1999, 2001, 2003.
- GGR 101 Environment, Resources and Development, University of Toronto, 1995-1998.
Graduate Teaching
- PLA1105 Planning Methods, University of Toronto, 1995-present.
- PLA1106 Workshop for Planning Practice (50% of course), University of Toronto,
1995-present.
- PlA1102 Urban and Regional Dynamics (25% of the course), University of Toronto,
1995-1999.
- JPG1508F Planning for the Urban Poor in Developing Countries, University
of Toronto,
1995-2001.
- GGR1149S Readings in Selected Topics (M.Sc.):
Tuan Quang Nugyen, "Planning for the urban poor in developing countries,"
University of Toronto, 2003.
Yael Levitte, "Transportation issues in developing countries," University
of Toronto, 1997
Kamlesh Minocha, "Health service delivery issues for the elderly,"
University of Toronto, 1997.
Ph.D. Students:
Theses Supervised
- Jill Wigle, supervisor, 2002-present.
- David Sider, co-supervisor with Virginia Maclaren, 2002-present.
- Sharlene Mollet, co-supervisor with Scott Prudham, 2001-present.
- Kate Swanson, co-supervisor with Sue Ruddick, 2000-present.
- Yogendra Shakya, co-supervisor with Katharine Rankin, 2000-present.
- Yael Levitte, "Social capital and aboriginal economic development:
Opportunities and challenges," co-supervisor with Meric Gertler, 1998-2002,
completed in January 2003..
- Lynne Cripe, "Environmental and health behaviors in the peri-urban
neighborhoods of Manila." Primary supervisor, 1993-1995; Secondary supervisor,
1995-1997 (School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine).
Ph.D. Thesis Committees (Geography)
- Ernest Opuku-Boateng, Environment and finance in Ghana, 2002-present.
- Marc Arnold, Topic: Public sector employment relations in Toronto, 1996-present.
- Ranu Basu, Topic: Child care, collective action and community activism,
1997-2002.
- John Andrew, "The role of alternative dispute resolution in resolving
waste management conflicts: A study of cases in Ontario and Massachusetts,"
1997-1999.
- Raphael Djabatey, "Space, land-use planning and the household economy:
The role of urban agriculture in the Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana,"
1997-1999.
- Mark Pfeifer, "'Community,' adaptation and the Vietnamese in Toronto,"
1995-1999.
- Pamela Robinson, "Municipal CO2 reduction strategies in Canada,"
1997-1999.
Masters Students:
M.Sc. Planning Current Issues Paper (Primary Supervision)
- Andrew Spence, "From welfare to work: Evaluating Ontario Works in the
context of welfare reform in Ontario," 2002-2003.
- Gerry Beaudin, "Tax increment-based financing application evaluation
guidelines," 2001-2002.
- Sabina Foofat, "Affordable housing in Golden, British Columbia,"
2000-2001.
- Devina Bahadoorsingh, "Planning for empowerment: Recommendations for
a microeconomic program for poor women in Trinidad and Tobago," 1998-1999.
- Terrence Tam, "Enhancing efficiency of electricity distribution in
the new City of Toronto: Rationale, strategies and challenges," 1998-1999.
- Yoko Ujike, "Improving the level of community safety in the City of
Toronto: What can be learned from Japanese Police systems,"1998-1999.
- Caroline Abili, "Housing experiences of African immigrants: A case
study of black Ugandans in Toronto," 1997-1998.
- Yael Levitte, "City of Toronto: Demand analysis of utility corridors
to bicycle trails conversion and an assessment of environmental and health
benefits," 1997-1998.
- Kamlesh Minocha, "Service delivery planning for Sherbourne Hospital
Corporation," 1997-1998.
- Enrique Silva, "Barriers to urban planning policy implementation:(un)Strategic
planning in Cochabamba 1993-1998," 1997-1998.
- Anar Mamdani, "Self-help housing: An alternative approach to housing
low income households," 1996-1997.
- Tina Schankula, "Environmental management systems," 1996-1997.
- Michael Van de Vegte, "An analysis of non-residential charges in the
Town of Oakville," 1995-1996.
M.A. Thesis (Geography) Supervision
- Nadia Abu-Zahra, "What do health-based geographic information systems
(HGIS) offer developing countries? A suggested framework of HGIS applications
and a case study of potential use in Palestine," 2001-2002.
- David Alexander, "Environmental values and perceptions among Ontario's
entrepreneurs," 1998-1999.
- Yorrick Da Silva, "Sustainable development and quality of life in developing
countries," 1998-1999.
- Carolyn Lane, "Recreating recreation: Critical issues for municipalities
to consider before entering into partnerships with the private sector for
the provision of multi-use spectator facilities," 1997-1998.
- Angela Marseglia, "A gendered occupation: The case of street sweepers
in Hanoi, Vietnam," (co-supervised with Kim England) 1998 (Angela received
a Canada-ASEAN Centre and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Travel Grant
to support her fieldwork).
Professional Affiliations
