Ahmad Bonakdar
Urban Research and Practice
Urban scholar, researcher and instructor working at the intersections of social and health policy, geographic equity, and homelessness.
Senior Director of Research · Canadian Observatory on Homelessness · York University
About
Research on cities, housing and homelessness
I am an urban scholar, researcher, and instructor with a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy. I am currently the Senior Director of Research at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH), York University. My research examines the intersections of social and health policy, geographic equity, and homelessness, with a focus on housing, economic development, and community-engaged studies.
In my current role, I lead the Making the Shift (MtS) Youth Homelessness Demonstration Projects (DEMs). I oversee all aspects of the MtS DEMs, including methodological approaches and the implementation of long-term research strategies. Additionally, I guide site-specific research plans and lead the academic and public-facing outputs of research studies from the MtS DEMs.
On this website I write, discuss my research, and occasionally share my take on urban life through photography.
- Education
- Ph.D., Urban Planning and Public Policy
- Current role
- Senior Director of Research, COH, York University
- Leads
- Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Demonstration Projects
Research
Publications
18 publications, 2019–2026
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2026
Black youth experiencing homelessness and criminal justice involvement: Findings from the Without a Home national youth homelessness survey in Canada
Ahmad Bonakdar et al. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness
- 2025
- 2024
- 2024
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2024
Navigating pathways into youth homelessness: Integrating research into policy interventions
Ahmad Bonakdar & Stephen Gaetz
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2023
A roof over your head is not a home: Youth homelessness in Canada
Cora MacDonald, Jacqueline Sohn, Ahmad Bonakdar & Carrie Traher. Book chapter
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2023
Evaluating the effectiveness of the Housing First for Youth intervention for youth experiencing homelessness in Canada: Protocol for a multisite, mixed methods randomized controlled trial
Stephen Gaetz, Ahmad Bonakdar, John Ecker, Cora MacDonald, Sophia Ilyniak, Ashley Ward, Lauren Kimura, Aranie Vijayaratnam & Emmanuel Banchani. JMIR Research Protocols
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2023
Child protection services and youth experiencing homelessness: Findings of the 2019 national youth homelessness survey in Canada
Ahmad Bonakdar, Stephen Gaetz, Emmanuel Banchani, Kaitlin Schwan, Sean A. Kidd & Bill O’Grady. Children and Youth Services Review
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2023
Does Housing First for Youth work in Canada? Emerging 24-month findings from the Making the Shift Housing First for Youth Demonstration Project
Ahmad Bonakdar, Cora MacDonald & Stephen Gaetz
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2023
Connecting the dots: Rethinking youth homelessness prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic using an upstream approach in the Canadian context
Karen Naidoo, Ahmad Bonakdar, Jacqueline Sohn & Stephen Gaetz
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2023
Reflective practice in homelessness research and practice: Implications for researchers and practitioners in the COVID-19 pandemic era
Ahmad Bonakdar. International Journal on Homelessness
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2022
What makes for a creative-friendly community? Untangling the location attributes of creative clusters
Tahereh Granpayehvaghei & Ahmad Bonakdar. International Journal of Cultural Policy
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2021
City planning, urban imaginary, and the branded space: Untangling the role of city plans in shaping Dallas’s urban imaginaries
Ahmad Bonakdar & Ivonne Audirac. Cities
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2021
Opting out of transit: How does strong local autonomy impact allocation of transit service in a multi-jurisdictional transit agency? A historical case study analysis
David Weinreich & Ahmad Bonakdar. Public Works Management & Policy
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2020
City branding and the link to urban planning: Theories, practices, and challenges
Ahmad Bonakdar & Ivonne Audirac. Journal of Planning Literature
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2020
Do urban design qualities add to property values? An empirical analysis of the relationship between urban design qualities and property values
Shima Hamidi, Ahmad Bonakdar, Golnaz Keshavarzi & Reid Ewing. Cities
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2019
The relationship between regional compactness and regional innovation capacity (RIC): Empirical evidence from a national study
Shima Hamidi, Ahoura Zandiatashbar & Ahmad Bonakdar. Technological Forecasting and Social Change
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2019
The quest for creative industries: A multilevel national study of the impacts of urban form on the geography of creative industries
Tahereh Granpayehvaghei, Ahmad Bonakdar, Ahoura Zandiatashbar & Shima Hamidi. Transportation Research Record
Blogs
Recent blogs
Research findings written for practitioners, policymakers and the public, published on the Homeless Hub.
Providing opportunities for young people to build a brighter future: How Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) changes lives
Key findings of the 24-month outcomes evaluation.
Snapshot: The Family and Natural Supports program improves youth well-being and prevents homelessness
How FNS supports youth and the people they consider significant in their lives.
From reactive responses to prevention-focused interventions: How municipalities can tackle youth homelessness
What Ontario’s rising chronic homelessness means for local action.
Transforming lives through the Family and Natural Supports (FNS) program
Key findings of the 24-month outcomes evaluation.
Exploring the impact of Family and Natural Supports interventions
Insights from youth, families, and service providers.
Does Housing First for Youth work in Canada? Preliminary findings from a pilot study
Early evidence from the Making the Shift demonstration sites.
Photography