I am an urban-economic geographer and sociologist who studies city governance, housing, and development. Across my research projects, I look at how the dynamics of capitalism play out on the ground through political struggles over the built environment, the meanings and ideas of social actors, and the histories and institutions of cities. In addition to my focus on urban politics, I conduct research on gentrification and the relationship between consumption and inequality. I also have an interest in social theory.
My academic work has appeared in the journals City & Community, Environment and Planning A, Geoforum, and in the edited volumesĀ Social Theory Now with the University of Chicago Press and A Recipe for Gentrification with New York University Press and has won multiple awards. Links to my essay writings and media coverage of my work can be found on the public sociology page. I am also a co-founder and co-chair of the Urban Sociology Research Cluster of the Canadian Sociology Association.
I am currently working on two research projects. The first is on new purpose built rental housing in Canadian cities. The second is a comparative study of different forms of displacement including arts and culture, commercial, and residential displacement.
You can contact me at zachary.hyde@utoronto.ca