Convocation, Urban Studies
Degree Helps New Westminster Mayor Solve Real World Problems
June 08, 2015
Jonathan Cote wasn’t even dreaming of becoming mayor when he enrolled in SFU’s Master of Urban Studies Program in 2011. He was seeking solutions to New Westminster’s rental housing and transit issues.
Yet today, at age 35, he is Metro Vancouver’s youngest mayor, and his rental housing innovations are capturing the attention of mayors across the region.
The former city council member was elected mayor in November 2014, two months after defending his master’s thesis on “Transit-Oriented Developments.”