Research

The School of Public Policy is engaged in a wide-range of policy research that has impact within and outside the academy, influencing the ‘real world’ of policy and engaging the community. Our work, which intersects with all areas of the University Strategic Plan, creates knowledge that makes significant contributions to academic literature and also directly informs public debates and policy discussions on critical social, economic, political, environmental, health issues and more.

The School hosts the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) research unit.

Faculty Research

Find out about the research areas of our faculty members, plus a bio and selected listing of their publications

Student Research

Details about project-based student research, including the 8-month long collaborative BC Priorities Projects involving a diverse range of partner organizations, and the Year 2 Capstone research thesis, with access to reports via SFU Summit system.

Policy Spotlight Seminar Series

In the Spring and Fall semesters, we host a series of noon-hour presentations for students, alumni and faculty, and invite a variety of organizations to come and talk with us about policy issue(s) they are facing and how to address them.

Recent Projects

June 18, 2019
Solving Wozny’s Puzzle: Foreign ownership and Vancouver’s “de-coupled” housing market by Josh C. Gordon 
Read full report   Read response to a critic

March 4, 2019
The Speculation and Vacancy Tax: An Explainer by Josh C. Gordon
Read full report

May 2, 2016
Vancouver’s Housing Affordability Crisis: Causes, Consequences and Solutions by Josh C. Gordon
Read full report and executive summary

February 23, 2015
Expanding Tax-Free Savings Accounts — Doubly Troubling by Jonathan Rhys Kesselman
Read full report