Priority Policy Areas:
Larger Circle = Bigger Impact
*Conceptual visualization of quantitative values
Public transport accessibility (to jobs) modelling using r5r travel time matrices with a 45 minute cutoff
Co-designed a bilingual survey on intercity travel behaviour and attitudes toward Alto high-speed rail
Cleaned and prepared responses from 6,636 participants for analysis
Used exploratory factor analysis to identify underlying dimensions in traveller attitudes and preferences
Applied k-means clustering to segment respondents into distinct traveller groups
Compared clusters across demographics, travel behaviour, station preferences, willingness to pay, and anticipated HSR use
Translated segment-level findings into targeted policy and service recommendations
Methods:
$90B, zero market data. ALTO will be Canada's first HSR line — Toronto to Québec City, one of the country's largest infrastructure projects — with no research yet on who will actually ride it
Six rider segments, one method. Factor analysis and k-means clustering on the Canadian HSR survey split potential users into six distinct segments by needs and willingness to pay
No single lever maximizes ridership. A tailored approach — pricing, access, service design — beats a one-size-fits-all policy.
Executive Summary:
McGill University
Supervisor: Ahmed El-Geneidy
Fall 2025 - Spring 2026
02 — Supervised Research Project
Market Segmentation for Alto High-Speed Rail
Compared three initial corridors: A40–REM, Railyard, and Côte-de-Liesse
Tested alternative station locations and route configurations
Deliberated opportunities and constraints of the different options with borough planning staff and representatives
Documented stakeholder feedback and reassessed options
Refined corridor and station concepts for detailed impact analysis
Equal contributor to reports, presentations, and client meetings
Primary contact for virtual client communication
Conducted contextual, precedent, and policy research
Led economic and station-integration impact analysis
Led R5R travel-time accessibility analysis for HSR/REM scenarios
Built GTFS feeds for proposed REM extensions and produced supporting maps and visuals
My Role:
Assessing the potential for noise & vibration impacts alongside habitat disruption
Assessed the line's potential short- and long-term economic impact on the borough
Analyzed the distribution of social benefits and burdens across socio-demographic groups
Assess the impacts of the line on accessibility, land use, and integration opportunities
Evaluating the desirability and long-term implications of the chosen station & corridor:
Impact Analysis
Borough of Saint-Laurent
Partners: Sara Poppel, Shadé Chrun-Tremblay, Yao Fu
Fall 2025
Route & Station Charette
Evaluate the feasibility and desirability of routing Alto high-speed rail through Saint-Laurent and identify a preferred station and alignment scenario that maximizes local and regional benefits.
01 — Client Studio
Mandate:
Saint-Laurent High-Speed Rail Feasibility & Desirability
Conducted a collaborative charrette with Saint-Laurent representatives and planners:
Portfolio
Urban Planning Experience
A selection of transportation, research, development, urban design, and geospatial projects completed through McGill University, TRAM, and Curbcut
Millenium Line Extension Business Case
Alto User Segmentation
HSR in Saint-Laurent
LaSalle PPU & Redevelopment
Western-Hochelaga 30-Year Master Plan
Canora REM Intersection Redesign
Curbcut
96% would use high-speed rail
6 different high-speed rail regions included
6,636 cleaned respondents
Constraints:
Infrastructure: Integration with existing rail, road, airport, and utility networks
Technical feasibility: HSR geometry, station requirements, and corridor constraints
Connectivity: Strong integration with the REM, local transit, cycling, and walking networks
Community & environment: Minimize disruption, habitat impacts, congestion, and effects on residents and businesses
Multiple-Accounts Analysis
Proposed HSR Alignment in Saint Laurent
Fares can be maximized through the high-income, work-oriented group that is looking to use the line for work travel
The two car-oriented groups emerge as targets for modal conversion, based on the positive HSR experiences of one group and the general curiosity for the other group
Station access interventions are an important cross-cutting policy item to attract ridership across clusters
A differentiated pricing strategy is needed to attract users with different needs and constraints
Strict punctuality standards will be important for multiple groups, but will be paramount for those using the line for work
Key Findings:
03 — Planning Studio II
McGill University
Partners: Lydia Angel-Fox, David Gerchicoff
Winter 2025
PPU Development and Site Redevelopment in LaSalle
Mandate:
Plan Particulaire d'Urbanisme:
Scenario 1:
Scenario 3:
Improved Neighbourhood Connectivity
Phase 3: Scenario Testing
Scenario 2:
Units: 249
Units / ha 188
Avg. Cost / Unit: $692,649
FAR 2.43
Residential: 17,383m²
Commercial: 7,322m²
Interior Gathering Space: 0m²
Office: 0m²
Key takeaway: Strongest central public-space concept
Terraced massing increases daylight and creates green roofs and shared rooftop spaces
Buildings frame a central public square for events, gathering, and leisure
Open site layout improves connectivity, though stepped massing limits sunlight on the central square
Key takeaway: Highest-density option
Phase 4: New Scenario
Phase 5: Individual
Following feedback on the three Phase 3 scenarios, we developed a fourth concept that retained their strongest elements while replacing continuous massing with a more modular, permeable site design and a stronger sense of place.
Evaluated whether SkyTrain's Millennium Line should be extended to UBC campus, using a multiple-accounts cost-benefit analysis to weigh the strategic, economic, and financial case.
Built custom GTFS feeds and ran an r5r-based accessibility analysis to model job access gains across the Vancouver region. No publicly-available feed covered the proposed extension, so this had to be constructed from scratch
Forecasted yearly demand across 30-years from a single projection and derived per-boarding fare/cost figures from TransLink's aggregate reporting
Modeled the financial case (NPV, IRR, subsidy requirements) and benchmarked against Seattle, Toronto, and Hong Kong/UK precedents
Concluded the project doesn't generate a positive financial return (–$3.9B NPV) but scores strongly on accessibility, economic development, and customer service.
Recommended continued or expanded use of land value capture to close the gap
Phase 1: Context Analysis
Researched site conditions, policy, and key opportunities and constraints
Phase 2: District Framework
Developed a preliminary district scheme and identified priority redevelopment sites
Phase 3: Scenario Testing
Created and evaluated three redevelopment scenarios through design and pro forma analysis
Phase 4: Final Plan
Refined the preferred scenario into a final redevelopment strategy
Phase 5: Individual Design Development
Extended the team proposal through detailed design exploration and visual rendering
Original 3D massing and site design by author; AI-assisted architectural visualization. Deliverable only required massing models.
Selected Variant
Units: 111
Units/Hectare: 378
Avg Cost/Unit: $451,231
F.A.R.: 4.3
Studio: 57%
1 Bedroom: 26%
2 Bedroom: 13%
3+ Bedroom: 5%
Segmented passages between buildings creates attractive space for businesses and an inviting path for pedestrians
Pedestal design creates ample rooftop space for green roofs and leisure areas
Stepped design of towers limits the verticality experienced at the sidewalk level
Open site layout improves connectivity
Continuous facade strategically broken for permeability and human scale
Affordable Rent
Mixed-use
Funding from FTQ & CMHC
After our final presentations, we were encouraged to reflect on the entire development process and to sit down and make some strategic edits to our site plans with full executive authority before re-visualizing them. I chose to represent my site with full 3-d renderings using Sketchup and Lumion
04— Graduate Course Project
McGill University
Instructor: Dr. Ahmed El-Geneidy
Fall 2025
Millenium Line UBC Extension:
A Business Case
*Original 3D massing, design, and rendering done by author in Sketchup and Lumion
*Original 3D massing, design, and rendering done by author in Sketchup and Lumion
*Original 3D massing, design, and rendering done by author in Sketchup and V-Ray
05— Graduate Course Project
McGill University
Instructor: Dr. Ahmed El-Geneidy
Winter 2026
Rue Jean Talon & Avenue Wilderton
Intersection Redesign
Wrote a planning memo, on behalf of a neighbourhood advocacy group, proposing safety redesigns for the Jean-Talon & Wilderton intersection which has become a high-conflict crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists accessing the new Canora REM station.
Conducted on-site field observations, logging vehicle/pedestrian/cyclist movement counts and mapping conflict points and desire lines across three signal cycles
Identified core issues: wide-sweeping turn radii encouraging high-speed turns, a 20-second crossing window too short for limited-mobility users, and cyclists forced to choose between illegal sidewalk riding and mixed traffic
Proposed three interventions: dedicated pedestrian signals with extended (40s) crossing times and refuge islands; a protected 4m double cycle track connecting to the REM and surrounding bike network; and reduced corner radii/lane narrowing for traffic calming
Phased recommendations by cost/timeline — low-cost signal and marking changes through to higher-cost geometry and barrier changes — while preserving vehicle throughput (only one lane removed)
Before and after images of the Jean-Talon - Wilderton intersection
06— Planning Studio I
McGill University
Phase 1 Partners: Maria Gheorghiu, Teagan Betori, Andie Heck, Toby Arment
Phase 3 Partners: Kamryn Martinez-Hawa, Cristina Batella
Fall 2024
Western-Hochelaga: A 30-Year
Community Plan
My Role:
Equal contributor to reports, memos, presentations, and meetings
Collected contextual economic/real-estate research and produced spatial mapping
Performed site visits to ground truth assumptions
Researched precedents for transportation interventions
Led visual production (i.e. maps, collages, panels)
3-D modelled primary intervention and created photorealistic renders through V-ray
Renders Created for Phase 3:
The Clusters:
Position Saint-Laurent as an HSR candidate based on its regional advantages, especially its proximity to Montréal–Trudeau Airport and the Technoparc.
Integrate HSR with existing transit and development plans, particularly the REM, to create strong connections between the station, airport, downtown Montréal, and surrounding employment areas.
Pair rail investment with coordinated land-use and economic-development strategies. The report cautions that HSR alone will not guarantee economic growth; benefits would depend on complementary planning and investment.
Recommendations
Constraints:
Urban form: Wide roadways, parking lots, and limited permeability
Connectivity: Needed improve walking and cycling access while maintaining transit and servicing
Built form: Balance density, daylight, privacy, and active street frontages
Design concepts needed to demonstrate financial feasibility through pro forma analysis
Public realm: Needed to create usable, attractive open spaces suited to the local climate
Planning context: Respond to existing policy, infrastructure, and surrounding neighbourhood conditions
Retain or replace important local-serving commercial uses within the mixed-use redevelopment.
My Role:
Contributed to research, analysis, presentations, and design development
Conducted contextual, precedent, and planning-policy research
Produced spatial analysis and neighbourhood connectivity mapping
Developed and evaluated site-design scenarios
Calculated square footage and leaseable space
Produced graphics, diagrams, and presentation materials
Selected as Basis for Phase 4
Original 3D massing and site design by author; AI-assisted architectural visualization. Deliverable only required massing models.
Units: 482
Units / ha 363
Avg. Cost / Unit: $505,325
FAR 3.6
Residential: 38,000m²
Commercial: 9,500m²
Interior Gathering: 0m²
Office: 0m²
Narrow commercial passage creates an intimate and active pedestrian environment
Interior courtyards provide semi-private residential space
Curved massing and pedestrian cut-throughs create a distinctive urban form while improving connectivity
Key takeaway: Strongest commercial/pedestrian character
Continuous street frontage strengthens the active urban edge
Narrow passages and a central square create intimate pedestrian and gathering spaces
Six-storey street-facing massing maintains a human-scaled public realm
Metrics from the Far Site:
Units: 734
Units / ha 553
Avg. Cost / Unit: $295,041
FAR 3.35
Residential: 36,442m²
Commercial: 6,612m²
Interior Gathering Space: 1,428m²
Office: 0m²
Attributes from the Far Site:
Key takeaway: Highest-density, lowest cost option
Delivery Circulation
Bicycle Circulation
For Pedestrians
And Cyclists
*Metrics from near site
Attributes
Mandate:
A 30-year local area plan for Western Hochelaga — bounded by the Saint Lawrence River, the CP Railway, rue Rachel, and rue Davidson — developed across a full-semester studio moving from neighbourhood diagnosis, through individual visioning, to a final team plan submitted to the borough.
Phase 1: Contextual Research
Physical barriers: Rail infrastructure, major roads, steep hills, and large industrial parcels fragment the neighbourhood and connectivity.
Land-use transition: Former and underused industrial sites offer redevelopment opportunities while existing employment and productive uses still need consideration.
Mobility: Gaps in the active-transportation network make walking and cycling connections between neighbourhood destinations difficult.
Social equity: New investment needed to improve neighbourhood conditions without undermining affordability or access for existing residents.
Public realm & environment: Limited green infrastructure and heavily urbanized land create a need for more parks, biodiversity, and climate-resilient public space.
Implementation: A 20-year vision had to translate broad community goals into interventions that could realistically be advanced through municipal planning and policy.
Deindustrialization beyond the port
Growing creative and artistic presence
Redevelopment potential on former industrial sites
Relatively affordable rents, but rising
Business development commission on rue Ontario
Funding for green building initiatives
Opportunities
Phase 2: Individual Concept Plan
Constraints
Independently authored a 20–30 year vision diagram and memo proposing:
A connected active mobility network: protected bike lanes across six key streets, a naturalized multi-use corridor linking rue Rachel to Dezery Park, and a bicycle escalator/staircase to stitch together the cul-de-sac sections of rue Darling
A new tram line down rue Dezery into downtown, paired with 5 new Bixi stations in underserved pockets
A land bridge over the port rail lines into a new riverside park, plus a linear park along the ruelle Verte and an outdoor-theatre park at the old Angus factory site
Three new social housing projects, a new supermarket on rue Moreau, and a new medical clinic at Hochelaga/Préfontaine
Adaptive reuse of the old underutilized rue Moreau warehouses into artist/maker space, and conversion of Square Dézéry into an open market plaza
Phase 3: Local Plan "Western Hochelaga 2049"
Vision: "In 2049, Western Hochelaga is a socially and physically healthy neighbourhood powered by vibrant communities, inclusive mobility, and innovative solutions to environmental challenges."
Healthy Communities: a Community Food Sustainability Fund; a 500m-access community garden network modeled on Lufa Farms and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie; a Vulnerable Person Registry modeled on Beaconsfield/Kirkland
Healthy Environment: bioretention basins in flood-prone zones; canopy cover expansion from 17% to 40%; a Solar Reflectance Index standard raised from 56 to 78, matching the Sud-Ouest borough
Healthy Movement: a north-south active mobility corridor along the CP rail line; protected bike lanes on seven priority streets; a high-frequency tram along rue Dezery to the Saint-Michel metro; safety upgrades at intersections with documented pedestrian fatalities/injuries
Three goals, seven objectives, and twenty total interventions:
Two flagship interventions:
Green Multipurpose Community Hub: expropriation and remediation of a contaminated former CP lot (1950 rue Moreau) into a Batiment 7–style hub with vertical/outdoor urban agriculture, a produce market, maker space, and surrounding flood-mitigating parkland
Facteur de Résilience Climatique (FRC) policy: a green-infrastructure requirement for new construction, phased in via city-owned buildings first, based on Sud-Ouest's existing program
Visualization of Western Hochelaga 2049 community plan
Conceptual visualization of Western Hochelaga 2049
07 - Internship
Geospatial and housing policy intern
May 2025 - Current
Curbcut & NASH+ Housing Project
Conducted spatial codification of land-use regulations to support a predictive housing supply model for Infrastructure Canada
Collected, standardized, and codified zoning and development-charge data across multiple Canadian jurisdictions for integration into a large-scale national database
Performed quality-control checks on coded planning data and contributed to the development and refinement of codification rules, validation procedures, and documentation standards
Developed repeatable GIS workflows for digitizing non-PDF zoning maps and converting difficult source material into standardized spatial datasets
Researched municipal planning documents, by-laws, schedules, and related source material to resolve data gaps and inconsistencies across jurisdictions
Summary:
Kennedy Magee — Urban Planning Portfolio
Pedestrian Circulation
