Award for Outstanding Student Research in Land Economics
Description
Are you an Ontario Master’s student studying land use and development? This award recognizes innovative student research in land economics. Submissions may include: a paper or project created as part of a major paper/thesis, coursework, or extracurricular work.
The contest is being offered by the Simcoe Chapter of Lambda Alpha International (LAI). We are the Toronto chapter of LAI, which is a global land economics society, and are senior professionals in municipal and provincial government, consulting, real estate development, and education.
Land economics is about the socioeconomic influences and impacts of land-use change and development. It broadly considers land supply and demand, land ownership, land prices, the cost of development, and how governments make rules about land use. The goal is to support the use of land in ways that benefit people, the economy, and the environment. LAI Simcoe Chapter members are Canadian industry leaders and senior professionals involved in land use and development and who meet regularly to discuss the issues shaping Ontario and the Toronto urban region.
This competition is designed to encourage students to get involved in land economics. By sharing their research, students can inspire real change.
The winner of the award will receive $5,000 CAD.
Finalists will be invited to present their research to professionals in land economics at the LAI Simcoe Chapter Dinner in downtown Toronto April/May 2026.
Problem Statement 2025
There is a housing crisis in the Toronto urban region. A severe shortage of housing that is affordable makes home ownership unattainable for many. Rental prices are similarly high, leaving renters with few good options. The debates over how to provide housing options that meet the needs of a broader range of people are complicated and many people don’t fully understand how homes are actually built, with different solutions from politicians, policymakers, developers, and community advocates about who should help to fix the problem and how. The challenge of this competition is to encourage students to develop an understanding of the land economics of housing, given these varying perspectives.
Option 1:
Critically analyze contemporary housing development in the Toronto region through the lens of land economics.
Option 2:
Should governments build public housing or leave the development of affordable housing to the private sector?
Consider, for example, the key trends, policies, and economic factors shaping how housing is being built today. Consider discussing the role of government policies, private sector involvement, and social equity considerations in shaping housing supply and affordability. Use examples and provide empirical evidence to support your analysis.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this year’s LAI Outstanding Student Research Award, students must:
- be a current Master’s student in good standing in any program (including but not limited to real estate development, land-use planning, engineering, architecture, public administration, and business) at an Ontario university as of February 1st, 2026;
- be either the sole author or one of the lead authors of the research;
- be able to attend the LAI dinner in downtown Toronto April/May 2026.
Submission Information
- Submit the full paper/project using the award application online submission form (tba);
- Confirmation from course instructor or research supervisor required.
Submission format:
- Up to 10 pages of text and/or graphics, plus title page and reference list;
- Submit essay, report, or slide deck as pdf (max 10Mb). Text minimum 10 pt font. No videos, animation, or embedded links.
Submissions close February 15, 2026.
Adjudication
The LAI Award Committee will evaluate full papers/projects submitted based on innovative scholarship and useful insights that advance the understanding of land economics as the political-economic underpinning of urban and rural land-use change.
The LAI Award Committee of three current LAI Simcoe Chapter Board members is established each year by the Chapter President.
The winner of the award will receive $5,000 CAD. For projects submitted as a team, team members will share the award equally.
Up to top three finalists will attend the LAI Simcoe Chapter Dinner in downtown Toronto April/May 2026. They will present their research in poster form as well as a 10-minute presentation. Travel and production costs will be reimbursed.
The winner will be announced by April 15, 2026.
About LAI
Lambda Alpha International (LAI) is a global land economics society, with LAI chapters located in major cities in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia (lai.org). LAI provides a forum for the exchange of ideas in the fast-paced world of land use and development. Our professional members come from a wide variety of fields related to the use and reuse of land. LAI is committed to excellence and high standards of professional ethics. Our members are nominated and chosen based on merit and are among the best in their respective fields. LAI supports education and research through the Land Economics Foundation.
LAI members are senior professionals in municipal and provincial government, consulting, real estate development, and education.
About LAI Simcoe Chapter
LAI Simcoe is the Toronto area chapter, established in 1967. The Chapter includes industry leaders and senior professionals in the Toronto region involved the fields of land use, urban planning, architecture, law, government, academia, real estate development and many other professions that deal with the use, study and economics of land. The Chapter meets regularly to learn about and discuss challenges and solutions to pressing issues related to land economics.
