"Achieving international distinction for creativity, innovation and excellence in geographical, geological and environmental education, research and outreach."

Publications

Papers
Presentations (selected)
Conference Posters

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Papers

Refereed Journal Articles

Higgins, C. D., Ferguson, M. R., & Kanaroglou, P. S. (2012). Varieties of Logistics Centers: Towards a Standardized Typology and Hierarchy. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board (2288), 9-18.

Research Reports

Higgins, C. D., & Ferguson, M. R. (2012). The North American Light Rail Experience: Insights for Hamilton. Hamilton, ON: McMaster Institute for Transportation & Logistics

Higgins, C. D., & Ferguson, M. (2011). An Exploration of the Freight Village Concept and its Applicability to Ontario. Hamilton, ON: McMaster Institute for Transportation & Logistics.[Report]

 

 

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Presentations (selected)

Higgins, C.D., Ferguson, M.R. & Kanaroglou, P.S. (2013). Rethinking Light Rail Transit Planning in Hamilton, Ontario: A Comparative Review and Critical Assessment. TRB 92nd Annual Meeting. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board, January 13-17.

Higgins, C.D. & Kanaroglou, P.S. (2012). Centripetal and Centrifugal Urban Growth: Supply- and Demand-Side Influences in the Intensification of Toronto.  Ottawa, ON: 59th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International, November 7-10.

Higgins, C.D., Ferguson, M.R. & Kanaroglou, P.S. (2012). Varieties of Logistics Centres: Developing a Standardized Typology and Hierarchy. TRB 91st Annual Meeting. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board, January 22-26.

Higgins, C.D. (2012). An Exploration of the Freight Village Concept and its Applicability to Ontario. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Freight Day II Symposium, November 1. Higgins, C.D. (2012). The North American Light Rail Experience: Insights for Hamilton. Hamilton, ON: TransLog 2012, October 15-16.

Higgins, C.D. (2012).  The Land Value Impacts of Commuter Rail in Hamilton, Ontario.  Waterloo, ON: Canadian Association of Geographers, May 28- June 1.

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Conference Posters

 

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Teaching

McMaster University	EARTH SC/ENVIR SC/GEOG 2MB3, Statistical Analysis, 2012-13	T.A.
McMaster University	GEOG 2LI3, Introduction to Transport & Economic Activity, 2012-13	T.A.
McMaster University	GEOG 3LT3, Transportation Geography, 2011-13	T.A.
McMaster University	EARTH/ENVIR SC/GEOG 2MB3, Statistical Analysis, 2011-12	T.A.
McMaster University	GEOG 3LT3, Transportation Geography, 2011-12	T.A.

 

Honours

• Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (2013), Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
• 
  CN Rail Scholarship (2012), Canadian Transportation Research Forum TAC Foundation Scholarship (2012), Transportation Association of Canada
• John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport Bursary (2012), John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport

 

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Affiliations

 

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Research

Research Interests:

Thesis Summary:

Untangling Public-Private Partnerships for Transit Joint Development as Policy Tools for Financing Transit Infrastructure: A Case Study of Transit in the Toronto Region

As governments at all levels and public transit agencies struggle to finance rapid transit infrastructure, they are increasingly turning to more innovative ways to raise revenue.  One such method is to capture the value increases that rapid transit can provide to parcels of land near station areas.  While there are several tools that can be considered for exercising value capture, public-private partnerships for transit-joint development stand out as a particularly interesting, and potentially lucrative tool for capitalizing on the relationship between transit and property values.  Yet despite the apparent promise of these methods, they remain sparsely applied in North
America.  In response, the research asks simply, why have TJD PPPs not been more widely adopted?

To answer this question, the proposed plan of study seeks to conduct a quantitative and qualitative comparative analysis of PPPs for transit joint development at the global scale.  This is supplemented by an in-depth quantitative and qualitative case study of the urban economic fundamentals that guide activities in complex urban markets, the capitalization of rapid transit, and opportunities for value capture at the local scale in the Toronto region.  The results of this research stand to make a significant contribution to our knowledge of how cities work and how interactions between transportation and land use can create opportunities for entrepreneurial and economically-efficient partnerships between the public and private sectors.  Furthermore, outcomes from the case study of Toronto are particularly timely at the local level as planners and policymakers continue their search for new solutions in the struggle to ease traffic congestion and promote regional economic development.

 

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Service

• Graduate Student Volunteer Coordinator, School of Geography & Earth Sciences, McMaster University
  September 2011 – August 201

• Governing Councillor, Brock University Students Administrative Council, Brock University February 2004 – December 2004

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Last Updated March 11, 2013