AJ Wray, PhD
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wrayaj.bsky.social
AJ Wray, PhD
@wrayaj.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Community Health Education. Healthy Communities. GIScience. Urban Development. President of Town and Gown Association of Ontario, Board on International TGA.
These investments are also a signal of an abundant and confident society ready to attract high-value immigrants and global corporate investment.

www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/202...
Etihad Rail's Dubai to Abu Dhabi high-speed service on fast track to success | The National
The 350kph electric line could spur international investment and further development, say experts
www.thenationalnews.com
September 9, 2025 at 2:48 PM
As a global centre and hub for the Middle East, investments in high-speed rail and even the humble bus are critical to meeting the needs of a growing population in the UAE.

www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/202...
In the age of the metro and air taxis, will we still be travelling on buses in Dubai years from now? | The National
Evidence from around the world suggests that rail-based urban transit does not squeeze out traditional bus services and may even help them to grow
www.thenationalnews.com
September 9, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Therefore, these regulatory changes may be further exacerbating potential vulnerability among these higher-risk populations.

The article is available open access here: doi.org/10.1016/j.dr...
Redirecting
doi.org
September 5, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Neighborhoods with a higher prevalence of lone parenthood, low educational attainment, and government transfer recipients exhibited a higher exposure to risky substances compared to the general population.
September 5, 2025 at 1:29 PM
In a recent study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, members of the HEAL @westernu.ca found geographic accessibility to alcohol and cannabis increased substantially across the province, while there were minimal reductions in geographic access to tobacco.
September 5, 2025 at 1:29 PM
So how did these changes affect geographic access to risky substances, and who is most affected by these changes in access?
September 5, 2025 at 1:29 PM
People can now buy takeaway alcohol from any restaurant or convenience store. Cannabis retail sales were privatized. However, external advertising of all tobacco products, especially vapes, were banned.
September 5, 2025 at 1:29 PM
I am excited to be on the founding Editorial Board alongside colleagues from Canada and around the world. Think about Urban Transitions for your next manuscript, as there are no APCs on submissions made to the journal before December 31, 2026!

www.sciencedirect.com/journal/urba...
Urban Transitions | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
Read the latest articles of Urban Transitions at ScienceDirect.com, Elsevier’s leading platform of peer-reviewed scholarly literature
www.sciencedirect.com
July 7, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Arguably, it's a better way to organize local community governance of higher education than other financing models. Have seen these town-gown partnerships work really well among rural state university branch campuses too
June 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Exactly. I imagine their new salary with the exchange rate, lower taxes, and better institutional outlook have all more than balanced out any downsides.

Meanwhile, all levels of government here fiddle while the proverbial Rome burns.
June 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Oh the DC shenanigans are entirely the province's creation. Zero sum thinking with that one!
June 19, 2025 at 1:42 AM
This is the same goofy math that Wilmot pulled for decades, which finally caught up to them as a 50.87% tax increase over three years to account for the real cost of capital infrastructure.

www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/ar...
Wilmot Township still trying to whittle down proposed property tax hike
Councillors in Wilmot are once again working to bring down the proposed increase on the township’s portion of the 2025 tax bill.
www.ctvnews.ca
June 18, 2025 at 5:44 PM
That's all fine but the main problem still is using one set of projections to do one side of the equation, and a different set to do the other. They're going to not balance one day, especially when underestimating infrastructure need, which means even steeper tax increases later.
June 18, 2025 at 5:41 PM
When I need to show up or submit something to a call for public comment
May 15, 2025 at 11:49 PM