The Urban Futures Institute is where it all began. Founded in 1996 by David Baxter, this non-profit membership society sought to provide objective analysis of how demographic and economic change was affecting Canadian communities.
Today, the Institute continues to operate under the assumption that good decisions can only be made using good information produced through independent, objective research. We publish several detailed research papers per year, as well as a new series of shorter monthly reports that explore economic and demographic issues, questions, and trends. The Institute’s research reflects a wide range of interests from demographics, health care, and housing, to economic change, consumer behaviour, and labour force dynamics, as well as community and regional planning and change.
A full report list can be found below, or choose a topic area to browse through our past research.
Topic Areas
Full Report List
Full Viz List
Canada Housing Series: Projections to 2041
Languages in Metro Vancouver
Averages & Anecdotes: Trends in Home Ownership in Canada & Greater Vancouver
Where have the jobs been going in the Lower Mainland?
Quarterly Demographic Estimates - Q1 2014
Trends in BC's International Merchandise Sales, 1993-2013
People & Jobs in British Columbia's Future: A Scenario for BC's Labour Market to 2041
Trends in Lower Mainland Residential Sales Prices: 2013 Update
Suburban Futures: Employment & Population Growth Throughout the Lower Mainland
People & Jobs in the Lower Mainland
Much Ado About Nothing: What the Census data say, and don’t say, about foreign & temporary residents and unoccupied dwellings
Trends in Population Growth and Migration in Canada (Q2 2013)
2011 NHS Highlights: Rental Housing Renaissance
2011 NHS Highlights: Incomes
BC's Most Expensive Properties
2011 NHS Highlights: Regional Patterns of Employment
2011 NHS Highlights: Unemployment
2011 NHS Highlights: Commuting Flows
Numbers & Respect: Why the City of Vancouver Might Not Get the Federal Attention it Wants
Marginally Richer Now
Rates & Dates: Potential Implications of Mortgage Interest Rate Increases
Who Pays British Columbia’s Personal Income Tax: Analysis of the Most Recent Data
Regional Accessibility
Charting the Future: Trends in Mortgages in Canada
Travel & Tourism
2011 Census Highlights: Housing Change by Structure Type in the Lower Mainland
2011 Census Highlights: Families, Households, & Marital Status
BC's International Context
Averages & Anecdotes: 2012 Update
Averages & Anecdotes: Foreign Buyers
Averages & Anecdotes: Prices
Resuscitating Health Care
Pondering Productivity
Q3 2011 Migration
Q4 2010 Migration
US Employment Recovery
US Housing Starts
The Future of Alberta’s Mortgage Market
Housing Market Cycles in the Metro Vancouver Region, 2006 to 2021
Part II - In the Eye of the Beholder: Housing Affordability in British Columbia
Part I - In the Eye of the Beholder: Housing Affordability in British Columbia
The Incidence and Prevalence of Spinal Cord Injury in Canada: Overview and Estimates based on Current Evidence
Sustainable: British Columbia’s Health Care System and Our Aging Population
Evolution or Extinction: Harmonization in a British Columbia that Works
Workforce Migration: Expatriate Returnees and Global Human Resource Strategies
Trends Beyond the Horizon, Trends Beyond Demographics: The Changing Nature of Work, Workers, and the Workplace
Canada to 2058: Projections of Demographic Growth & Change for Canada and its Regions
Community Lifecycle Projection Model Methodology: Oakridge/Marpole
Changing People Changing Places: Demographic and Economic Change in BC
Building In Recovery: Outlooks for the US Housing Market
2008 Labour Force Perspectives
The Taxation of Commercial Real Estate: A Burden on Business?
The Impacts of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games on the Sea-to-Sky Housing Markets
Diversity Profile of British Columbia
The Facts and the Headlines about BC Incomes
BC Incomes: Inflation, which inflation?
Generation Status and Language Spoken at Home
Housing Change in the Vancouver CMA
The Journey to Work in the Lower Mainland
Canada’s Urban and Rural Portrait
Changing Places of Work for Lower Mainland Residents
Spatial Projections of Population, Housing and Employment in the Southwest Metropolitan Region, 2005 to 2045
A Perfect Storm: Sustaining Canada’s Economy During Our Next Demographic Transformation
Seniors’ Housing Demand in British Columbia over the Next Thirty Years
Introduction to Regional Economic Analysis
The Context for Change: Demographics, Life Cycles, Economics, and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia Over the Next Four Decades
Regions & Resources: The Foundations of BC's Economic Base
Freedom 65...55...65: An Exploration of Recent Retirement Trends in Canada
Going, Going … Development Potential and Housing Starts in the Lower Mainland
Population and Participation: Labor Force Growth and Change in the United States of America, 1910 to 2040 (available from Worldwide ERC, Washington DC)
Changing People, Changing Participation: Demographic and Behavioural Trends as a Context for the Future of the Canada Pension Plan, 2001 to 2051
Effective, Efficient and Responsible: The CCF Vision and the Future of Health Care in Canada
From Better to Worse: The Recent History of Personal Saving in BC
Resource Dependency: The Spatial Origins of BC’s Economic Base
Measuring Rental Market Potential
The Retiring Kind: An Exploration of the Past and Future of Labour Force Participation in Canada
Street Smart: Demographics and Trends in Motor Vehicle Accident Mortality in British Columbia, 1988 to 2000
Beyond Comparison: Canada’s Organ Donation Rates in an International Context
Adding a Million: A Context for Change Management in the City of Toronto
A Prescription for Growth: The Demographic and Economic Context for Sustaining British Columbia’s Health Care System
A Decade of Donation: Measurement of Organ Donation Rates in Canada, 1988 to 1997
Aboriginal Population of British Columbia: A Comparative Analysis of 1996 Census Data on Demographic and Housing Characteristics
Donation Matters: Demographics and Organ Transplants in Canada, 2000 - 2040
Changing Places: A Strategy for Home Ownership, Residential Neighbourhoods and RRSPs in Canada
The Next Century of Population Growth and Change: A Projection of Metropolitan Vancouver's Population, 1999 to 2101
Getting There: A Discussion Paper on People, Jobs and Places for 5 Year Transportation Planning
Housing Metropolitan Vancouver's Population: Demographics and Long Run Housing Demand, 1999 to 2040
Housing Ontario's Seniors in the Next 40 Years
Real Schools: Demographics, School Enrolment and Educator Retirement in British Columbia, 1999 to 2040
Ontario's Population in the Next Four Decades: Eighteen Million Strong and Growing
Help Wanted: Projections of Canada's Labour Force Over the Next Four Decades
Without Care? Demographics and Health Spending in British Columbia, 1999 to 2040
Forty Million: Canada's Population in the Next Four Decades
Population Four Million: Metropolitan Vancouver's Population in the Next Four Decades
Six and a Quarter Million People: British Columbia's Population in the Next Three Decades
Forty Million: Canada's Population in the Next Four Decades
Housing Alberta's Seniors in the Next 30 Years
A Decade of Jobs and Pay in Canada: A Perspective on Canada's National and Regional Economies
Housing Alberta's Future Population: Demographics and Housing Demand, 1998 to 2028
Population 4 Million: Alberta's Population in the Next Three Decades
Housing British Columbia's Seniors in the Next 30 years
Housing Canada's Seniors in the Next 30 Years
Homes in British Columbia's Future: Demographics and Long Run Housing Demand, 1996 to 2026
Healthy Choices: Demographics and Health Spending in Canada, 1980 to 2035
What Can You Expect? Life Expectancy in Canada, 1921 to 2021
Employment in Metropolitan Vancouver's Future: Projections of Sectoral Employment, 1996 to 2031
Homes in America's Future: Demographics of Housing Demand for the Nation, Regions & States, 1995 to 2025
Just Numbers: Demographic Change and Immigration in Canada's Future
Plan for Growth: School Enrolment in British Columbia, 1976 to 2020
Poorer Now: Average Weekly Earnings and Purchasing Power in British Columbia, 1983 to 1996
GISSAM: Geographical Information System Spatial Activity Model for Metropolitan Vancouver
Homes in Ontario's Future: Demographics and Housing Demand, 1997 to 2021
Babes in Lotus Land: Births, Birth Rates and Their Demand Implications in British Columbia, 1921 to 2021
Immigration to Canada: Youth Tonic for An Aging Population
Demographics and the Future of Housing Demand in Canada: The Myth of the Vanishing Purchaser
British Columbia's Empty Bedrooms
Aging Workforce Lack Boomer Replacements
Consumers Will Decide
Donation Matters
Labour Turmoil in Canada
Seniors and Labour Strategies
Languages in Metro Vancouver
Averages & Anecdotes: Trends in Home Ownership in Canada & Greater Vancouver
Where have the jobs been going in the Lower Mainland?
Quarterly Demographic Estimates - Q1 2014
Trends in BC's International Merchandise Sales, 1993-2013
People & Jobs in British Columbia's Future: A Scenario for BC's Labour Market to 2041
Trends in Lower Mainland Residential Sales Prices: 2013 Update
Suburban Futures: Employment & Population Growth Throughout the Lower Mainland
People & Jobs in the Lower Mainland
Much Ado About Nothing: What the Census data say, and don’t say, about foreign & temporary residents and unoccupied dwellings
Trends in Population Growth and Migration in Canada (Q2 2013)
2011 NHS Highlights: Rental Housing Renaissance
2011 NHS Highlights: Incomes
BC's Most Expensive Properties
2011 NHS Highlights: Regional Patterns of Employment
2011 NHS Highlights: Unemployment
2011 NHS Highlights: Commuting Flows
Numbers & Respect: Why the City of Vancouver Might Not Get the Federal Attention it Wants
Marginally Richer Now
Rates & Dates: Potential Implications of Mortgage Interest Rate Increases
Who Pays British Columbia’s Personal Income Tax: Analysis of the Most Recent Data
Regional Accessibility
Charting the Future: Trends in Mortgages in Canada
Travel & Tourism
2011 Census Highlights: Housing Change by Structure Type in the Lower Mainland
2011 Census Highlights: Families, Households, & Marital Status
BC's International Context
Averages & Anecdotes: 2012 Update
Averages & Anecdotes: Foreign Buyers
Averages & Anecdotes: Prices
Resuscitating Health Care
Pondering Productivity
Q3 2011 Migration
Q4 2010 Migration
US Employment Recovery
US Housing Starts
The Future of Alberta’s Mortgage Market
Housing Market Cycles in the Metro Vancouver Region, 2006 to 2021
Part II - In the Eye of the Beholder: Housing Affordability in British Columbia
Part I - In the Eye of the Beholder: Housing Affordability in British Columbia
The Incidence and Prevalence of Spinal Cord Injury in Canada: Overview and Estimates based on Current Evidence
Sustainable: British Columbia’s Health Care System and Our Aging Population
Evolution or Extinction: Harmonization in a British Columbia that Works
Workforce Migration: Expatriate Returnees and Global Human Resource Strategies
Trends Beyond the Horizon, Trends Beyond Demographics: The Changing Nature of Work, Workers, and the Workplace
Canada to 2058: Projections of Demographic Growth & Change for Canada and its Regions
Community Lifecycle Projection Model Methodology: Oakridge/Marpole
Changing People Changing Places: Demographic and Economic Change in BC
Building In Recovery: Outlooks for the US Housing Market
2008 Labour Force Perspectives
The Taxation of Commercial Real Estate: A Burden on Business?
The Impacts of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games on the Sea-to-Sky Housing Markets
Diversity Profile of British Columbia
The Facts and the Headlines about BC Incomes
BC Incomes: Inflation, which inflation?
Generation Status and Language Spoken at Home
Housing Change in the Vancouver CMA
The Journey to Work in the Lower Mainland
Canada’s Urban and Rural Portrait
Changing Places of Work for Lower Mainland Residents
Spatial Projections of Population, Housing and Employment in the Southwest Metropolitan Region, 2005 to 2045
A Perfect Storm: Sustaining Canada’s Economy During Our Next Demographic Transformation
Seniors’ Housing Demand in British Columbia over the Next Thirty Years
Introduction to Regional Economic Analysis
The Context for Change: Demographics, Life Cycles, Economics, and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia Over the Next Four Decades
Regions & Resources: The Foundations of BC's Economic Base
Freedom 65...55...65: An Exploration of Recent Retirement Trends in Canada
Going, Going … Development Potential and Housing Starts in the Lower Mainland
Population and Participation: Labor Force Growth and Change in the United States of America, 1910 to 2040 (available from Worldwide ERC, Washington DC)
Changing People, Changing Participation: Demographic and Behavioural Trends as a Context for the Future of the Canada Pension Plan, 2001 to 2051
Effective, Efficient and Responsible: The CCF Vision and the Future of Health Care in Canada
From Better to Worse: The Recent History of Personal Saving in BC
Resource Dependency: The Spatial Origins of BC’s Economic Base
Measuring Rental Market Potential
The Retiring Kind: An Exploration of the Past and Future of Labour Force Participation in Canada
Street Smart: Demographics and Trends in Motor Vehicle Accident Mortality in British Columbia, 1988 to 2000
Beyond Comparison: Canada’s Organ Donation Rates in an International Context
Adding a Million: A Context for Change Management in the City of Toronto
A Prescription for Growth: The Demographic and Economic Context for Sustaining British Columbia’s Health Care System
A Decade of Donation: Measurement of Organ Donation Rates in Canada, 1988 to 1997
Aboriginal Population of British Columbia: A Comparative Analysis of 1996 Census Data on Demographic and Housing Characteristics
Donation Matters: Demographics and Organ Transplants in Canada, 2000 - 2040
Changing Places: A Strategy for Home Ownership, Residential Neighbourhoods and RRSPs in Canada
The Next Century of Population Growth and Change: A Projection of Metropolitan Vancouver's Population, 1999 to 2101
Getting There: A Discussion Paper on People, Jobs and Places for 5 Year Transportation Planning
Housing Metropolitan Vancouver's Population: Demographics and Long Run Housing Demand, 1999 to 2040
Housing Ontario's Seniors in the Next 40 Years
Real Schools: Demographics, School Enrolment and Educator Retirement in British Columbia, 1999 to 2040
Ontario's Population in the Next Four Decades: Eighteen Million Strong and Growing
Help Wanted: Projections of Canada's Labour Force Over the Next Four Decades
Without Care? Demographics and Health Spending in British Columbia, 1999 to 2040
Forty Million: Canada's Population in the Next Four Decades
Population Four Million: Metropolitan Vancouver's Population in the Next Four Decades
Six and a Quarter Million People: British Columbia's Population in the Next Three Decades
Forty Million: Canada's Population in the Next Four Decades
Housing Alberta's Seniors in the Next 30 Years
A Decade of Jobs and Pay in Canada: A Perspective on Canada's National and Regional Economies
Housing Alberta's Future Population: Demographics and Housing Demand, 1998 to 2028
Population 4 Million: Alberta's Population in the Next Three Decades
Housing British Columbia's Seniors in the Next 30 years
Housing Canada's Seniors in the Next 30 Years
Homes in British Columbia's Future: Demographics and Long Run Housing Demand, 1996 to 2026
Healthy Choices: Demographics and Health Spending in Canada, 1980 to 2035
What Can You Expect? Life Expectancy in Canada, 1921 to 2021
Employment in Metropolitan Vancouver's Future: Projections of Sectoral Employment, 1996 to 2031
Homes in America's Future: Demographics of Housing Demand for the Nation, Regions & States, 1995 to 2025
Just Numbers: Demographic Change and Immigration in Canada's Future
Plan for Growth: School Enrolment in British Columbia, 1976 to 2020
Poorer Now: Average Weekly Earnings and Purchasing Power in British Columbia, 1983 to 1996
GISSAM: Geographical Information System Spatial Activity Model for Metropolitan Vancouver
Homes in Ontario's Future: Demographics and Housing Demand, 1997 to 2021
Babes in Lotus Land: Births, Birth Rates and Their Demand Implications in British Columbia, 1921 to 2021
Immigration to Canada: Youth Tonic for An Aging Population
Demographics and the Future of Housing Demand in Canada: The Myth of the Vanishing Purchaser
British Columbia's Empty Bedrooms
Aging Workforce Lack Boomer Replacements
Consumers Will Decide
Donation Matters
Labour Turmoil in Canada
Seniors and Labour Strategies
26 August 2016 > Total Value of Assets by Country of Control, Canada
5 August 2016 > Total Passengers Flights
8 July 2016 > Residential Real Estate Transactions (incl. Foreign Buyers)
24 June 2016 > QDS Facts and Figures
26 May 2016 > Bicycle Helmet Use (never), by Province
12 May 2016 > Per Capita Public Debt, Selected Canadian Cities
3 May 2016 > Average Annual Hours Worked
22 April 2016 > Index of New Residential Construction
7 April 2016 > Benchmark MLS Sale Prices
18 March 2016 > QDS Facts and Figures
11 March 2016 > Housing Non-Occupancy Rates
4 March 2016 > Canadian Life Expectancies
19 February 2016 > Urban-Rural Population Change
12 February 2016 > Population Growth, Canadian CMAs
5 February 2016 > Canada's International Trade Flows
12 January 2016 > Economic Fundamentals
15 January 2016 > CAD-USD Exchange Rate
8 January 2016 > GDP Growth Rates, Canada and Provinces
11 December 2015 > Foreign Direct Investment in Canada
4 December 2015 > Share of Households by Size, Canada
27 November 2015 > Number and Average Size of Households in Canada
20 November 2015 > Net International Migration, BC
6 November 2015 > Proportion of Seats Held by Women in National Parliaments
30 October 2015 > Number of Head Offices in Major Metro Areas in Canada
23 October 2015 > Non-Resiential Construction Spending in BC
16 October 2015 > Monthly Unemployment Rates by Province
9 October 2015 > Per Capita Turkey Consumption
2 October 2015 > Misc Metrics from Statistics Canada's 2015 Demographic Estimates Compendium
25 September 2015 > 2013 CO2 Emissions for the Largest Car Manufacturers
18 September 2015 > North American BBQ Shipments
11 September 2015 > Canadian Undergrduate Tuition Fees by Province
4 September 2015 > Statcan's Profession: We're in a Recession
28 August 2015 > Adult Phytsical Activity Around the World
21 August 2015 > Overnight Trips to the United States from Canada
14 August 2015 > Leisure Time by Country
7 August 2015 > Mapping Canada's Aboriginal Population by Province
31 July 2015 > BC's Population over 250 years
24 July 2015 > Daily Water Consumption in Greater Vancouver
17 July 2015 > Canada's Overnight Rate Since 1980
10 July 2015 > BC Wildfires
26 June 2015 > The Most Population Destinations for Canadians
12 June 2015 > Women in Soccer
29 Nay 2015 > Sunny Days
15 May 2015 > Maternity Leave & Wage Coverage Around the World
8 May 2015 > Comparing the Size of Provincial & Territorial Economics in Canada
1 May 2015 > Comparing Unemployment Rates & Mortgage Arrears Rates
24 April 2015 > GHG Emissions Per Capita
3 April 2015 > Easter Infographic
30 March 2015 > UN Population Estimates & Projections
17 March 2015 > Which Country Drinks the Most Beer?
5 August 2016 > Total Passengers Flights
8 July 2016 > Residential Real Estate Transactions (incl. Foreign Buyers)
24 June 2016 > QDS Facts and Figures
26 May 2016 > Bicycle Helmet Use (never), by Province
12 May 2016 > Per Capita Public Debt, Selected Canadian Cities
3 May 2016 > Average Annual Hours Worked
22 April 2016 > Index of New Residential Construction
7 April 2016 > Benchmark MLS Sale Prices
18 March 2016 > QDS Facts and Figures
11 March 2016 > Housing Non-Occupancy Rates
4 March 2016 > Canadian Life Expectancies
19 February 2016 > Urban-Rural Population Change
12 February 2016 > Population Growth, Canadian CMAs
5 February 2016 > Canada's International Trade Flows
12 January 2016 > Economic Fundamentals
15 January 2016 > CAD-USD Exchange Rate
8 January 2016 > GDP Growth Rates, Canada and Provinces
11 December 2015 > Foreign Direct Investment in Canada
4 December 2015 > Share of Households by Size, Canada
27 November 2015 > Number and Average Size of Households in Canada
20 November 2015 > Net International Migration, BC
6 November 2015 > Proportion of Seats Held by Women in National Parliaments
30 October 2015 > Number of Head Offices in Major Metro Areas in Canada
23 October 2015 > Non-Resiential Construction Spending in BC
16 October 2015 > Monthly Unemployment Rates by Province
9 October 2015 > Per Capita Turkey Consumption
2 October 2015 > Misc Metrics from Statistics Canada's 2015 Demographic Estimates Compendium
25 September 2015 > 2013 CO2 Emissions for the Largest Car Manufacturers
18 September 2015 > North American BBQ Shipments
11 September 2015 > Canadian Undergrduate Tuition Fees by Province
4 September 2015 > Statcan's Profession: We're in a Recession
28 August 2015 > Adult Phytsical Activity Around the World
21 August 2015 > Overnight Trips to the United States from Canada
14 August 2015 > Leisure Time by Country
7 August 2015 > Mapping Canada's Aboriginal Population by Province
31 July 2015 > BC's Population over 250 years
24 July 2015 > Daily Water Consumption in Greater Vancouver
17 July 2015 > Canada's Overnight Rate Since 1980
10 July 2015 > BC Wildfires
26 June 2015 > The Most Population Destinations for Canadians
12 June 2015 > Women in Soccer
29 Nay 2015 > Sunny Days
15 May 2015 > Maternity Leave & Wage Coverage Around the World
8 May 2015 > Comparing the Size of Provincial & Territorial Economics in Canada
1 May 2015 > Comparing Unemployment Rates & Mortgage Arrears Rates
24 April 2015 > GHG Emissions Per Capita
3 April 2015 > Easter Infographic
30 March 2015 > UN Population Estimates & Projections
17 March 2015 > Which Country Drinks the Most Beer?
© 2017 Urban Futures