Emilia M. Bruck is a Mobility Network Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Management and Innovation (IMI), University of Toronto Mississauga. She is an urban planning researcher whose areas of interest include shifts in urban policy, planning practice, and urban development related to emerging mobility technologies.
At IMI, Emilia is involved in research that explores the interplay between a digital, environmental, and just mobility transition, with a particular focus on the implications for urban life, environments, and policymaking.
Her current research examines bike couriers and platform-mediated food delivery in Toronto. Focusing on the lived experiences of both independent contractors and volunteer riders engaged in food delivery work, her research aims to generate local knowledge about how digital platforms contribute to a struggle over public space. The research highlights some of the tensions that arise and require consideration as cities revise policies regarding the use of public space, the regulation of platform work, sustainable urban logistics, and the protection of urban food security.
In addition, Emilia is conducting a study on integrated policy agendas for micromobility and ride hailing in the GTHA, which contributes to the collaborative research on ‘Emerging Mobility Technologies and Services’ conducted as part of the ‘iCity 2.0’ project. This research is in collaboration with the Department of Human Geography, including Prof. Steven Farber, Mashrur Rahman, and Sana Riaz.
Emilia also coordinates and manages communication for the UTM Mobility Network's Summer Internship Awards, overseeing both this year's and last year's awards. Additionally, she contributes to discussions and projects on emerging urban mobility solutions, such as her involvement in Mississauga’s Shared Micro-Mobility Program, where her research explores the urban effects of new mobility services and examines how urban policy and planning can harness their societal benefits.