Robert Arku

Robert Arku is a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. He holds an MA in Planning from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor’s degree in Land Economy from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. Robert is from Accra, Ghana in West Africa.

Robert has worked with different public institutions including the head office of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) as well as the Public and Vested Land Management Division (PVLMD) of the Lands Commission in Accra, Ghana.

Robert is passionate about city growth and urban development via the lens of data science and spatio-econometric techniques. Broadly, he is interested in issues relating to real estate development, urban land economics, land/property value uplift from transit infrastructure and transit-oriented developments, and urban policy and planning. His evidence-based equity research examines the role and influence of public actions on neighborhood outcomes, specifically, when and where do transit-oriented developments induce gentrification and displacement.