Mikiko Terashima
Associate Dean/Associate Professor, Research and Global Relations

Research Website: peachresearch.ca
Email: mikiko.terashima@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-3114
Mailing Address:
- Lead, Planning for Equity, Accessibility, and Community Health (PEACH) Research Unit
- Cross-appointment: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology
- Scholar, Healthy Population Institute
Education
- PhD 2011, Interdisciplinary Studies, Dalhousie University
- MSc 2000, Planning, School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia
- BA 1995, International Studies (Honours), Michigan State University
Teaching
Current:
- PLAN 3110 Planning Healthy Communities
- PLAN 4500 BCD Honorts Thesis
Past:
- PLAN 2002 Community Design Methods
- PLAN 2007 Population Data Analysis
- PLAN 2010 Sustainable Community Design
- PLAN 5304 Planning Research Methods
- PLAN 6000 Planning Project and Seminar
Research Interests
Mikiko’s main research interest revolves around methods of measuring various social and built environmental forces that create systematic inequalities in health and well-being among different groups of people across different places. One of her current areas of research involves investigations of spatial accessibility to services and amenities necessary for the population to maintain health and well-being such as food outlets and primary health services. Another area deals with a different kind of accessibility—built environment that enables or hinders the use of space by individuals with different types and levels of (dis)ability (including persons with mobility and sensory-related disabilities and older adults). Mikiko leads various research activities at the PEACH Research Unit, including development of experience-based accessible design standards and guides, economic value of accessible spaces, and comparison of walkability measures with and without accessibility lens.
The PEACH Research Unit hires qualified planning students for ongoing projects on a part-time basis. Students interested in getting involved and learning from the research projects are encouraged to contact Mikiko.Terashima@dal.ca with a resume describing relevant experiences and a copy of the most recent academic transcript.
Current Major Projects
NeighbourAble: Multiscale person-environment fit assessment to inform housing policy and planning (funded by SSHRC, March 2024 to March 2027)
Access-City: Digital Twin City Visual Technology as a tool for advancing accessibility standards (funded by the Accessibility Standards Canada, June 2024-March 2027)
Benchmarking spatial access for community-level accessibility standards (funded by the Accessibility Standards Canada, May 2023 to November 2025)
Selected Publications
- Hill, T. & Terashima, M. (2024). Positive mental health promotion: State of the field and next steps. International Journal of Community Well-being, pp 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42413-024-00230-3
- Juckes, N. & Terashima, M. (2024). Evaluating street safety for women in Halifax. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 32 (2)1–13.
- Terashima, M. (2024). Community planning and Canada. Japan Community Development Association Journal. Special edition, pp1-4.
- Thompson, K., Duinker, P.N., Sherren, K., Hayden, A., and Terashima, M. (2024). The ecosystem services concept in urban planning: the criteria for practical fit. Planning Practice & Research, 39: 813-838. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2024.2359784
- Gamey J. & Terashima, M. (2023). Accessible housing in Canada: An overview of policy initiatives and the need for renewed action. Canadian Planning and Policy, 2023, 160-175. DOI 10.24908/cpp-apc.v2023i1.16687
- Saint Jacques, N., Brown, P., Purcell, J., Rainham, G., Terashima, M., & Dummer, TJB. (2023). The Nova Scotia Community Cancer Matrix: A geospatial tool to support cancer prevention. Social Science & Medicine, 330, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116038.
- Thompson, K. and Sherren, K., Duinker, P., Terashima, M. & Hayden, A. (2022). Building the Case for Protecting Urban Nature: How Urban Planners Use the Ideas, Rhetoric, and Tools of Ecosystem Services Science. Ecosystem Services, 65, 101579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2023.101579.
- Terashima, M., & Clark, K. (2021). Measuring economic benefits of accessible spaces to achieve ‘meaningful access’ in the built environment: A review of literature. Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, 11(2): 195-231.
- Terashima, M., Kirby, L., & Smith, C. (2021) Wheelchair training as a way to enhance experiential learning modules for urban planning students: A mixed-method evaluation study. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2021.1952938
- Terashima, M. & Clark, K. A Heuristic Look at Sense of Place for Planning. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, In press.
- Terashima, M. & Clark, K. (2021). Precarious Absence of Disability Perspectives in Planning Research, Urban Planning, 6(1): 120-132.
- Vaughan, K., Terashima, M., Clark, K., & Deturbide, K. (2021). Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the UK’s Regulatory Tools for Accessible Housing: Lessons for Canada. Journal of Aging and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1080/26892618.2021.1877861
- Terashima, M., Hart, C. & Williams, P. (2020). A spatial analysis of population at risk of food insecurity using the voices from a Photovoice study. Canadian Food Studies, 7(2)20-47.
- Mosky, S. & Terashima, M. (2020). Parks and the pandemic: future implication for disaster response through a lens of urgent biophilia. Plan Canada, 60(4): 18-20.
- Totten, A. & Terashima, M. (2018). Smart Growth success story? Commercial redevelopment in Halifax’s North End. Plan Canada, 58(4):38-44.
- Thomas, R. & Terashima, M. (2017). Aging Atlantic cities: Challenges and potential solutions for planners. Plan Canada 57(3): 8-11.
- Terashima, M., Carter, A.J. (2017). Correlation of age and rurality with low-urgency use of Emergency Medical Services (LUEMS): A geographic analysis. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine. 1-8 doi:10.1017/cem.2017.364.
- Terashima, M., Kephart, G. (2016). Misclassification errors from postal code-based geocoding to assign census geography in Nova Scotia, Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 107:e1-17.
- Terashima, M., Rainham, D., & Levy, A.R. (2014). A small-area analysis of inequalities in chronic disease prevalence across urban and non-urban communities in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, 2007-2011. BMJ Open. 4:e004459. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004459.
- Terashima, M., Guernsey, J.R., & Andreou, P. (2014). What type of rural?: assessing the variations in life expectancy at birth across small-areas using classes of locally defined settlement types. BMC Public Health. 14:162, doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-162.Technical Reports
Select PEACH Research Unit Reports (last 5 years)
- Jan 2024: Visualizing Accessibility Standards: A demonstration with CSA B651, Findings Report, Accessibility Standards Canada, Visualizing Accessibility Standards Online (PEACH website)
- Oct 2023: Nova Ramp Up: Project Report, Business ACCESS-Ability Grant, Partnership project, Nova Ramp Up, Online (PEACH website), Print
- June 2023: RAAFIA Bridgewater Consultation Sessions, Preliminary summary of consultation activities, Online (PEACH website)
- March 2023: Advancing Communication through Signage and Wayfinding, Findings Report EyeCandy Accessibility Standards Canada, Advancing Communication through Signage and Wayfinding, Online (PEACH website)
- March 2023: Rural Accessible and Age-Friendly Infrastructure Assessment, Final Report, NS Accessibility Directorate, RAAFIA, Online (PEACH website)
- Sept 2022: Rural Accessible and Age-Friendly Infrastructure Assessment, Yarmouth Report, Online (PEACH website)
- Aug 2022: Access Alderney: Survey Results Report, New Frontiers in Research Grant, A Tactical Urbanism Approach to Assessing the Value of Accessible Public Space, Online (PEACH website)
- PEACH Research Unit. Accessibility Guidelines and Standard Jurisdictional Review. (2019). Nova Scotia Accessibility Advisory Committee
- PEACH Research Unit & Cities and Environment Unit. Nova Scotia Interim Accessibility Guidelines and Audit Tool. (2019). Client: Nova Scotia Accessibility Directorate
Major Scholarships
- 2012-2014 Canadian Institute of Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2012-2014 Elizabeth May Chair Environmental Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2009-2011 Atlantic RURAL Centre Doctoral Fellowship
- 2005-2008 Canadian Institute of Health Research Strategic Research, Strategic Training Grant: Public Health and Agricultural Rural Ecosystem (PHARE)
- Training Fellowship
2005-2007 Killam Foundation Pre-doctoral Scholarship
Memberships and Service Outside Dalhousie University
- Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) member
- Licensed Professional Planners Association of Nova Scotia (LPPANS) member
- Canadian Public Health Association
- Halifax Accessibility Advisory Committee (Previous)