He helped to organize a series of meetings in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood in early 2009 to encourage greater citizen involvement in urban planning, after the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough council announced a nine-million dollar revitalization program for the area's former industrial zone.
In his first term, Ryan advocated for a pedestrian level crossing between the Mile-End and Rosemont neighbourhoods,[2] supported a pilot project for urban beehives,[3] and helped facilitate a deal to prevent a community of artists from being forced out of Mile End's former industrial area due to gentrification.
In early 2014, Ryan introduced a motion requesting that the government of Quebec grant the city of Montreal greater powers to create social and affordable housing.
[6] Ryan joined with three other Projet Montréal councillors to sleep outdoors at Concordia University on a cold night in March 2015, in conjunction with Stop Homelessness Action Week.
[8] In August 2017, he urged the city of Montreal and its police force to apologize for conducting violent raids on LGBTQ bars in years past.