Disentangling Local Government Responsibilities

Disentanglement is used in this report to refer to the unravelling of responsibilities shared by governments in order to achieve delivery of services that is more accountable, efficient, and effective. This report first reviews the development of provincial-municipal relations in Ontario since 1793, with details on the last major era of reform in the provincial-municipal relationship (late 1960s to early 1970s), a period which provides a case example of the last major effort to disentangle provincial & municipal responsibilities. This is followed by commentaries on relations between municipalities & other levels of government in other provinces & countries. The discussion covers such matters as accountability & understanding, finances, strategic planning, and intergovernmental relations. The final section discusses experiences in the other jurisdictions and analyses of past Ontario reforms & global trends in relation to Ontario's current disentanglement process.

Metropolitan reforms have been implemented in Canada at a scale and frequency greater than anywhere else in the democratic world. Recent Canadian metropolitan reforms are setting precedents and could influence metropolitan agendas worldwide. This edited collection deals with the recent local government reforms in major Canadian cities—Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Vancouver—and provides comparative insights from other countries—Britain, the United States, Korea, and Israel. Steps undertaken by Canadian provinces have seemingly preferred in some cases ‘old regionalism' territorial reforms over 'new regionalism' horizontal networks of governance. Canadian experiences indicate that both weak metropolitan mechanisms and neighborhood-level governments tend to be unstable, often not fulfilling expectations. Moreover, it seems that only old regionalism deals effectively with sharing fiscal burdens, whereas new regionalism approaches can be effective in development. The cross-national case studies provide a perspective on the role of different political systems and political cultures in determining the metropolitan governance agenda and the reforms undertaken, revealing considerable similarities in the agenda and diversity in responses.

Provinces is both a study of Canadian provincial government and a review of comparative politics. As such, it represents a long overdue return to the comparative tradition with its emphasis on subject-specific studies across the country. The chapters in this revised edition of Provinces, each of which has been written for the book by a leading scholar, are arranged according to four major sections?political life, institutions, public administration, and public policy?making the book highly suitable for those interested in areas beyond provincial politics. At the same time, the adopted comparative approach reveals a wealth of insight into Canadian politics at the beginning of the new millennium. This new edition covers some of the vital concerns of our time: a disquiet about the quality of democracy, concern about women?s place in provincial societies, interest in the nature and potential of governance in the north, unease on the question of the fiscal imbalance between all orders of government, a sensitivity to the needs of cities and communities, assessment of the retrenchment of the state, and consideration of the policy futures influenced by the changing demography of the provinces. Special Combined Price: Provinces, second edition may be ordered together with The Provincial State in Canada: Politics in the Provinces and Territories at a special discounted price. In order to secure the package price, the following ISBN must be used when ordering: 978-1-55402-587-9.

For too long, cities have been thought of as environmental blackspots, with high levels of air and soil pollution, overcrowding, poor sanitation and growing waste disposal problems. This book takes a more positive attitude: cities can be made to work sustainably. Their high population density can work in the environment's favour if they can achieve efficient use of resources such as energy and water supplies, and improve transport and infrastructure. The best cities today are clean, resource efficient, green and pleasant, and not only act as cultural and entertainment centres, but also harbour great varieties of wildlife. Making Cities Work looks at the vital role which local authorities can - and must - play in safeguarding and developing our towns and cities. Their role is crucial, and the aim of the book is to make governments, international bodies and local authority associations aware of how potential environmental and social problems can be overcome, and what can be achieved. This book is being written by urban development experts, based on material supplied by the world's leading city associations. It is being edited by one of the world's most highly regarded cultural ecologists, and has been commissioned by UNHCS for the Habitat II conference. Clearly written, accessible, and fully illustrated throughout with photographs, figures and graphs, it is ideal for students, fascinating reading for the general public, and essential for those involved in local authorities, planning and development.

In stark contrast to the dysfunctional megacity of today, The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a city that worked. Some refer to this period from 1954 to 1998 as Toronto’s “Golden Age”. This book traces the growth and governance of the city from its creation in 1834 through its successful Metro years to why and how the decision was made to establish the present megacity while at the same time either accidentally or deliberately turning the Ontario government into both a provincial government and a regional government, as well, for a significantly enlarged Greater Toronto Area. Then it urges the provincial government to initiate a long over-due review of the governance of the city aimed at returning it to a city that works either by way of a de-amalgamation, as successfully achieved in Montreal, or at the very least by a decentralization of local responsibilities.

Cities in a World Economy, Fifth Edition examines the emergence of global cities as a new social formation. As sites of rapid and widespread developments in the areas of finance, information and people, global cities lie at the core of the major processes of globalization. The book reflects the most current data available and explores recent debates such as the role of cities in mitigating environmental problems, the global refugee crisis, Brexit, and the rise of Donald Trump in the United States