The Megacity Saga

The story of the creation of the megacity of Toronto and that of the grassroots movement, Citizens for Local Democracy, that began a crusade in the name of local democracy that has brought the issue of citizenship to the forefront of public debates. It examines what it means to be a citizen and why it is important to fight to keep open a certain kind of democratic space at the local level.

"With an eye for global forces, this panoramic account revolves around a focus on social, spatial, and environmental justice in the city, offering a lively riposte to both dull academicism and theatrical boosterism." - Kanishka Goonewardena, University of Toronto

“[A] political economist with a gift– due to his not having forgotten his working class background– for bringing complex economic problems down to their real world implications for working people.” - Jeff Noonan Megacity Malaise documents how municipal governance, labour-management relations and public services have been transformed during the postwar period. Carlo Fanelli begins with an analysis of neoliberalism, exposing the underlying social and political causes of urban fiscal crises. Fanelli shows how municipal finances have been eroded to justify the policies of permanent austerity, which has led to a deterioration of public services and demands for concessions from civic workers based on the contention that they are unaffordable. Focusing on the post-amalgamation era at the city of Toronto, Fanelli draws on his experiences as a former city worker and trade unionist to make the case that a new municipal agenda infused with a sense of social and workplace justice is necessary to overcome mounting registers of social inequality. Alternative approaches to public policy must be rooted in a political project that challenges the continued reliance on tax cuts as a cure for nearly all of society’s social ills and municipal governance that rejects the marketization of everyday life.

How does reshaping local government affect citizen involvement in public life? As cities move between centralized and decentralized governance and conservative and progressive leadership, what brings out the best and the worst in civic engagement? In this thought-provoking book, Sylvia Bashevkin examines the consequences of divergent restructuring experiences in London and Toronto. By focusing on the forced amalgamation of local boroughs in Toronto and the creation of a new metropolitan authority in London, she explores the fallout for women as urban citizens. Ultimately, context is crucial to whether municipal change signals pessimism or promise.

Earning comparisons to such sci-fi/fantasy greats as Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and George R. R. Martin, Peter F. Hamilton is a one-of-a-kind voice in space opera. His interstellar adventures are hugely ambitious, wildly entertaining, and philosophically stimulating. Now Hamilton’s centuries-spanning Commonwealth Saga—the linked novels Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained—is available in one epic eBook bundle. Contains a thrilling preview of Peter F. Hamilton’s upcoming novel, The Abyss Beyond Dreams, set in the same universe as the Commonwealth Saga. PANDORA’S STAR JUDAS UNCHAINED 2380. The Intersolar Commonwealth, a sphere of stars, contains more than six hundred worlds interconnected by a web of transport “tunnels” known as wormholes. At the farthest edge of the Commonwealth, astronomer Dudley Bose observes the impossible: over one thousand light-years away, a star . . . disappears. Since the location is too distant to reach by wormhole, the Second Chance, a faster-than-light starship commanded by Wilson Kime, a five-times-rejuvenated ex-NASA pilot, is dispatched to learn what has occurred and whether it represents a threat. Opposed to the mission are the Guardians of Selfhood. Shortly after the journey begins, Kime wonders if the crew of the Second Chance has been infiltrated. But soon enough he will have other worries. Halfway across the galaxy, something truly incredible is waiting: a deadly discovery whose unleashing will threaten to destroy the Commonwealth . . . and humanity itself. Praise for the Commonwealth Saga Pandora’s Star “Should be high on everyone’s reading list . . . You won’t be able to put it down.”—Nancy Pearl, NPR “An imaginative and stunning tale of the perfect future threatened . . . a book of epic proportions not unlike Frank Herbert’s Dune or Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.”—SFRevu “Recommended . . . A large cast of characters, each with his own story, brings depth and variety to this far-future saga.”—Library Journal Judas Unchained “An interstellar suspense thriller . . . sweeping in scope and emotional range.”—San Antonio Express-News “Hamilton tackles SF the way George R. R. Martin is tackling fantasy. . . . There’s a sense of wonder here that’s truly unchained.”—SF Reviews “Richly satisfying . . . wonderfully imagined . . . Hamilton adroitly leaps from the struggles of one engaging, quirky character to another.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Given the pressures of integration and assimilation, how are people within communities able to make decisions about their own environment, whether individually or collectively? Governing Ourselves? explores issues of influence and power within local institutions and decision-making processes using numerous illustrations from municipalities across Canada. It shows how communities large and small, from Toronto to Iqaluit, have distinctive political cultures and therefore respond differently to changing global and domestic environments. Case studies illuminate historical and contemporary challenges to local governance. This book covers topics including government structures and institutions and intergovernmental relations and reaches more broadly into geography, urban planning, environmental studies, public administration, and sociology.

In an alternate reality … set in the future … Will there be War??!! Will the crew of the Tigris survive!! The Ganymede Incident was the spark that would ignite the flames of conflict between Earth and Mars, pitting the two civilizations of the Commonwealth against each other for supremacy, control, preservation of “way of life”, or whatever deeper motives there were. With the mysterious “Sentinel” discovered on Ganymede being retrieved for further analysis and investigation, Captain Olivia Chu and her crew of the Tigris, as well as Captain Hilmi Bakar and his team of Malayan Rangers – are immediately assigned to new missions, both being engulfed in secrecy and distrust, at a critical juncture of the growing conflict as both Earth and Mars make their first military moves. Meanwhile, the shady Dr. Rodrigues shifts his focus towards a young boy from Detroit. What is the relationship between this child, and the “Sentinel”, if there even is one anyway? Is this boy, or others “similar to him”, a missing piece of the bigger puzzle? If so, how? Explore “Journey’s End”, which is Book Two of the First Contact Saga from the Unity Macroverse, picking up after where Book One, “Marooned” left off. Loyalties are tested. Old rivals cross paths. Internal conflicts are exposed. Signs of invisible hands at play begin to surface.

Originally published in 2005. Citizen involvement - and the concept of partnership - in urban governance has long been a major issue in the transformation of local democracy. The move from delegated to participative forms of local government has, in principle, profound consequences for governance at the scale of cities. However, it is clear that partnership and participation are interpreted in many different ways, according to the traditions of government in different countries. This volume brings together the experiences of three countries in which very different approaches to participation are evident: Canada, France and the United Kingdom. By comparing and reflecting on these countries' approaches and the resulting changes in governance, it provides an in-depth analysis of the intentions and effects of involving citizens in policy making. It also highlights innovative new forms of partnership which are emerging within metropolitan areas at a local level.