Commentary: Strong Mayors in Ontario – What Difference Will they Make?

May 15, 2023 On October 19, 2022, the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance convened a public panel discussion titled “Strong(er) Mayors – What Difference Will They Make?” The speakers were Karen Chapple, director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto; City Hall journalist Matt Elliott; Alison Smith, assistant professor of political … Continue reading Commentary: Strong Mayors in Ontario – What Difference Will they Make?

New project: Cities in Canadian Political Development

I am pleased to a be co-investigator with Jack Lucas (University of Calgary) of a new, multi-year collaborative research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: Cities in Canadian Political Development. The five-year project will investigate a gap in our understanding of Canadian politics: how the country’s transformation from an agrarian society in … Continue reading New project: Cities in Canadian Political Development

New project: Canada’s Implicit Urban Policy

I am pleased to announce a new, SSHRC-funded project in partnership with Neil Bradford (Huron University College) and Alison Smith (University of Toronto) is entitled Canada’s Implicit Urban Policy. Unlike some countries that have official urban policies, Canada has multiple federal-provincial-municipal relationships that span diverse policy areas, from housing to transportation to economic development. We argue … Continue reading New project: Canada’s Implicit Urban Policy