Canada in Cities

The Politics and Policy of Federal-Local Governance

Katherine A.H. Graham, Caroline Andrew

• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9780773544048
• eBook ISBN: 9780773596306
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: City Planning & Urban Development
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The federal government and its policies transform Canadian cities in myriad ways. Canada in Cities examines this relationship to better understand the interplay among changing demographics, how local governments and citizens frame their arguments for federal action, and the ways in which the national government uses its power and resources to shape urban Canada.

Most studies of local governance in Canada focus on politics and policy within cities. The essays in this collection turn such analysis on its head, by examining federal programs, rather than municipal ones, and observing how they influence local policies and work with regional authorities and civil societies. Through a series of case studies - ranging from federal policy concerning Aboriginal people in cities, to the introduction of the federal gas tax transfer to municipalities, to the impact of Canada's emergency management policies on cities - the contributors provide insights about how federal politics influence the local political arena. Analyzing federal actions in diverse policy fields, the authors uncover meaningful patterns of federal action and outcome in Canadian cities.

A timely contribution, Canada in Cities offers a comprehensive study of diverse areas of municipal public policy that have emerged in Canada in recent years.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Tables and Figures
• Foreword
• 1 Introduction
• 2 The Federal “Communities Agenda”: Metagovernance for Place-based Policy in Canada?
• 3 Reforming the Multilevel Governance of Emergencies: Municipalities and the Discursive Politics of Canada’s Emergency Management Policy
• 4 Homelessness on the Federal Agenda: Progressive Architecture but No Solution in Sight
• 5 The Federal Gas Tax Cession: From Advocacy Efforts to Thirteen Signed Agreements
• 6 Institutional Arrangements and Planning Outcomes: Inter-agency Competition on the Toronto Waterfront
• 7 Tracking the Growth of the Federal Municipal Infrastructure Program under Different Political Regimes
• 8 Cities and Child Care Policy in Canada: More than a Puppet on (Intergovernmental) Strings?
• 9 Federal Policies on Immigrant Settlement
• 10 Federal Urban Aboriginal Policy: The Challenge of Viewing the Stars in the Urban Night Sky
• 11 Conclusion
• Contributors
• Index