Growth and Development in Rural Counties Surrounding Separated Cities: What are the Implications for City-County Separation?

A number of cities in Ontario—such as Cornwall, Barrie, Brantford, Kingston, London, and Windsor—are separated cities that are not politically connected to the counties in which they are geographically located. This separation acknowledges the economic, social, and cultural differences between urban and rural municipalities. Although the original intention was that urban growth would be directed toward the separated city and the county would remain rural, many counties that surround separated cities have also been growing. This talk used three case studies to examine whether this growth constitutes an infringement on the original arrangement between separated cities and counties, and explored the consequences of this development for both urban and rural municipalities in Ontario.

SPEAKER

Zachary Spicer received his PhD in Political Science in 2013, from the University of Western Ontario, and his Master’s in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has published several journal articles on local governance and Canadian politics. Dr. Spicer is the recipient of the IMFG 2013-14 Post-Doctoral Fellowship.