This talk examines the policy and fiscal aspects of inter-local cooperation agreements in six Canadian metropolitan areas—Toronto, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary.

As municipal elections near, a new and exciting chapter for Toronto is about to begin. Torontonians will face tough choices on important issues ranging from transit to taxes and growth. Underlying this conversation is the state of the City’s fiscal health. Toronto City Manager Joe Pennachetti discusses the key challenges facing municipalities, the City’s fiscal position, and the strategic directions the City must weigh to build for the future.

This seminar explores the infrastructure asset management tools used by municipalities in Canada. IMFG Graduate Fellowship winner Daniella Dávila Aquije profiles the City of Mississauga, and the strategies it has implemented to address the deficit.

IMFG Graduate Fellowship winner Andrew Do investigates the benefits of open data and presents findings on the state of the City of Toronto’s open government and open data efforts based upon a survey of the literature, best practices, and key informant interviews.

A new two-volume, 1,635-page autobiography explores the life, architecture, and philosophy of Eberhard (Eb) Zeidler, from his early life and studies at the Bauhaus to the present—an exceptional career that established him as one of the world's most influential architects.

A number of cities in Ontario are separated cities that are not politically connected to the counties in which they are geographically located. 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. What are the implications of city-county separation?

Dr. Richard Florida presents his insights into how creativity and the Creative Class are revolutionizing the global economy during a time of “Great Reset.” Looking toward the future, Florida identifies the patterns that will drive the next Great Reset and transform virtually every aspect of our lives-from how and where we live, to how we work, to how we invest in individuals and infrastructure, to how we shape our cities and regions.

The Crossrail is a transformative transit investment that will traverse London. It was planned through a rigorous process that focused on supporting the region’s economic growth and reducing congestion by shifting travel patterns, connecting employment areas, and capturing the resulting increase in land values. How did they get there?

In recent years, we have seen a sharp increase in foreign demand for Canadian assets, including bonds issued by Canadian municipalities and provinces. IMFG Post-Doctoral Fellow Kyle Hanniman discusses the factors driving foreign investment in Canada's subnational bond market; the implications of these developments for municipal borrowing costs and credit spreads; and what, if anything, municipalities are doing to manage the risks and opportunities involved.

Lars-Erik Borge presents a talk at IMFG entitled, The Role of Local Governments in a Unitary Welfare State: The Case of Norway. Borge is Professor of Economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Borge is a former IMFG visiting scholar.