Future Ain’t What it Used to Be: The 8th Annual IMFG Toronto City Manager’s Address
Campbell Conference Facility Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaTo tackle our modern challenges – population growth and changing demographics, climate change, aging infrastructure, congestion, and poverty – Toronto and the region‘s success decades from now will hinge on how we work together. On November 4, Chris Murray, Toronto’s City Manager, will speak about how these challenges require municipalities not only to set their own priorities, but to work together and with other governments, institutions, the private sector, community partners and Indigenous peoples to improve quality of life.
Conflict and Cooperation in Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects: Lessons from the Port of New York City
Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Room 208N 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON, CanadaToday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a multi-state and multi-jurisdictional body that operates and manages the development of one of the largest seaports in the world. Before the Port Authority was established a century ago, however, the Port of New York was governed not by a single body, but rather […]
Book launch – Shaping the Metropolis: Institutions and Urbanization in the United States and Canada
Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Room 208N 1 Devonshire Place, North House, Room 208N, Toronto, ON, CanadaWhat form should urban governance take? Is radical devolution the answer, or should we focus on more strategic involvement by senior governments? Zack Taylor will address these questions by presenting ideas from his new book, Shaping the Metropolis: Institutions and Urbanization in the United States and Canada.
Metropolitan Governance: Future Necessity or Misplaced Dream?
Campbell Conference Facility Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaExperts from multiple disciplines have argued in principle for the benefits of metropolitan governance, but how has it played out in practice? On September 19, IMFG Visiting Scholar Alan Harding addressed this question by drawing on his experience as Chief Economic Adviser to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority as well as his many years of […]
Consulting in the Smart City: Lessons from Sidewalk Toronto
Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Room 208N 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON, CanadaSmart city projects are rapidly becoming a dominant part of the worldwide urban agenda, including in Toronto, where Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto have launched Sidewalk Toronto, an initiative to develop the waterfront Quayside neighbourhood as a smart city. Smart city projects like Sidewalk Toronto promise to improve order, efficiency, safety, sustainability, and inclusivity in […]
From the Top Down: The Governance of Urban Development in Mexico
Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Room 208N 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON, CanadaAlthough efforts were made to decentralize in Mexico during the late 20th century, federal and state-level policy has continued to supersede local governance. Local governments in Mexico have limited financial and institutional capacities and are seldom able to guide urban development and construction processes, for example. The result of this top down approach has sometimes […]
Funding the Canadian City – Book Launch
Boardroom, 315 Bloor Street West Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Toronto, ON, CanadaThe Canadian Tax Foundation and the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) celebrated the launch of Funding the Canadian City, a collection of papers by leading experts, scholars, and policy makers in the field of municipal taxation and finance. The book – edited by Enid Slack, Lisa Philipps, Lindsay M. Tedds, and Heather L. Evans […]
Steering Low-Carbon Growth in Emerging African Cities: Insights from Dar es Salaam
Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Room 208N 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON, CanadaBy the end of the 21st century, over 30 African cities will have populations exceeding 10 million people, placing them among the world’s largest megacities. The region’s rapid urbanization will stimulate investments in new urban infrastructure, including power plants, roads, and residential buildings, which will push city-level energy use and carbon emissions to new levels. […]
Sharing the Costs of a Growing City: The Case for Development Charges
Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Room 108N 1 Devonshire Place, North House, Room 108N, Toronto, ON, CanadaNew development is essential to supporting a growing city but it also leads to added costs for municipal governments. New housing developments often require new or expanded infrastructure, including roads, sewers, and water treatment plants. There is ongoing debate on how cities should pay for this growth-related capital. Some argue that user fees and property […]
Bold Ideas, Bold Action: Next Steps for the GTHA
Campbell Conference Facility Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaMunicipalities across the GTHA face many shared challenges. Ahead of last year’s municipal elections, the Institute on Municipal Governance and Finance (IMFG) published a series of essays from some of the GTHA’s most respected leaders offering bold ideas to push the region forward on key issues. On February 28, four of these leaders discussed their […]