This volume examines the governing structure and finances of metropolitan areas in federal systems. Taking a comparative approach, each chapter examines two large metropolitan areas in a federal country, including Australia (South East Queensland and Perth); Brazil (Belo Horizonte and São Paulo); Canada (Toronto and Vancouver); Germany (Hamburg and Central Germany); India (Hyderabad and Mumbai); South Africa (Cape Town and Gauteng metropolitan region); Spain (Barcelona and Madrid); Switzerland (Geneva and Zurich); and the United States (Louisville and Los Angeles).
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The Ontario Municipal Board is an independent provincial planning appeals body that has wielded major influence on Toronto’s urban development. In this book, IMFG Fellow Aaron A. Moore examines the effect that the OMB has had on the behavior and relationships of Toronto’s main political actors, including city planners, developers, neighbourhood associations, and local politicians.
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At a time when there is limited scope for large new public funding commitments for housing, new models and sources of investment are needed. How do local governments create the conditions for greater private participation in affordable housing in Ontario?
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This paper reviews different ways in which the formal governance of metropolitan areas may be restructured, such as through two-tier structures, voluntary cooperation, special districts, and municipal mergers. It includes a case study of the amalgamation in Toronto.
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This paper describes and evaluates density for benefit agreements (DBAs) in Toronto and Vancouver. DBAs allow municipalities to secure cash contributions or amenities from developers in return for allowing developers to exceed currently prevailing height and density restrictions.
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In the Toronto policy and planning community, Section 37 (S37) of the Planning Act is the source of much debate and disagreement. This paper suggests there should be serious consideration of whether to abolish, reform, or replace it with alternative tools, such as inclusionary housing policies or fixed charges.
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Drawing on academic literature, media reporting, and some illustrative events, this paper takes a careful look at local government in Toronto and examines three of the major fault lines that are causing friction at City Hall.
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This paper analyzes economies of scale for two municipal services by considering how per-household municipal costs are affected by a municipality’s size. An econometric model is used to estimate costs associated with fire and police services using data for 445 municipalities in the Province of Ontario.
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