Browse Our Research
Presentation | 2016
What Does Good Governance Mean for Canadian Cities?
Zachary Taylor
In this presentation, Zack Taylor explores findings from his recent IMFG Paper on the meaning of good local governance for Canadian cities, and how to measure it.
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Perspectives Paper | 2016
National Urban Policy: A Roadmap for Canadian Cities
Abigail Friendly
The 21st century has seen a renewed interest internationally in national urban policies. This paper draws on the experience of countries that have explicitly pursued national urban policies to solve complex and interrelated urban challenges.
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Presentation | 2016
Presentation: A Recipe for Fiscal Trust
Dina Graser and Pamela Robinson
The national infrastructure deficit has been estimated at close to $400 billion, and much of it rests at the municipal level. Before local governments can raise these funds – through taxes, fees, or other revenue sources – residents must trust that the money is needed and that it will be spent wisely.
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Presentation | 2016
Improving Local Government Revenue in New South Wales: What Are the Options?
Enid Slack
Enid Slack headlined the Local Government New South Wales Finance Summit in Sydney, Australia on August 17, 2016.
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Presentation | 2016
The Tiff About TIFs: Tax Increment Financing in Canadian Cities
Found, Adam; Haider, Murtaza; Hummel, Larry
Can cities in Canada rely on the revenues generated by tax increment financing (TIF)? What are the mechanics of assessing the uplift from a TIF before a project is implemented? How much money has it actually raised in practice?
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IMFG Paper | 2016
Did the Land Transfer Tax Impact Housing Sales in Toronto?
Murtaza Haider, Amar Anwar, and Cynthia Holmes
The City of Toronto implemented a land transfer tax on real estate transactions in February 2008. This study explores the impact of the tax on housing sales in the City of Toronto and the rest of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
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Perspectives Paper | 2016
A Recipe for Fiscal Trust
Dina Graser and Pamela Robinson
Local governments need to make significant financial investments, and must raise revenues through taxes, user fees, and possibly new revenue tools. But before they can take these actions, they have to build trust to convince their residents that new revenues are needed and will be spent wisely.
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Presentation | 2016
The Boundary Bargain: Growth, Development, and the Future of City-County Separation
Zachary Spicer
This talk presents findings from a new book about the peculiarities of city-county separation. What are the dangers of having municipal institutions that are too rigid to modernize, and what does it mean for the future of regional governance in Ontario?
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Search Research Archive
Inside Halton: Enid Slack on the Vacant Home Tax
September 6, 2024
Journal of Commerce: Aaron Moore on Winnipeg development
August 14, 2024
Globe and Mail: Sean Grisdale on the “Squandering” of Public Land Sales
June 7, 2024