Municipal

The Federal Election and the Municipal Agenda

On September 8, 2021 / Elections, Federal, Institute, Municipal

For all federal political parties, the road to electoral success runs through the urban and suburban neighbourhoods of Canada’s nine largest metropolises. In these ridings, close multi-party election races are common and small swings in voter preferences can be decisive. The parties know that weakly-aligned voters in… Continue Reading The Federal Election and the Municipal Agenda

A bumpy ride: How autonomous transportation may change land use planning policy

On July 21, 2021 / Institute, Municipal, Our Thinking, Transit and Infrastructure

This piece is part of StrategyCorp’s Groundswell series on grassroots advocacy. Autonomous vehicles (AV) are already remaking the transportation landscape in North America. At this point, few would be surprised to hear it. Deployment of AV technology has rapidly moved from theoretical to reality. We’ve already seen… Continue Reading A bumpy ride: How autonomous transportation may change land use planning policy

Artificial Intelligence & Municipal Disruption White Paper

On June 29, 2021 / Institute, Municipal, Our Thinking

COVID-19 has accelerated the impact of disruptive technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) on almost all sectors of society, including municipalities. What does this mean for the future of our communities? What should municipal leaders be doing to leverage this change as we recover from the pandemic? What… Continue Reading Artificial Intelligence & Municipal Disruption White Paper

The Path Forward for Ontario’s Municipalities

On January 27, 2021 / Municipal

As part of the Province of Ontario’s drive to help Municipalities deliver services in more efficient ways, Service Delivery Reviews, or SDRs, have become common in the municipal sector. Given the ongoing support the Province is providing to municipalities to continue studying ways of improving service delivery,… Continue Reading The Path Forward for Ontario’s Municipalities

What ever happened to the New Deal for cities? A view from the Throne

On October 1, 2020 / Economy and Jobs, Federal, Institute, Municipal

By Michael Fenn and John Matheson, StrategyCorp Municipal Practice In municipal circles, among the urban media, and within the academic community there is a widespread and growing consensus that there should be more recognition by the Canadian and provincial governments of the crucial role of cities, especially… Continue Reading What ever happened to the New Deal for cities? A view from the Throne

A Playbook for Voluntary Regional Governance in Greater Toronto

On June 19, 2020 / Institute, Municipal, Our Thinking

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown into relief a range of health, social, and economic challenges for municipalities in the Greater Toronto region. These challenges – such as lack of affordable housing, income inequality, the need to spur economic development, and the impact of climate change – all… Continue Reading A Playbook for Voluntary Regional Governance in Greater Toronto

Giving Municipalities Financial Flexibility During COVID-19

On March 31, 2020 / Finance, Institute, Municipal, Public Safety

By Michael Fenn Municipalities need new financial tools to get through COVID-19. Across the Canadian economy, governments are giving businesses – large and small – the lifeline of increased liquidity and credit, in order to avoid widespread business failures, large-scale layoffs, and discontinuation of contracts to small… Continue Reading Giving Municipalities Financial Flexibility During COVID-19

COVID-19 responses accelerate ahead of First Ministers’ call

On March 23, 2020 / Economy and Jobs, Federal, Health Care, Institute, Municipal, Our Thinking, Provincial, Public Safety

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Canada surpassed 2,000, Prime Minister Trudeau announced additional measures to fight the spread of COVID-19: The Prime Minister will have a call with First Ministers this evening to discuss coordinating approaches and messaging with the provinces and territories. $192 million in new projects prioritized under the… Continue Reading COVID-19 responses accelerate ahead of First Ministers’ call

Can Airbnb Be Regulated?

On November 29, 2019 / Institute, Municipal, Our Thinking

Back in 2017, the City of Toronto passed new bylaws governing the use of short-term housing rentals within the City limits. Colloquially, this became known as the Airbnb by-law. However, the by-law was never implemented as an appeal to the Local Planning and Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) was… Continue Reading Can Airbnb Be Regulated?