Sustainable Cities: Canadian Reality or Urban Myth?

Main Article Content

Christopher Stoney
Robert Hilton

Abstract

Although it is now over two decades since the Brundtland Commission report (1987) put sustainable development on the political map, concern continues in Canada that the federal government is failing to adequately implement its own commitments to tackling the ecological challenges posed by rapid urban expansion. Our analysis identifies a number of road blocks, missed opportunities and mistakes that have limited progress and many of these are traced back to the failure of national government to empower local municipal governments, as advocated by Brundtland and subsequent international initiatives, in particular ‘Agenda 21’ which we revisit in some detail as a basis for analysis. As well as reviewing the federal government’s role in Canada, the paper explores the potential for more sustainable urban growth in the context of broader reforms.

Article Details

How to Cite
Stoney, C., & Hilton, R. (1). Sustainable Cities: Canadian Reality or Urban Myth?. Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, (4), 46-76. https://doi.org/10.5130/cjlg.v0i4.1351
Section
Research and Evaluation (peer-reviewed)
Author Biographies

Christopher Stoney, Head of Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE)

Head of Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE), and Associate Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, Ottawa

Robert Hilton, Head of Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE)

Visiting Fellow, School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, Ottawa