Sustainable Cities:

Canadian Reality or Urban Myth?

Robert Hilton and Chris Stoney

Facing Forward -Looking Back
October 19th 2007

Key Arguments
Cities are crucial to sustainability
Municipal government & local communities
hold the key
Clear blueprint for action
Political, Cultural and Economic barriers
Hilton and Stoney 2007

Structure
What was to be done?

What has been done?

What needs to be done?

Hilton and Stoney 2007

What was to be done?

Bruntland
Agenda 21
ICLEI
Smart Growth

Hilton and Stoney 2007

Bruntland.. 20 years ago!

local governments have not been given the political
power, decision making capacity, and access to revenues
needed to carry out their functions. This leads to
frustration, to continuing criticism of local governments for
insufficient and ineffective services, and to a downward
spiral of weakness feeding on frustration
To become key agents of development, city
governments need enhanced political, institutional, and
financial capacity, notably access to more of the wealth
generated in the city. Only in this way can cities adapt and
deploy some of the vast array of tools available to address
urban problems.

Agenda 21. local matters

Because so many of the problems and solutions being
addressed by Agenda 21 have their roots in local activities, the
participation and cooperation of local authorities will be a
determining factor in fulfilling its objectives. Local authorities
construct, operate and maintain economic, social and
environmental infrastructure, oversee planning processes,
establish local environmental policies and regulations, and
assist in implementing national and subnational environmental
policies. As the level of governance closest to the people, they
play a vital role in educating, mobilizing and responding to the
public to promote sustainable development Each local
authority should enter into a dialogue with its citizens, local
organizations, and private enterprises and adopt a local Agenda
21.

Agenda 21:
Towards sustainable human settlement
Infrastructure focus:
Shelter
Land use planning
Water, waste, drainage
sanitation
Protect the atmosphere
Energy and transport systems
Sustainable construction
Local capacity building

Hilton and Stoney 2007

Barriers to Change
Economic Imperative

Municipalities weakened

Constitutional wrangling

No clear urban targets

Recession (1990s)

Funds scattered not

Minority governments

strategic
Weak commitment to
capacity building

Federal fragmentation
F-P-M uncoordinated

Hilton and Stoney 2007

Local difficulties Ottawas 20-20 Vision and LRT

Federal and Provincial involvement
Ward centric councillors
Lack of regional perspective
Secrecy and lack of transparency
Failure to engage
Hilton and Stoney 2007

The next 20 years.?

Municipal revenues?
Flexible working?
Better use of
infrastructure?
Mixed use facilities?
Standard reporting?
Governance reform?
Public engagement?
Hilton and Stoney 2007