1. Sustainable Cities: Canadian Reality or Urban Myth?
Robert Hilton and Chris Stoney
Facing Forward -Looking Back
October 19th 2007

2. 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

3. Structure What was to be done? What has been done?
What needs to be done?
Hilton and Stoney 2007

4. What was to be done? Bruntland Agenda 21 ICLEI Smart Growth
Hilton and Stoney 2007

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. Barriers to Change Economic Imperative Constitutional wrangling
Recession (1990s)
Minority governments
Federal fragmentation
F-P-M uncoordinated
Municipalities weakened
No clear urban targets
Funds ‘scattered’ not strategic
Weak commitment to capacity building
Hilton and Stoney 2007

9. Local difficulties… Ottawa’s 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

10. 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