Perennial Lessons
Even though the course *officially* ended a while ago, it’s taken me a few days to reflect on what exactly has transpired since our first class in September.
I originally came into this course with an idea of what I thought urban policy encapsulated, and these last 8 weeks have completely blown that baseline out of the water. I may still not be able to disentangle the org chart of Toronto municipal government for you, but I can say that urban policy is alive everywhere and sprouts in places where you may not think, like at the highest echelons of federal government.
It was such an amazing opportunity each week to talk to MPP alumni working in the diverse cogs that make up the wheel of urban policy, from regional government to the non-profit sector. Schools always tell you they are setting you up for the real world, and with these weekly afternoon Q&A’s, I’ve actually started to believe that notion. To be reminded of the humanity and dedication behind the textbook notion of policymaking was unique, and it brought a sense of comfort knowing that all of these really cool folks were in my shoes not too long ago.
Working with the Maytree Foundation gave a fascinating peek into what foundations are working towards in Toronto, and my goodness is it ever difficult. I grew up in this age of information where things I didn’t know were often met with a quick google search or readily available articles and books. This experience is what I’ve become used to and it really threw me off when answers to basic, fundamental research questions at the heart of decision making were not publicly available.
I described it to my dad like trying to run a marathon, but you have to race with these specific type of shoes in order to qualify. First, you have to try the most obvious store for them but turns out nothing is in stock. Then maybe you must cross the street because he didn’t have what you’re looking for and that other storekeeper didn’t have it either, and then perhaps you are forced to travel to the other side of town to talk to seemingly the only storekeeper who may have a glimpse of what you’re talking about, but they tell you that the person who would’ve know where to find them retired 2 years ago. Should trying to find the shoes be this hard — no! Should trying to find primary answers on how social assistance works be this hard — no! I have so much of respect for Garima and the whole Maytree team: I’ve learned firsthand how difficult yet necessary the work they undertake is, and I hope to carry the lessons from this project forward with me throughout my career.
One last thing that struck me was how close of a community the students taking this course became and how much we had to offer each other through the weekly discussions, reflections, and final group project. Having so many exchange students was such a treat and I enjoyed learning everything from how housing districts work in LA, how Singapore is both a city AND a state, and how the German way of doing things are unsurprisingly so much more efficient than what we do in Toronto. A special shoutout to both Charlotte and Lukas who were in my final group project and on exchange from the Hertie School- you guys taught me brand new ways to look at policy problems and brought in new perspectives I would have never considered.
I am so happy to have taken this course and am excited to spread the perennial knowledge of what I have learned this term to anyone who will listen. Thank you Gabe for spearheading such an important course in the MPP program — maybe all public policy is urban policy after all.
