The distinction between urban and local policy and the implications for COVID-19
While most public policy is urban policy, the distinction should be made between urban policy and local policy. As noted in last week’s lecture, urban policy is about more than what is happening at City Hall. Urban policy involves decisions made by multiple levels of government to address problems that stem from urban life, problems that are unrealistic for local governments to solve on their own. The notion of urban governance stood out to me because it expands the realm of decision-making power to include not only governments but a broader range of actors such as regional authorities, agencies, commissions, and civil society.
In Governing Canadian Cities, Zack Taylor and Neil Bradford describe the place based public policy approach which, “recognizes that particular geographic spaces and community contexts generate distinct policy problems that are best addressed by aligning federal and provincial resources with municipalities local knowledge and community networks.” This approach recognizes that urban policies transcend local borders but also that local contexts vary.
In the context of COVID-19, governments in Canada and around the world have been applying this place-based approach when responding to policy challenges. Most often, city centres have been affected by high rates of COVID-19 for reasons such as population size, density, and connectivity. As a result, regional differences exist across Canada and within provinces.Due to the nature of this policy challenge, the public health crisis has required a coordinated effort between all levels of government. The ability to tailor lockdown measures to specific regions has made policies more flexible and adaptable to health conditions within certain areas. Prior to the current stay-at-home orders, Ontario was separated into colour-coded zones that varied public health measures with the aim of avoiding business and school closures.This place-based approach may help mitigate the pandemic’s impact on the economy by permitting businesses to remain open in areas with lower rates of COVID-19.
Overall, the pandemic has shown the importance of urban governance because the implementation of restrictive measures, and soon vaccination plans, will depend on the ability of all public, private, and civil society partners, to coordinate and work together. In future weeks, I look forward to exploring the barriers that exist toward effective urban governance in Canada. Additionally, I hope to discuss how policymakers balance federal priorities with community-specific circumstances, especially in the context of COVID-19.
