Welcome to the suburbs!
Last week, our class focused on urban policy at the regional level and we had the opportunity to meet with alumni now working at York, Halton, Niagara, and Peel region. One main takeaway stood out to me: there is not a clear conception of regional boundaries, so what is a regional policy issue and what is the best way to govern moving forward?
Inherent to regional governance is horizontal coordination, municipalities must work together to solve policy challenges that transcend their traditional boundaries. However, the lecture pointed out that until recently, as a result of COVID-19, politicians at the local level rarely participated in voluntary coordination. That’s where the region steps in, acting as an upper tier that offers services to a set group of local governments.
I found it interesting that regional governments stem from the Metropolitan Governance model and as people began living outside of its boundaries, regions were created to mimic its two-tier system. Today, the majority of Canadians live in suburban areas which has significant policy implications for public health, transportation, and housing.
According to David L.A. Gordon’s classification of neighbourhoods in Canada’s Census Metropolitan Areas, I live in a mix between an exurb and an automobile suburb. Truthfully, both categories describe my neighbourhood quite well because while I live in a classic suburban neighbourhood, there are rural areas and country roads close by.
However, when you zoom out from my municipality and into the region it is apart of this changes. My town is apart of the Region of Peel, which consists of Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga. Based on the article, the region as a whole fits more closely into the automobile or transit suburbs category. The region is rapidly growing, in the 905 area, 99% of the growth is in the auto suburb and exurban areas. Within the region, the needs, demographics, and suburban environments of residents vary between each municipal government. For example, Mississauga has a population of about 750,000 people compared to the 75,000 in Caledon. Despite this, the region must deliver high-quality services to all 1.5 million residents.
Due to rapid suburban growth, policy problems that are generally seen in cities such as housing and homelessness, now need to be addressed in the suburban context. Big city problems should not be seen as distinct from those in the suburbs. A coordinated and coheisve approach to regional governance will be critical in order to address issues formerly seen as big city problems. I look forward to seeing how my neighbourhood, community, town, and region continues to change. Welcome to the suburbs!
