The People, the neighbourhood, the city
It is hard for me to convince myself that this is the last blog post. It feels like we just finished our discussion on “what defines a city” and complained that we have spent so much time on the federal and provincial governments. In the beginning, I was the outlier who never built a deep connection to any North American city, and I did my internship at an intergovernmental organization instead of in the government. However, I am not the only one who enjoyed the course and got to know how urban policy works from the lens of all levels of government as well as civil society.
The course has offered precious opportunities for me to learn from my cohort, professor Eidelman and Munk Alumni, who are living, studying, and working in the City of Toronto. We were able to share our reflections on the readings, lectures, and networking sessions, which were great for ruminating and digesting what we have learned. It was amazing to talk to Munk alumni in class, learning from their challenging and rewarding moments. I remember how they describe their work as “on the ground” and “make changes happen”. These are what I want in my future career.
In terms of the biggest takeaway from the course, I will first echo what everyone is saying- “All public policy is urban policy”! I believe that we all get to know our community and city better along the way. Also, we all established invisible connections with Regent Park, Alexandra Park, and Lawrence Heights. They are our neighbourhoods now! As Munk alumni said, we are committed to making changes happen in our neighbourhood. The report for the UWGT has made me feel I am contributing to empowering people in need and constructing a better place. When walking on the street, I also became more sensitive to the City of Toronto logo. I am aware that the municipality is the service provider, and their service is everywhere. When a loophole arises, I tend to think slowly and ask myself whether it could be efficiently addressed by the local government, especially with its limited revenue power.
Moving forward, I will continue spending my time reading and researching urban policy issues. I know that I still have a lot to learn, but I am passionate about it!
