democratic reform

As Doug Ford pursues his vision of paving over the greenbelt to help out his developer friends, resistance is popping up in unexpected places.  Most recently the Association of Municipalities of Ontario has made public their concerns regarding Bill 23.  Namely that they project a cost of approximately $1 Billion a year to municipalities due to loss of development fees.  As well as the untold projected costs of environmental damages due to the consequences of potentially building on flood plains or watersheds in the Greenbelt.  What is Doug Ford’s response?  It turns out that AMO has been excluded from committee meetings.Read More …

Joel and Roland welcome back Shannon Gillies to discuss some of the problems with how debates on urban planning and intensification are discussed, how inevitable public resistance to change is handled, and how it can prevent us approaching the more complex discussions that need to happen if we are to design the best possible cities for our future. Then we look at the recent revelations with regard to Brampton’s CAO, whose problematic career in Niagara has followed him to Brampton in what many would suggest is an entirely predictable manner.Read More …