The Urban Agenda in Canada : limited Room forAction in Federal-Municipal Relations

The urban agenda has lived short periods of explicit discussion in Canada. The federal government has tackled urban issues only on limited periods, in particular from 1968 to 1979 and from 2001 to 2006. This chapter argues that, while in these periods the federal government established new agencies, developed programs, and aimed to acquire knowledge on urban issues, their impacts have been limited by the provincial jurisdiction over municipal and urban affairs. While federal governments often develop place-based narratives supporting the importance of decisions taken locally about land use, transportation, and any other issue related to urban development, a deep analysis shows that local governments have limited room for action. In order to illustrate the limited effects of past federal measures and the current lack of autonomy of municipal governments, the chapter first explores the two main phases of explicit urban action by the federal government, followed by the analysis of the urban approach of the current government. It then discusses the planning mechanisms in the city of Toronto and the measures adopted by federal and provincial governments to support urban areas during the COVID-19 emergency.