Description
Once forgotten as an object of research, a growing literature dealing with various aspects of small cities has emerged since the new millennium. The answer to the question "does size matter?" has so far received positive empirical support on both sides of the Atlantic. Using the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) three quality of life studies as backdrop, this paper offers further evidence that small Canadian cities are worth our attention. Since 1999, FCM has extrapolated results from its series of quality of life studies carried out on a sample of large and medium sized cities to monitor key changes in the quality of life of Canadian urban residents. Conclusions drawn from these studies have been used to define a common Canadian municipal agenda which identifies air pollution, public transportation, affordable housing, homelessness, social inclusion and integration, and community safety and security as some of Canada's key urban policy priorities. Following the evolution of a number of key demographic indicators in larger and smaller Canadian cities between 1996 and 2006, this research questions whether the municipal agenda derived from FCM's quality of life studies offers a fair and just reflection of the reality and of the public policy priorities of smaller urban municipalities.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
8-3-2008 8:00 AM
Subject - LCSH
Cities and towns--Canada; Quality of life--Canada;
End Date
8-3-2008 5:00 PM
Subjects - Names (LCNAF)
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Session
Urban Geographies
Genre/Form
conference proceedings
Type
event
Geographic Coverage
Canada
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Keywords
small cities, quality of life, city size, municipal agenda, demographic trends, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Included in
Challenge of defining a national urban strategy in the context of divergent demographic trends in small and large Canadian cities.
Once forgotten as an object of research, a growing literature dealing with various aspects of small cities has emerged since the new millennium. The answer to the question "does size matter?" has so far received positive empirical support on both sides of the Atlantic. Using the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) three quality of life studies as backdrop, this paper offers further evidence that small Canadian cities are worth our attention. Since 1999, FCM has extrapolated results from its series of quality of life studies carried out on a sample of large and medium sized cities to monitor key changes in the quality of life of Canadian urban residents. Conclusions drawn from these studies have been used to define a common Canadian municipal agenda which identifies air pollution, public transportation, affordable housing, homelessness, social inclusion and integration, and community safety and security as some of Canada's key urban policy priorities. Following the evolution of a number of key demographic indicators in larger and smaller Canadian cities between 1996 and 2006, this research questions whether the municipal agenda derived from FCM's quality of life studies offers a fair and just reflection of the reality and of the public policy priorities of smaller urban municipalities.