Sustainable cities

Abstract

A sustainable city strives for harmony in the development of civil society, economy, environment, culture and political institutions. Canadian cities, large and small, are facing challenges that are working against sustainability. For example, spatial segregation of poor residents is growing; the new economy wage structure is creating not only great wealth but also low-paid work; and new social policies are creating a poverty trap for the working poor. To meet these and other challenges, cities need to improve their problem-solving capacity by mobilizing talent across business, education, governments and civil society and by thinking in three dimensions: inclusively, regionally and from the bottom up. Many Canadian communities are now launched on this kind of problem solving, but they cannot succeed without responsive participation from senior governments.