Neighbourhood revitalization in Canada: Towards place-based policy solutions

Abstract

This chapter examines the neighbourhood policy environment of Canada. Unlike many of the other Countries considered in this volume, Canada does not have an extensive history of neighbourhood level interventions. Indeed there is a long history of in fighting and tension between the various scales of government and many agencies competing for scarce resources which has lead to a loss of potential. The chapter, therefore, highlights two recent developments which have led to some successful outcomes. Highlighting the importance of three key aspects (Incrementalism, Interscalar Links, Learning from the Local), the examples show how common goals, co-working and local involvement, can be crucial for the delivery of neighbourhood interventions. The first project, the Vancouver Agreement (VA) combined federal and provincial governments and the City of Vancouver to invest in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the city. The Agreement has been evaluated as a promising governance model of collaboration to meet community needs and as a benchmark for Canadian urban development agreements. The second project, Action for Neighbourhood Change (ANC) was a much larger project and targeted high poverty neighbourhoods in Halifax, Toronto, Thunder Bay, Regina, and Vancouver. It contains valuable insights about how joint work and collaboration actually occurs in terms of operational details like clear communication, transparent decision making, regular information-sharing and knowledge dissemination, continual process monitoring and course corrections. Using these examples, the chapter calls for a more joined up vision of neighbourhood policy and points to the lessons that can be learnt when agencies work towards common goals.