Guidelines for Federal Policy Priorities in Urban Areas

B. Rationale for a Renewed Federal Focus on Urban Issues

This section explores the rationale for a renewed federal government focus on urban issues.

At one time, the federal government was actively involved in Canadian urban issues. This involvement, which is described in greater detail elsewhere in the paper, was centered largely on meeting the housing needs of Canadian veterans returning from World War II, urban renewal projects, support for social and assisted housing, neighbourhood improvement projects and building basic infrastructure.

The rationale for federal involvement was quite clear. Beginning in the 1940s and continuing into the 1970s, Canada underwent a period of rapid urbanization characterized by the growth of cities and their surrounding suburban areas, increased demand for housing, and the need for transportation and other infrastructure systems to support fast-growing urban populations. As the growth of Canadian cities intensified so did the problems associated with rapid growth. Federal involvement became critical, as provincial and municipal governments of the time had neither the resources nor the political will to deal with many of the problems posed by urbanization.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, much of this changed. Federal interest in urban issues waned in the wake of a recession and a changing relationship with the provinces.

While there were obvious and compelling reasons for past federal involvement in urban issues such as rapid urbanization, meeting housing needs and building basic infrastructure, the reasons for federal involvement in such issues at the present time may be less clear. This is not to imply that such reasons do not exist nor is it to suggest that today's circumstances are less compelling than those existing some 30 or 40 years ago, rather it is to recognize that the rationale for federal involvement flows from the dynamic economic, social, demographic and environmental forces affecting Canadian cities and the role urban areas play in the national economy. Although quite different from the factors that shaped past federal involvement in urban issues, these new forces are creating a set of circumstances and impacts that are beyond the scope of any one level of government.

As noted elsewhere in the paper, there are a number of economic, social and demographic forces shaping the future of Canadian cities. These include globalization, the continuing integration of North American markets, technology advances, and the shift to information and knowledge-based industries. Social and demographic factors such as inner city poverty, homelessness, urban sprawl, traffic congestion, an aging population, increased immigration, and in the case of Winnipeg and other western Canadian cities, a rapidly growing Aboriginal population, are having an important impact on the future of urban centres. Decaying urban infrastructure and environmental concerns such as waste management, pollution, and clean water are also affecting urban environments. Although the impact of these factors is often most directly experienced in urban areas, they are also felt well beyond urban boundaries.

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