Guidelines for Federal Policy Priorities in Urban Areas

C. Guidelines for Federal Policy Priorities in Urban Areas

What guidelines should frame the federal role in and set the tone for federal policy priorities in urban areas? Seven guidelines emerged from the research undertaken and the roundtable discussions held in Winnipeg. They are:

1. Support, Flexibility, Responsiveness and Coordination

2. An Integrated Focus for Federal Initiatives

3. Assisting Cities to Become Competitive

4. Including a Focus on Identified Local Issues

5. Forging Partnerships

6. Facilitating a Community Alignment Process

7. Being a Good Neighbour in the Local Community

Each of these is discussed in this section. Other supporting background material is found in the sections D, E and F.

1. Support, Flexibility, Responsiveness and Coordination

Participants at the roundtable expressed clear support for a federal role in urban issues. But there was also a strongly held view that this role should not include setting the urban agenda or directing efforts to deal with urban issues. Participants felt that the most appropriate role for the federal government would be to support locally based and locally defined priorities, efforts and solutions. They emphasized the need for the federal government to be flexible in its approach and responsive to local urban concerns. Boiler plate, one-size-fits-all federal programs were seen as more problematic than helpful. There was also a general view that urban centres should not have to adapt their programs to qualify for federal assistance; rather the federal government should be flexible so that its policies and programs can be adjusted to meet specific, locally determined needs. This suggests a form of reverse onus where the federal government bears the burden of determining how it can align its resources to support local priorities.

The different characteristics, needs and priorities of Canada' s cities argue for the development of a flexible approach to any new federal policy initiatives in urban areas and for the federal government to structure its policy objectives to meet the particular needs of each urban centre. A federal urban policy framework should emphasize support, flexibility, responsiveness, and meeting locally driven needs and priorities. Even when the challenges and concerns are similar, the characteristics of various urban environments may require differing approaches or differing focal points. As one observer noted, traffic congestion, urban sprawl and environmental issues may be pressing concerns in cities such as Toronto and Montreal but of lesser importance in Winnipeg where economic development, revitalizing decaying neighbourhoods and issues affecting the urban Aboriginal population are of greater significance.

Roundtable participants also emphasized the need for the federal government to coordinate its actions in urban areas and to cooperate across departmental and agency lines. This integrated approach flows from the view that to be effective, federal policy and programs relating to urban areas should reflect local needs rather than the organizational and reporting structures of the various federal departments and agencies.

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