Community economic development in a context of globalization and metropolization: a comparison of four North American cities

Abstract

In this article, we highlight the links, few as they are, between metropolitan development institutions and community economic development (CED) organizations in a context of global economy where urban agglomerations compete for investments, while some groups of people are marginalized and some neighbourhoods are declining. First, we begin with a theoretical consideration of globalization, metropolization and community economic development. Second, we examine the relation between institutions responsible for metropolitan development and CED organizations in two Canadian agglomerations, Toronto and Montreal, and two American ones, Boston and Pittsburgh. Third, we suggest some explanations for the weak linkages between CED organizations and metropolitan institutions by raising questions about the identity, the resources and the political aspect of CED organizations, and about the vision of metropolitan actors. L'article met en avant les liens, aussi rares soient‐ils, entre institutions d'aménagement métropolitain et organisations de développement économique communautaire (DEC) dans le contexte d'une économie mondialisée où les agglomérations urbaines rivalisent dans leur quête d'investissements, tandis que certains groupes sont marginalisés et des quartiers déclinent. Ce travail commence par une étude théorique de la mondialisation, de la métropolisation et du développement économique communautaire. Il examine ensuite la relation entre institutions chargées de l'aménagement métropolitain et organisations de DEC dans deux agglomérations canadiennes, Toronto et Montréal, et américaines, Boston et Pittsburgh. Enfin, il tente d'expliquer les liens ténus entre les deux types d'organismes au travers de plusieurs questions sur l'identité, les ressources et l'aspect politique des organisations de CED, ainsi que sur la vision des acteurs métropolitains.

Competition and Cooperation in Economic Development: Examining the Perceptions of Practitioners in Ontario, Canada

“…Capital is also increasingly mobile, due to rapid technological changes, competition from unexpected places, and market fragmentation. Although cities have traditionally competed with each other for economic development, this competition has intensified in recent years due to global changes (Morin & Hanley, ). Scholars and commentators have debated the consequences of competition among communities, arguing that competition is inefficient and creates inequities (Goetz & Kayser, ; Grady, ; Wolfson & Frisken, ).…”

Community Organizations and Local Governance in a Metropolitan Region

“…This corresponds to a "governance gap" (Pierre 1999), a gap between two kinds of governance in the process of multigovernance. This can also be associated with the lack of linkage between community economic development practices and metropolitan development strategies that we have highlighted in a previous research concerning Montreal, Toronto, Boston, and Pittsburgh (Morin and Hanley 2004).…”

The politics of memory: The socio‐cultural contradictions of globalisation and urban regeneration in Dublin.

“…This has been a conflictual and (sometimes) contested process, and the Irish experience of globalisation and the recent 'Celtic Tiger' metaphor have been subjected on occasion to useful critical deconstruction in the literature (O'Heara, 2001;Kirby, 2002;Punch, 2004). At the urban scale, municipal authorities internationally have been encouraged to take various steps to deal with the consequences of this new global economic order (Morin and Hanley, 2004). Cities now face a strong imperative to compete within an international market for investments in order to counter deindustrialisation and achieve regeneration.…”