The Inside and Outside Game of Growth Management: Tracking Sprawl of Canada’s Largest Metropolitan Areas

Abstract

<jats:p> This study explores the changes in the regional growth patterns in the nine largest Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) between 1990 and 2010. We analyzed whether the metropolitan areas matched the Inside Game (i.e., intensification) with a strong Outside Game (i.e., regional planning) of growth management as represented by physical growth patterns. Overall, Toronto, Vancouver, and London CMAs matched the Inside Game with a strong Outside Game. Conversely, the CMAs of Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, where regional governance is fragmented or absent, exhibited signs of regional sprawl. All studied CMAs but Quebec City exhibited signs of intensification. </jats:p>

Intensification in the city centre: Barriers to implementation in Regina, Saskatchewan

“…The emergence of Smart Growth in the 1990s further endorsed intensification (Grant, 2009;Tomalty & Alexander, 2005). In Canada's largest metropolitan areas, intensification has reshaped central neighbourhoods into high-density, mixed-use communities (Filion & Kramer, 2012;Han et al, 2023). Nowhere is this more evident than in Toronto, which amongst North American cities has exhibited the highest rates of residential intensification over recent years (Filion et al, 2020).…”

“…Nowhere is this more evident than in Toronto, which amongst North American cities has exhibited the highest rates of residential intensification over recent years (Filion et al, 2020). Toronto's successes reflect policies developed and adopted by the municipality, as well as provincial planning authorities (Bunce, 2004; Filion & Kramer, 2012; Han et al, 2023; Lehrer & Wieditz, 2009). The adoption of intensification‐oriented policies has sent the right signals to the development industry, who have responded by building up housing in existing neighbourhoods (Rosen, 2017).…”