(Turning Rust into Gold?) Hamilton, Ontario and a Canadian perspective of shrinking and declining cities

Changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services during COVID-19 and implications for low income populations in Hamilton, Ontario

“…With a population of around 540,000, the City of Hamilton is the fourth largest city in Ontario. It has historically been home to major manufacturing industries but de-industrialization that has occurred over the past several decades has led Hamilton to become one of the most highly divided cities in Ontario, with a significant proportion of its residents living at or below Canada's poverty level ( DeLuca et al, 2012 ; Jakar and Dunn, 2019 ; Latham and Moffat, 2007 ). The Hamilton Community Foundation ( HCF, 2018 ) reported that based on the Low-Income Cut-Off, Hamilton recorded a poverty rate of 16.7% in 2016, which was well above the average rate of Ontario (13.7%) and the average national rate (12.8%).…”

The Index of Economic Disparity: Measuring trends in economic disparity across Canadian Census Subdivisions and rural and urban communities

“…Much of the Canadian scholarship on this topic has tended to focus on in‐depth case studies of disparities and economic transitions in specific communities (Brannen et al, 2009; Frank et al, 2014; Zadek, 2019). At the same time, there has been concern about inequalities within urban systems, including the hollowing out of downtown cores through population and economic decline (Hollander et al, 2018) and the phenomenon of shrinking cities including those linked to resource economies (Hartt, 2021; Jakar & Dunn, 2019; Martinez‐Fernandez et al, 2012). These are complex phenomena and there is a great deal of variability in terms of how these trends play out across geographies.…”

Reoccupying Ecological Land for Excessively Expanded Rust Belt Cities in Traditional Grain Bases: An Eco-Economic Trade-Off Perspective

“…It could be explained from a certain point of view that the economic benefits of agricultural production or the planting industry are not attractive enough to farmers and other stakeholders, and this may lead to the problems such as vacant villages and abandoned cropland. To turn the situation around, some local governments have taken a series of actions such as investing in high-tech industries and developing multifunctional and modernized agriculture, demonstrating a commitment to change the face of their city [27,57,58]. For example, the investment and redevelopment in cultural events and sports was the first step in the transformation in Hamilton and it has shown remarkable evidence of urban improvement [58].…”

“…To turn the situation around, some local governments have taken a series of actions such as investing in high-tech industries and developing multifunctional and modernized agriculture, demonstrating a commitment to change the face of their city [27,57,58]. For example, the investment and redevelopment in cultural events and sports was the first step in the transformation in Hamilton and it has shown remarkable evidence of urban improvement [58]. However, in the long run, it might be more essential to rationally allocate ecological resources to build a green, efficient, and sustainable city, which could also be an opportunity for postindustrial cities to achieve revitalization.…”