Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2004. / Advisor: Kenneth Cruikshank. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 232-250). Also available via World Wide Web.

The move toward establishing regional government in Ontario reflects the recognition by both local and provincial governments of the inadequacies of the present governmental structure to deal with development issues of a regional nature. The requirements of a rapidly urbanizing and growing population are those whose discussion and provision is most efficiently made by a form of government larger than the existing municipality and smaller than the provincial government. The hypothesis states that altering the provincial departmental organization is a necessary prerequisite to successful establishment of the planning function within the regional government. It is based on the argument that with the creation of regional government throughout the province, the existing operational framework of the departmental organization of the provincial government is not sufficiently coordinated to deal with planning issues for regional development. To defend the argument, documentation and analysis is made of the development of both local and provincial government. This gives a back ground upon which to establish how and why there may be problems in coordinating the implementation of planning policy for regional development and to make suggestions of possible changes. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate