City-regions have emerged as a critical focus of economic activity, governance and social
organization as a result of the ongoing processes of economic restructuring. Canadian city-regions
are limited in their capacity to respond to contemporary problems due to the functional
and structural limitations of outdated governing systems.
The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) is a system of voluntary cooperation
among twenty-one local municipalities. While this model has served the city-region well, its
limits have been reached in terms of its ability to deliver necessary region-wide policy responses.
Economic development, a crucial policy issue for urban regions, is characterized by vague and
ill-functioning relationships and by poorly-defined policies and programs between the member
municipalities and the regional tier. The GVRD is constrained by the fact that it can only do
what is delegated by its members, and decisions are often compromised in order to suit
conflicting local interests that exist throughout the region.
A new governing model for the city-region should foster a regional vision, and should be
appropriate for the responsibilities the city-region is expected to fulfill in this era of global
competition. A single-tier government is the most appropriate model for Greater Vancouver,
allowing comprehensive regional planning and innovative economic development to be carried
out with a strong regional voice, and for decisions to be made with a greater degree of certainty,
preserving the livability and economic health of Canada's fastest-growing city-region. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/7835 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Christie, Allison Veronica |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 6028668 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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