 |
Alan
Broadbent is Chairman & Chief Executive
Officer of Avana Capital Corporation and the Chairman
and co-founder of Tamarack. Alan is also the Chairman
of Maytree. Maytree's primary concern
is poverty in Canada, with a special focus on support
programs for refugees and immigrants in Canada.
Alan has been involved with social
justice issues and the funding community in Canada for
many years. He is the Chairman of the Caledon Institute
of Social Policy, Ideas that Matter and the Philanthropic
Initiative, Boston and the Past Chairman of the Canadian
Institute of International Affairs (CIIA), Canadian
Urban Institute (CUI) and Pacific Forest Trust. Alan
is a member of the Order of Canada and Senior Fellow
of Massey College at the University of Toronto.
Mary W. Rowe coordinates
the public discourse program of Avana Capital convening
discussions and events on a wide variety of topics in
the public interest. She is also the Editor of Ideas
that Matter, a quarterly journal published by Avana
through Zephyr Press.
For the last several years Ideas That
Matter has convened extensively around issues related
to the creation of healthier communities and the need
for more autonomy for Canada's urban regions. Mary is
the facilitator of the C5, a gathering of Mayors and
civic leaders from Canada's five largest 'hub' cities,
which have been meeting with Jane Jacobs since May 2001.
Ideas
that Matter
Back to top.
|
Alan Broadbent and Mary W. Rowe joined us
November 10, 2004 for the second seminar in our three-part
Urban Canada tele-learning series. The seminar higlighted
the unique needs and role of Canada's large cities.
On this page you'll find:
More than 80% of Canadians live in urban
areas making Canada the second most industrialized nation
in the world.
In recent years the mayors of our five largest
cities came together as part of the C5 initiative to promote
their unique needs. Statistics show that immigrants overwhelmingly
choose to settle in large metropolitan cities. Mid-sized cities
and municipalities are struggling to manage growth while suffering
the effects of downloading. And cities have become a hot political
topic with our current prime minister promising a "new
deal" for cities. Tamarack's three-part Urban Canada
series highlights the issues our cities are facing.
In 1999, Avana Capital, through its Ideas
that Matter division, initiated a series of discussions on
urban autonomy in Canada which resulted in the publishing
of Toronto: Considering Self-government, Towards a Greater
Toronto Charter, and the creation of the C5 (Vancouver, Calgary,
Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal), a city collaboration that
includes meetings of Mayors and civil society leaders on a
regular basis.
Avana Capital was honoured on May 26th, 2004
by the Canadian Urban Institute for its work in advocating
a new role for Canada’s largest urban regions. Alan
Broadbent, CEO, Avana Capital Corporation and Mary Rowe, director
of Ideas That Matter, received the City Renewal Award for
their efforts in the public realm.
"Whether from desire or necessity, to
attend school or find work, for love or acceptance, people
are moving to Canada’s biggest cities. And they are
staying." says Alan.
Back to top.
Alan and Mary discussed:
Hub cities & urban regions
- Urban regions - cities and municipalities who interact
with each other regularly and have reached a critical
mass
- Hub cities - Most provinces generally have a center
where most of their social and economic activity and innovation
occurs. These are "hub cities."
Why should we be concerned about
cities?
The issue of cities has grown in importance
as urbanization increased. Twenty-first century Canada is
predominantly an urban country. Most Canadians live in or
near our large or second-tier cities where the modern industries
of information and design are housed.
Modern economies are based on competition
between city regions (the fundamental economic unit) and not
nation states. If we are interested in economic prosperity,
we have to be worried about the health of our cities.
Cities are where things happen (i.e. they
are the media and cultural centres of the country and the
place where immigrants and refugees are more likely to settle).
Through their sheer size, they are the place where social
and cultural innovation takes place.
Hub cities and urban regions are not necessarily
better or more desireable places to live than other communities,
they are just where economic innovation and activity takes
place.
It's important, therefore, to consider the
city's power to control its own destiny. Currently they lack
the power and resources to do just that.
What's needed
- Power
- Resources
- A seat at the table
The principles of "subsidiary"
and "particularity"
The level of government closest to the people
requiring a particular service should deliver that service
because they are best able to determine fit. They should have
the fiscal capacity to fund the service.
One size does not fit all. A tailored approach
to governance is required.
We need to invest in our strengths, those
areas that are most likely to produce assets. Canada's current
wealth contributors are our urban regions. An investment in
them will be an investment in the entire country.
Back
to top.
- Past issues of Ideas that Matter magazine:
- Foreword
from "A New City Agenda" - This
foreword by Alan Broadbent argues that large urban regions
should have more control of their own destiny and should
have access to the tools required to look after themselves.
Back to top. |
