MWdigest April 2018
The fight for the future of our cities
Juice Check: Results
Case for investing in civic engagement
Power and Policy in Chinese Local Government
Planning Safe Outdoor Festivals and Events
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WHAT’S INSIDE – FOR SUBSCRIBERS
5
THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITIES
7
JUICE CHECK: RESULTS
9
I HAVE TO WRITE THAT DOWN
REGULARS
@MunicipalWorld
3
@MunicipalWorld @MunicipalJobs
A WORD FROM THE EDITOR
31 GOVERNANCE ZONE
13
33 MANAGEMENT ZONE 11
MUNICIPAL AMALGAMATIONS 35 CONNECTING THE DOTS
13 POWER AND POLICY IN CHINESE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
37 ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE
17 WATER CONSERVATION
39 COMING EVENTS
21 CASE FOR INVESTING IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
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23 ONTARIO’S MIDSIZED CITIES
25 NAVIGATING THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE
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28 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS
From the APRIL 2018 issue of CONTENTS COPYRIGHT © 2018
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MWdigest APRIL 2018
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE A word from the editor
Sharing more of your stories.
The fight for the future of our cities Municipalities have made great progress in reversing the negative effects of suburbanization, however, they now face a different challenge. Read more on how Canadian governments can live in the now and fight to make their communities livable for everyone.
Juice check: The results are in The results are in: Juice Inc. has released the findings from their Five Drivers of Energy survey. Find out which drivers are energizing and/or depleting you at work, and how they play a role in your day-to-day life.
Power and policy in Chinese local government There are some significant – but not necessarily obvious – differences and similarities between local government in China and in Canada. Read more on the role of power and policy in Chinese local government.
Case for investing in civic engagement Municipalities across Canada are investing in civic engagement so their citizens can participate with their local governments. Explore the possibilities that open up when a community adopts a broad-based approach to community engagement.
Editor’s flashback This online-only feature column highlights select articles from past issues of Municipal World’s monthly print magazine. In this issue, we share “Planning Safe Outdoor Festivals and Events” – by Brian Arnott and Ariana Mascote, from the February 2010 issue.
Coming Events
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The fight for the future of our cities James Wilson is Director, Data and Logistics for Municipal World. He can be reached at james@ municipalworld.com. Corissa MacDonald is the Social Media and Digital Marketing Assistant for Municipal World and is a recent graduate of Humber College’s Public Relations Advanced Diploma. She can be reached at corissa@ municipalworld.com.
Municipalities have come a long way. Work has been done to reverse the previous policies of urban sprawl, flight to the suburbs, and the fragmentation created by this approach. Many of our cities have become more vibrant: culture has returned to the cores and innovation abounds. But, that’s not to say that these efforts are a panacea; they have created a number of unintended consequences that threaten the future of our cities. Giving a keynote address at the 2017 International City/County Management Association conference in San Antonio, Texas, creative city guru Richard Florida had a poignant message for municipalities – not just in the United States, but in Canada as well: “The moment is now.” While our cities have made great strides in the past half century, cities of all sizes face new challenges – and the decisions that are made now can have long-lasting ramifications. Drawing on intensely personal stories, Florida began his presentation by outlining where our cities stood 50 years ago. He framed the recent history of cities against the background of his own childhood, growing up in Newark, New Jersey, where he experienced the riots that took place – riots that were largely caused by a combination of suburbanization, racial unrest, and income APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 5
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inequality. Newark was just one of over 150 cities that experienced some form of rioting in 1967. What Florida refers to as the “Old Urban Crisis” – the suburbanization, the lack of vibrancy in all but our largest cities, and (in some cases) the violence – has taken some time to overcome. And, while Canada’s experience was much more peaceful, many of those same policies around suburbanization had an impact on our cities as well. To be sure, progress has been made. Florida spent the first part of the presentation tracking his experience in trying to understand and, ultimately, improve the situation. Regardless of whether you subscribe to his “3Ts” approach (revitalizing our urban centres with Technology, Talent, and Tolerance), the fact remains that significant work has been done to promote cities as places where people want to live. It has meant changing policies; investing not only in technology, but also in arts and culture; and working to draw people back to the core. These changes are not only the work of urbanists like Florida, but also the work done by our community and business leaders who led us back to a place of relative prosperity. Current Reality There is no question that technology has driven us forward. For example, Canadian cities of all sizes have become mainstays on the Intelligent Communities Forum Smart21 lists. With arts and culture leading the way in rejuvenation, our downtown cores are showing signs of life, and are, ultimately, moving people back to our cities. Florida’s own experience in Toronto led him to call the city a “beacon of progressive urbanism.” And, the reality is rosy for those who can make their careers in a relatively affluent creative class. But, it’s clearly not benefiting everyone. There is a growing political divide and, while it is more prevalent in the United States (in light of the 2016 presidential election), it’s definitely growing in Canada as well. The growing affluence for an advantaged minority in our cities has lasting consequences. In our largest urban centres for example, housing prices are 6 | MWDIGEST | APRIL 2018
rising to the point where homeownership is largely unattainable for the current generation, requiring provincial level policies to be introduced to combat this reality. There is an everwidening divide between the haves and the have-nots creating an eviscerated middle class (what Florida refers to as a patchwork metropolis with pockets of affluence surrounded by disadvantage). A growing unrest provides an environment where populist messages can resonate. “Suburbanization” is happening again – except, this time, in reverse. Rather than the affluent seeking to leave the core, the growing gentrification and revitalization has pushed lower-wage citizens to the margins, forcing them to the fringes – and even out – of our cities. The phenomenon of a patchwork metropolis is playing out not just within a city, but between cities as well. Geographic inequality is growing alongside economic inequality as supercities collect assets and create a larger divide compared with their smaller counterparts. While Florida points to the extreme case of Northern California, where two areas have over half of the startup companies and more venture capital than almost any country, there are other examples all across North America. According to Florida, however, Canada faces a different set of challenges than the United States. While Canada faces less (though by no means an absence of ) inequality compared with our neighbours to the south, the clustering effect is much more stark. With the five largest regions representing over 50 percent of our GDP, it is becoming harder and harder for smaller and midsized areas to compete on any scale. So, what is our current reality? We’ve created a tremendous amount of success for our cities; but, the distribution of that success is largely unequal – and unsustainable. We’re coming back, but the pendulum may have swung too far. And, unless it’s addressed, it’s only going to get worse. We face a wake-up call – one that Florida refers to as the “New Urban Crisis.” Solving the Growing Challenge Given this challenge, the questions facing everyone who cares about our
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cities are: What are we going to do about it? What can we do about it? Florida laid out what he believes are some of the core solutions. First, there is a growing belief that it’s going to be the work of diligent local leaders to solve this: not only politicians, but those who work in the municipal sector – people who care about their communities and citizens, and who have the ability to take action. One of the major points that Florida pushes for is the devolution of power – both fiscal and political – to our municipalities, because of the connections that municipal leaders have on the ground every day. Florida suggests that one of the major political challenges – the reason for the divide – is the belief that “the other side is going to impose their values.” By drawing power to the local, it allows for local solutions to develop
More than just focusing strictly on the local, Florida said it’s the idea of partnership and integration that will help move us forward. By creating regional hub economies, rather than withdrawing and creating even more clusters, there will be more opportunities for communities to partner with other like-minded, geographicallyadjacent areas in order to further the common good. That idea of partnership should extend not only to other governments, he urged, but, to anchor institutions – institutions that have the opportunity to step up and invest in communities to improve the quality of life for all. In addition to the need for an investment in affordable housing, the need for better transit options, etc., Florida also called for the revaluation of work: making the jobs that need doing worth doing, and providing economic oppor-
The reality is that for all the strides cities have made – for all the opportunities and advantages that have been afforded to (at least some) urban citizens – the status quo is not sustainable. and reflect the communities in which we live and work. Further, based on the belief that everyone cares deeply about where they live, an emphasis on local solutions can help create more respect. Financial authority (and associated revenue-sharing programs) allows cities to accomplish what they need to get done and focus on the priorities that matter to them. While it is easy to suggest that municipalities should demand and receive more power, how do we get there? Yes, the influence of associations is significant, but the key is going to be getting more people with experience in municipal politics to get involved with other orders of government. There are going to be first-mover advantages to whoever can start to shift the earliest, so this should be of high priority to municipalities.
tunity for people to make a living wage. Florida praised the increase in Ontario’s minimum wage, but he also pointed out that it likely needs to be implemented at a regional or community level, rather than at a blanket rate. The Moment is Now For those interested in the future of our cities, Florida delivered a clear message: “We can’t tinker at the margins …” The reality is that for all the strides cities have made – for all the opportunities and advantages that have been afforded to (at least some) urban citizens – the status quo is not sustainable. How we address the issues in this “New Urban Crisis” is paramount. And, it’s going to be on our municipal leaders to find effective ways to not only survive, but thrive, in this new environment. MW
APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 9
KIM MULLIN Wood Bull LLP Partner
Wood Bull LLP is proud to announce that Kim Mullin has joined the firm as a Partner. Kim acts for public and private sector clients in complex municipal law and land use planning matters and related litigation. Kim’s clients value her practical, problem-solving approach and her highly responsive client service. Kim is recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada 2018 as a leading lawyer in Municipal Law. Prior to joining Wood Bull LLP, Kim was a Partner and Chair of the municipal and planning law group of a large Ontario law firm.
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Results of the survey
Sponsored by Juice Inc.
In last month’s issue of Municipal World, we introduced you to your executive function (E/F) and how it and the energized brain, together, are essential for your success. Our goal was to help not only reduce your depletion, but also to release your energy – however, before we could begin, we needed to identify the causes behind your depletion. The Juice Check is a validated energy instrument that has been administered to 40,000 people worldwide. In January, Juice Inc. and Municipal World partnered to bring this assessment to Canada’s municipal environment. We received responses from every role (C-level to individual contributor) and across a broad cross-section of local governments of varying types and sizes. Brady Wilson has a vision: organizations that pulsate with innovative energy. As the Founder of Juice Inc., he functions as a human energy architect, working with leaders to build the conditions in which innovation, value creation, and unforgettable customer experiences can flourish. He helps leaders step into life’s grittiest tensions, inspiring them to create a sustained approach to positive change – and better business results.
Key Findings The Juice Check assessed the Five Drivers of Energy by asking 25 questions that measure what’s energizing and/or depleting people at work. Here are the highlights of the survey results: 1. I Fit: Round pegs are in round holes – 82% feel a strong sense of fit in their roles. 2. I’m Clear: People feel productive – 87% believe they are achieving good results. 3. I’m Supported: There are three big energy drains – people aren’t getting important information, they’re not feeling equipped, and they’re experiencing too much unnecessary friction. 4. I’m Valued: There is big variance in the employee experience – C-level leaders are very energized and supervisors are drained. 5. I’m Inspired: 87% of respondents are energized by the results they are achieving at work. The Results: Driver by Driver I Fit – Fit is an area of strength in the municipal world. People feel they fit in their roles (82% energized) and belong on their teams (80% energized), but, surprisingly, they are experiencing unnecessary friction at work (57% drained) and don’t always feel safe (31% drained). For the purposes of this article, the answers “strongly disagree, disagree, and agree sometimes/disagree sometimes” signify respondents who are “drained;” the answers “strongly agree and agree” signify “energized.”
APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 11
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I’m Clear – Energy can be increased in the municipal environment by working on clarity. For example, people are not receiving information when they need it (45% drained) and can’t make sense of processes in their work area (37% drained). I’m Supported – Support is another area of opportunity for releasing energy. People don’t feel equipped with the time, tools, training, and systems they need to succeed (45% drained). A lack of career and growth opportunities is also depleting people (35% drained). However, people aren’t feeling micro-managed in the municipal environment: respondents feel they have the freedom and authority to do what they’re responsible to do (76% energized). I’m Valued – A good portion of the municipal population feels respected (74% energized). This is curious, given that many do not feel understood or listened to by their manager/supervisor (34% drained) and don’t feel recognized for their contribution (32% drained).
Survey respondents feel productive. A whopping 87% are energized by the results they are achieving at work. They also feel they have the opportunity to do the things they’re good at (81% energized). I’m Inspired – Survey respondents feel productive. A whopping 87% are energized by the results they are achieving at work. They also feel they have the opportunity to do the things they’re good at (81% energized). A quarter of the workforce does not feel a strong sense of pride/connection with the purpose of the organization (27% drained). And, a disquieting 35% do not feel inspired by the work/dedication of their colleagues. Slice and Dice: What the Demographics Say By title – If there is a group at risk in today’s municipal environment, the Juice Check indicates it is supervisors. In particular, they’re not getting the information they need (69% drained). Nor are they equipped with the time, tools, training, and systems they need to succeed in their role (50% drained). In contrast, C-level leaders are feeling reasonably energized (73%), which is produced by a strong sense of fit (76% energized) and clarity (76%). Correlations – A correlation of 0.68 or higher between two scores is considered a strong correlation. There is a very strong correlation between people who report to bosses who “get it” (have good listening skills) and people who: • feel valued (81%); • feel clear about their progress (80%); and • feeling supported (79%). There is also a very strong correlation between people reporting to bosses who are good coaches and people who: • feel they work for a good role model (83%); • feel listened to (78%); and
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• feel valued (73%). In the next article, we’ll unpack what these data points mean and how you can use them to release energy in yourself, with your colleagues, and with your teams. 12 | MWDIGEST | APRIL 2018
Power and policy in Chinese local government Andrew Sancton is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario in London. His latest book is the second edition of Canadian Local Government: An Urban Perspective, published in 2015 by Oxford University Press Canada.
Between 2005 and 2013, I made five different trips to China, initially to present guest lectures and attend conferences and later to work on a collaborative research project with partners in the School of Public Affairs at Xiamen University in Fujian province on the Taiwan Stait. Because many Canadian municipalities are interested in developing or maintaining contacts with Chinese universities. This article – and another to follow in a future issue of Municipal World – will share some of what I have learned about Chinese local government. It is important to understand the significant – but not necessarily obvious – differences and similarities between local government in China and in Canada. The collaborative research project ultimately resulted in a collection of essays edited by Zhenming Chen 1 and myself, entitled Citizen Participation at the Local Level in China and Canada.2 Perhaps surprisingly to some, the subject of citizen participation was originally suggested by our Chinese counterparts. In this article, however, I shall focus on contextual factors; Part 2 will focus on participation. Decentralized Government Anyone who looks at a map can see that Canada and China are both territorially very large. What is less well known is that, like Canada, China is remarkably decentralized, notwithstanding the dominant position of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The main territorial divisions within mainland China are five autonomous territories; 22 provinces; and four “centrally-administered municipalities” (CAMs) (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin) that report directly to the 1 Chen is the Dean of the School of Public Affairs at Xiamen University. 2 CRC Press, 2015. APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 13
INFORMATION IS OUR BUSINESS
central government and are, therefore, effectively on the same level as Canadian provinces. For our purposes here, there does not appear to be much reason to pay attention to the provinces, although observers commonly include them as part of the Chinese system of local government. Pierre F. Landry, one of the authors who refers to all sub-national units of government in China as being “local,” claims that China “is one of the most decentralized countries in the world,” and points out that “in 2002, local governments accounted for nearly 70 percent of all government spending.” 3 In any event, Chinese provinces do not have exclusive legislative or political authority over local government in the way that Canadian provinces have. Ultimate control over the Chinese system of local government rests with the national authorities in Beijing. But knowing about provinces is clearly important to knowing about China. They are probably the most important markers of Chinese regional identities. Counties and Cities Chinese provinces are divided into counties. But some entire counties are designated as cities. Such “countylevel cities” often consist of many town and townships, and hundreds of rural settlements. In other cases, cities have been separated from their rural hinterland within a county to produce another county-level authority. Groups of cities and counties have been merged to create “deputy-provincial cities.” There are fifteen of these in China. Like county-level cities, they include large swaths of outlying areas, which is one reason why the pre-existing units continue on within the city as “districts.” Such districts 3 Decentralized Authoritarianism in China: The Communist Party’s Control of Local Elites in PostMao China. Cambridge University Press, 2008, p. 3.
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4 Bin Chen, Terry L. Cooper, and Rong Sun, “Spontaneous or Constructed? Neighbourhood Government in Los Angeles.” Public Administration Review, Vol. 69, (S1) (December 2009): p. 113. 5 Julia Shen, “Reorganizing Urban Space in Postreform China,” in John Meligrana, ed. Redrawing Local Government Boundaries: An International Perspective. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2004, p. 198. 14 | MWDIGEST | APRIL 2018
have their own headquarters in which much of the local administration of the Chinese government is carried out. Cities are further divided into sub-districts (sometimes called “street offices”) and these, in turn, are divided into very small areas covered by residents’ committees. In Shanghai, a typical residents’ committee covers about 2,000 people. By 2006, 40 percent of residents’ committees were directly-elected, but few people volunteered to serve the committee and party personnel had to work hard to convince people to vote. Much of the voting was done by proxies. Observers have claimed that “The major function of residents’ committees is to transfer social welfare responsibilities and service provision from the local government to the local community.” Such responsibilities include “community health, public safety, family planning, conflict resolution, population census, social security, and so on.”4 Most of the staff time is spent on these administrative matters rather than engaging residents in community affairs. Between 1978 and 2004, the number of cities (i.e., all forms of cities described above, including the four CAMs) increased from 185 to 663. 5 Most have involved urban takeovers of rural areas, although, occasionally county-level cities are actually dominated by agricultural interests. In any event, it appears that the main motivation for creating new cities is to provide urban local governments with more access to land for urban development. The dynamic is similar to what has happened in Canada, especially in relation to the outright amalgamations (as opposed to incremental amalgamations) that have included small towns and large areas of agricultural land. Winnipeg, London, Halifax, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Greater Sudbury are perhaps the best Canadian examples. The main difference is that, in China, there is not even the pretence of public involvement in determining the nature of these amalgamations. In China, municipal authorities have a wide range of functional responsibilities. It is not easy to relate these responsibilities to the functions of Canadian levels of government,
except to note that the national and provincial levels are concerned with “policy, standards, and oversights,” while municipalities (various levels of cities) are more concerned with the direct provision of services. It is obvious, however, that Chinese cities (as
part of the state bureaucracy. Instead, they are served by the administration of the towns and townships in which they are located. Nevertheless, each village has a committee, whose members are not considered to be state officials (cadres). Because the mem-
There is much material available relating to taxation in China. The problem is trying to figure out how much autonomy – if any – exists for sub-national governments in setting rates. units of government) are especially concerned with urban development and, in this sense, they are very similar to Canadian urban municipalities. But because they are also concerned with so much else, it’s clear that their bureaucracies also act as the field offices for the central and provincial governments. Chinese citizens, it appears, need not know which level of government is responsible for what. They can go to city offices to get access to almost all types of government services. And, because the whole system is held together by the CPC, there seems to be relatively little of the intergovernmental conflict and blaming that is so common in Canada. This may be because local leaders (except at the village level) are appointed by the party organization at the next highest level, so it’s scarcely surprising that any dissatisfaction they might feel about national party policies is rarely expressed publicly. The main non-urban subdivisions of counties are towns and townships, of which there are many thousands in China. In rural areas, they are the most basic units of the organization of both the party and the government. Villages are technically not part of China’s formal system of local government because they do not house any 6 For a recent account, see Qichun Zhang, “Key Issues in Central and Local Government Finance in the People’s Republic of China,” in Naoyuki Yoshino and Peter J. Morgan, eds., Central and Local Government Relations in Asia: Achieving Fiscal Stability. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar, 2017, pp. 25-75.
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bers of these committees have been determined since 1988 by a process of relatively open and competitive elections, they have elicited considerable attention from scholars interested in China’s political evolution. Autonomy There is much material available relating to taxation in China.6 The problem is trying to figure out how much autonomy – if any – exists for sub-national governments in setting rates. It appears that there is very little. Many taxes are collected locally, and the revenue from these taxes (or a portion of it determined by a nation-wide formula) often stays in the location where it is collected. The Canadian equivalent would be to have a single national property tax, with each municipality keeping the revenue collected for its municipality. (The cities of Vancouver and Toronto, where property values are exceptionally high, would do very well from such a system!) Or, think of it as each municipality being allowed to keep a share of the sales tax collected within its boundaries. (Regional shopping centres at the edge of municipalities attracting shoppers from outside would be significant assets.) The key point is that, under this system, municipalities do not decide on rates of taxes. Chinese local governments collect revenue on transfers of business property, but there is no real equivalent to the Canadian property tax. They simply have to adjust expenditures to match the revenue that will be flowing in. For the Chinese, the APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 15
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local government’s ability to adjust Cities are supposed to remit a expenditure patterns in this way has percentage of these revenues to the only existed in the post-Mao period. central government; but, apparently, Before that, there was also a strong this rarely happens. When city govcentral presence in determining local ernments run out of land, they try expenditures. – usually successfully – to incorporate Most accounts of Chinese local govsurrounding rural counties. ernment point to the great importance There seems to be considerable eviof local-government enterprises. When dence that many local disputes about economic reform began in the late 1970s, land use in China are quite similar to most of the existing state enterprises those experienced in Canada, espewere turned over to local governments. cially during the period of massive What happened after that varied a great urban renewal in the late 1950s and deal from place to place, but what is 1960s. For example, the city governsurely remarkable (from a Canadian ment will present developer-sponsored perspective) is that much of the Chinese plans to clear out “slums” and replace economic miracle of the last few decades them with modern office and apartis based on economic decisions made by ment buildings; local residents will local officials. Think of the mayor of a object. (One of the objectives of our Canadian city having ultimate control joint research project was to deterover its major industry, and you then mine the extent to which, in the cases have some idea of how different the main we study, neighbourhood groups were features of Chinese local government able to influence such plans.) are from Canadian local government. Power Structure Although some of these Chinese local enterprises have effectively been privatBecause of the CPCs dominance ized, many remain linked in a variety within the Chinese system of govof complex ways to local governments.7 ernment, Canadians are likely to Their profits remain as an important intuitively believe one of the followsource of local revenue and as a magnet ing: that local governments in China to those seeking political power. cannot be very important; that the centre provides detailed direction; and Land Use and Development that everyone obeys the CPC because However, the most important assets they are all members of the same of city governments are land and credit. party. Such assumptions are simply City governments effectively own all wrong. It appears that local leaders in urban land. They have the authority to China have a great deal of power – a convey land to commercial users and kind of power not even dreamed of by to collect conveyance fees: Canadian local leaders. Some of this By leasing out land to commercial power (probably only a small part) users in all sorts of entrepreneurial derives from an apparent inability of ways (i.e., requisition of existing the Chinese central government to administratively allocated land for enforce all of its own rules. paid conveyance to commercial But there are two other much more users, expropriation of collectiveimportant factors. One is the vast ly-owned rural land at … cost and bureaucratic apparatus of the Chinese then converting it to land for constate that is largely under the control veyance to commercial users, etc.), of the local government within its termunicipal governments can collect ritory. The other is the huge economic substantial amounts of land convey- importance of local government enterance fees.8 prises. Finally, we should also consider that mayors of large cities in China – especially the CAMs – often also play 7 Yi-Min Lin, Dancing with the Devil: The important roles in the CPC and in Political Economy of Privatization in China. institutions of the central government. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. In Part 2 of this article, we’ll turn 8 T.G. McGee et al., China’s Urban Space: Deattention to participation in Chinese velopment under Market Socialism. New York: Routledge, 2007. local government. MW 16 | MWDIGEST | APRIL 2018
Case for investing in civic engagement
Sponsored by Bang the Table
Ron Shaw is President of Ron Shaw & Associates. Ron has spent four decades working in and around local government, including more than 20 years as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Stratford, Ontario. Matthew Crozier is CEO and Co-Founder of Bang the Table (www.bangthetable. com). Matt has spent the past 10 years working with hundreds of government organizations in five countries around the world to successfully implement online community engagement strategies.
This is the first in a series of three articles on exploring the results municipalities can achieve by adopting a broad-based approach to community engagement. Around the world, most municipalities heavily invest in civic engagement and outreach so that their communities can have a say – beyond the ballot box – on the development of policies and services that affect their lives. This engagement is often mandated by statute, and even a minimalist approach (doing only what is required) carries a hefty cost. Anecdotal reports abound of the same small group of people turning out to meetings, with little or no inclusive representation from the wider community. And, given the frequently reported community feelings of disenfranchisement, it would seem this form of engagement is not very effective. So, if going through the motions is expensive, time consuming, and results in community cynicism, perhaps it’s worth considering methods that reach more people and result in more effective engagement. Well designed and implemented, broad-based community engagement works: • It increases satisfaction with government performance. • It enhances trust in civic institutions. • It helps make better, more robust, and resilient solutions, which, in turn, saves large amounts of time and money. Increasing Satisfaction with Government Performance Citizens have expressed the desire to engage with their local governments. Not only do they want to share their views during engagement sessions in cities across the world, but they are also demanding channels where they can participate in the
APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 17
decisions of government; connect with representatives; and, know their input has meaning and relevance.1 In 2011, the Australian research company Micromex Research & Consulting conducted an analysis of civilian satisfaction with the performance of Australian municipalities. Based on over 30,000 interviews, they found that when respondents were asked about how they measured a city’s performance, they resorted to listing “basic services” such as roads, rate levels, and trash collection. However, other factors came to the forefront when a deeper analysis of revealed preferences was carried out. Stuart Reeve, the Managing Director of Micromex Research & Consulting, states: “Across our analysis of over a dozen LGAs [Local Government Authorities], we could see that the key drivers of overall satisfaction with council was the content and scope of council interaction with its residents. In fact, in most studies, the community engagement variables contributed 20 to 30 percent toward overall satisfaction. Community engagement is critical.”2 It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that a community is happiest when it feels well informed about a municipality’s business and has opportunities to be part of policy formation. The Micromex study shows that the extent to which a community feels engaged is consistently one of the most important factors in explaining community satisfaction.
nations, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. However, peer-to-peer influence is becoming more powerful than top-down information sharing, which makes it even more important for institutions to provide their best networked community members with good quality, accurate, and shareable information. Simply put, the better-, more-accurately-informed and involved that a community is, the more likely they are to trust the institution that is engaging with them. Trust is something that has been in short supply in many communities, but Edelman’s research clearly suggests that engagement is one way to build stronger trust with your community. Getting Better Results and Making Better Decisions In 2010, in a now-notorious case study of what not to do when developing public policy and delivering services,3 Chris Christie (the then-mayor of Newark) and Mark Zuckerberg (the founder of Facebook) appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to announce their $200-million program to turn around the failing Newark school system. They attempted to implement the program with the use of outside experts, paying no regard to the local community’s knowledge. And, because their appearance on Oprah was the first most people had heard of the program, the result was a public outcry. The community protested and the next mayor
In an era of dogmatically-divided communities seeking news that suits their personal value sets, it is ever more important that institutions have a direct way of engaging with their community. Enhancing Trust in Civic Institutions Public demand for increased accountability and transparency is shifting how local governments are engaging with the public. In an era of dogmatically-divided communities seeking news that suits their personal value sets, it is ever more important that institutions have a direct way of engaging with their community. For a government organization to not only ensure that facts are correctly communicated, but to also listen carefully to their community’s voices, it must move past allowing the media to act as an engagement conduit between them and their community. Over the past decade, the Edelman Trust Index researchers have noted an increasing gap between the well-informed and poorly-informed public with regards to trust in public institutions. And, this gap continues to grow in most developed 1 Paraphrased from discussions held in 2013-2014 with citizens in St. Catharines, Toronto, London, Thunder Bay, Kitchener, Ottawa, and Brampton, https://www.ontario.ca/page/open-government-engagement-team. 2 Stuart Reeve, “What role do unstated expectations play in community satisfaction with local government?” Bang the Table, July 2011, http://www. bangthetable.com/council-satisfaction-model/. 3 Melody Barnes and Paul Schmitz, “Community Engagement Matters (now more than ever).” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Spring 2016, https://ssir.org/articles/entry/community_engage8ment_matters_now_more_than_ever. 18 | MWDIGEST | APRIL 2018
of Newark even campaigned against the plan as part of his election bid. Large amounts of time and money were wasted in this endeavour. The Newark example stands out as a classic lesson in the folly of trying to impose externally-conceived solutions on a community without involving that community in the process. However, this is far from an isolated occurrence. Capacity Building and Engagement How often have there been plans for an infrastructure project that floundered at a late stage because of community protest? How often do we see carefully prepared strategies turned over by a newly-elected official because the strategy had no broad-based community support or understanding? How often do we see resources being used up in lengthy and expensive legal appeals? Situations such as these happen in many institutions and present significant costs. Enlightened city managers, however, are realizing that there is a better way. The answer lies in not only building the capacity of the community, but also building the community’s ability to engage with government processes. The next article in this series, in the May issue, will speak to the importance of online community engagement.
editor’s flashback Planning Safe Outdoor Festivals and Events by Brian Arnott & Ariana Mascote
Brian Arnott is a Founder and Senior Partner of Novita, Canada’s oldest cultural consultancy. Novita is currently working on the new Grace Hartman Amphitheatre in Sudbury among many other municipal cultural festivals and events projects. Ariana Moscote Freire is Novita’s Head of Research.
This article was originally published in the February 2010 issue of Municipal World.
As hard as it is to believe in the midst of a Canadian winter, another great season of outdoor festivals is just around the corner. These events will range from marathon runs, to Canada Day in the village park, to outdoor concerts with international headliners and thousands of attendees. Most municipalities now provide support to their special events. Larger cities have fully staffed departments overseeing heavily programmed sites, and their role goes beyond managing municipally-run events to supporting third-party organizers. Big or small, all municipalities share the goal of making these events a great experience for the community. While accidents are rare, public safety at festivals and events is not to be taken for granted. Last summer, a few incidents served as reminders of what can go wrong. An accident during the set-up of a Madonna concert in Marseilles, France killed two crew members. Closer to home, a sudden storm caused the collapse of an outdoor stage at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta, leaving one person dead and injuring at least a dozen more. Areas of Risk The nature of risk in outdoor events arises from two fundamental realities. First, outdoor events typically involve temporary structures. Second, they can include large crowds of people who may be tightly packed, standing, sometimes in the dark. The unpredictability of weather brings further elements of risk to the mix. Adding to the complexity, no two events are the same; each has a specific site, programming, structures, and weather conditions at play. “Everything we do always has a risk management plan in place,” says Alan Jazbac, production manager for the City of Toronto’s Signature Events, which include Nuit Blanche, WinterCity, and events produced on Nathan Phillips Square. “We try to never take anything for granted … we’re always re-evaluating, and asking ourselves what we’ve done to mitigate risk.” Temporary structures – The stages which are used for outdoor concerts can be large and complex; some have been designed by engineers and time tested. But, time tested or not, these are still temporary structures not buildings. Unlike buildings, they are not generally subject to rigorous site plan approval or to building code compliance; they do not use traditional construction methods
APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 19
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and materials; they have no foundations to hold against wind forces; and building officials do not normally supervise their assembly. Furthermore, temporary concert stages today are not just platforms for performers; they also have roof superstructures and lots of heavy production gear overhead – all subject to massive wind forces – both laterally and vertically. Accompanying structures, such as towers for lighting, cameras, and control positions, are equally subject to wind forces and the effects of crowds. All too frequently, these are also constructed from scaffold systems, and rarely are they engineered. If the engineered and time tested professional stages such as the one in Camrose can fail, municipalities need to look even more carefully at the stage that a tour operator or local promoter cobbles together out of scaffold frames, plywood decking and aluminum trussing. “For our city-run events we apply for our own permits. We make sure to do an engineering review if the site doesn’t fall under the definition of a ‘building’.” For example, a tower does not fall under the definition of a building because it doesn’t have the square footage; but still, precautions need to be taken. “All sites are inspected before the event is staged,” says Jazbac. Structural integrity of stages and other structures is not the only risk. Most stages require temporary hookups of high voltage power for lighting and sound, which involve loose cabling, lots of plugs, and connectors producing conditions that can become hazardous during and after rainfall. Crowds – The other fundamental aspect of the risk associated with outdoor events is in the nature of outdoor crowds; panic conditions in outdoor settings are rare, but not unheard of. Whereas the building code is very specific and stringent in its requirements for assembly occupancies – especially in ensuring that the architecture is built to support safe egress of a densely populated area in a panic situation – no such strictures exist on an open civic square or grassy park.
Decorative features such as low walls, planters, and benches become serious hazards in a panic situation. Even small surface irregularities, such as loose pavers, curbs, and drains, can become hazards in these instances. Insufficient lighting only makes matters worse at night. “One of the variables we always try to take into account,” says Jazbac, “is to assume that we’ll have a large crowd, and take all the precautions based on that.” Weather – Unexpected and inclement weather is responsible for potentially risky situations. Some of these may be less dramatic than what occurred in Camrose, but are still very serious. “We have a policy that, if there is lightning, the show stops,” says Jazbac. But importantly, the city also makes plans for proceeding under certain conditions, such as light snow or light rain. “We had a pyrotechnic event where we were able to continue the show as snow began to fall, and it was beautiful,” he added. How Municipalities Can Mitigate Risk As municipalities have become more involved in planning and facilitating special events, staff have been developing procedures to ensure events run smoothly. Good policies and practices related to special events, planning that begins well in advance of the activity, and consultation with all players are some of the key elements in ensuring safety and success. Dedicated events offices – “When you go to an outdoor site, you have to put together a little ‘village’ when you set up … it can’t be done without the municipality,” says Harold MacKay, a promoter behind major outdoor concerts in Atlantic Canada, including a Paul McCartney concert held on the Halifax Commons last year. Dedicated events offices or “event centrals” exist in most large municipalities. The City of Edmonton’s Civic Events Office was established three years ago, with the objective of increasing service to event organizers, by operating as a “one-stop shop” for events taking place on city property.
20 | MWDIGEST | APRIL 2018
Sources of Risk for Outdoor Festivals and Events Risks Associated with Permission
►► permit form does not cover all relevant issues ►► permit requirements are not enforceable ►► compliance to permit requirements is not enforced
Risks Associated with Emergency Plan
►► poor chain of command ►► poor communication protocols on-site ►► lack of public address capacity ►► first aid services not present on-site ►► police and emergency services not advised and briefed ►► inadequate emergency routes on-site
Risks Associated with Public Health and Safety
►► no mitigation of potential for lighting strike ►► no shade ►► no access to potable water ►► poor supervision of food service ►► poor management of toilet facilities ►► poor management of food waste and garbage ►► operation of motor vehicles and equipment within crowds ►► overhead wires ►► poor use of temporary barriers and fencing
Risks Associated with Outdoor Surfaces
Common to Hard and Soft Surfaces
►► insufficient surface illumination in dark conditions
Hard Surfaces and Objects
►► low walls ►► trip hazards, such as small irregularities, loose pavers, low curbs, drains, and depressions ►► planters and fixed outdoor furniture ►► loose chairs
Soft Surfaces and Plantings
►► not fully accessible to mobility impaired ►► graded lawns slippery when wet ►► trip hazards, such as planting beds, hard to see grade changes ►► trees that are diseased or structurally unsound
Risks Associated with Temporary Structures
Effects of Wind on Structures
►► insufficient anchoring and resistance to upload forces on floors and roofs ►► insufficient resistance to lateral wind forces ►► trip hazards associated with guy wires ►► equipment, loose materials, and signage not tied down or fully secured
Rigidity and Bearing Capacity of Structures
►► modular systems not sufficiently engineered ►► insufficient floor loading capacity, lateral and diagonal support ►► insufficient roof loading capacity to support structure and suspended equipment ►► sub-standard rigging materials and practices
Risks Associated with Temporary Power and Signal Installations
►► installation by unauthorized or uncertified forces ►► power supplies and connections not fully secured from all but certified forces ►► insufficient grounding and protection from shock potential ►► insufficient protection of power from water and dampness ►► cables laid on the ground ►► suspended cables not fastened to secure support or without strain relief
APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 21
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The role of the office is to meet with organizers (both internal and external to the corporation) and conduct an assessment of their event proposals, and then make recommendations for any changes required to ensure that the necessary services are in place, and that city by-laws are met. “[The establishment of the office] has elevated our scale and confidence in the delivery of service. It has increased our professionalism and made it easier for event organizers, since people just need to call one place … the need to navigate bureaucracy has disappeared. It has [also] reduced legal requirements so that now only one permit is required, not five,” according to Ellen Finn, director of the office. Interdepartmental committees – Keeping lines of communication open between event organizers and municipal staff in all departments is critical, right from the time the planning process begins to the day of the event. According to promoter MacKay, “We all have the same objective – which is to hold events and make them safe and enjoyable for everyone. So, in our planning process, we work with municipal staff, fire services; we operate on committees; we put in place disaster plans for all sorts of ‘what if ’ situations, such as thunder, lightning, and torrential rain; and we prepare documentation. Come showtime, we’re ready, we have a plan, and everyone is on-side.” “We’ve found that if you don’t include absolutely everyone, it doesn’t work – we hold bi-monthly and then bi-weekly meetings with health and security llimbury 2014 Bradford West Gwi Town of day October 27, personnel from the municipality. The subject matter may or may not pertain to tion Mon Elec 2014 Municipal Status School Support d War each individual, but it helps for people to hear what’s going on.” For instance fire services hears what police are doing, etc., says MacKay of his experiences in municipalities. BWG Library, Zima Room, lic School, Fred C. Cook Pub there In Edmonton, isool,an interdepartmental committee (“implementation Rowe Public Sch Honourable Earl r Public School, Sir William Osle ry School, team”) composed W.H. Day Elementaof EMS, traffic operations, transit services, police, fire and by-law services, plus additional specialists as required for the event. This team meets regularly, and there is a parallel management team that meets bi-monthly. Offline discussions are held for matters that might not require the full team’s attention. According to Finn, the establishment of the new Civic Events Office and West Gwillimbury 2014 interdepartmental “has been good, in that it has brought together Town of Bradford committee October 27, Election Monday 2014 Municipal Status Support in the corporation who work on events – so there’s a people fromWarvarious places School d ‘community of practice’.” Prior to the establishment of the office, cross-departmental meetings were happening, but there was less consistency, as different Library, Zima Room, BWG School, lic staff members participated each time. Fred C. Cook Pub ool, Rowe Public Sch Honourable Earl r Public School, iam Osle Sir Willof At the City Toronto, a slightly different approach is used, whereby event School, ry enta Elem W.H. Day support teams are set-up for each event, with members of staff from departments relevant to the specific event. The Special Events Office provides the point of coordination for these initiatives. Regardless of the approach, there needs to be an emergency plan with clear channels of communication. Police, fire, emergency, and first aid services need to be involved well in advance of the event. On-site public address and communications protocols must be put in place. Access routes must be defined and kept clear throughout the event. Single point of contact – For Harold Mah, Event Support Manager for the City of Toronto, “It’s important to have a point person at the city – it helps to streamline the process for event organizers.” Mah’s office is responsible for facilitating events organized externally to the city and taking place in the public realm (sidewalks, roads, city streets, etc.). Examples include the Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto Fashion Week, Luminato, Toronto Pride Parade – all of which work closely with the municipality to ensure audience, crew, and artist safety. Mah advocates that municipal event officials should not wait for organizers to come to them, but must take a more proactive approach by contacting event organizers to ensure they are aware early in their planning process of the resources available to them, and of the requirements for ensuring safety. On October 27, 2014
you On October 22, 2018
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“It’s about discussion with stakeholders at the earliest point possible, so there are fewer headaches for all involved,” he says. Knowledge also needs to be supported by good processes and procedures. Permitting policies, regulations, and forms should be comprehensive, covering every possible contingency. Permits must also be enforced to ensure compliance. In Edmonton, a festival liaison is assigned to each event. This individual becomes the point of contact for the event organizer, and ensures that permits are received, that there is proof of insurance, that the Building Code is met, and that all necessary inspections take place for things like temporary tents and food services. On the day of the event, the festival liaison is on site. This allows the city to monitor the event and ensure compliance. On-site presence – For Finn, in Edmonton’s Civic Events Office, an added benefit of on-site monitoring is that “it allows us to learn from our experiences so we have
constant improvement of what we see at events. We look for ways of mitigating risk and ways of improving public enjoyment.” The day of the Camrose stage collapse, the Edmonton civic events staff were at a major heritage festival at one of their parks. Based on a prior recommendation from the implementation team, an on-site “command centre” had been set up due to the size of the event. “This is an event with 65 organizations, food, entertainment, crafts, and more. At any point, there might be 50,000-100,000 people in the park,” explains Finn. The team had been monitoring the weather throughout the day and, about half an hour before (unbeknownst to them at the time) the stage collapsed a few kilometres away, a decision was made to evacuate the park as a preventive measure. It was an example of a municipality taking a step, perhaps erring on the side of safety, to prevent a possible calamity.
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“We were in position to make the call, and decided it was best, because if the wind picked up it wasn’t going to be safe,” she said. Learning from past experiences – Municipalities such as Toronto and Edmonton feel confident they are doing everything in their power to ensure a positive festival and event experience for all involved – including making safety and emergency planning a priority. There are always “tweaks” and attempts at improvement. In the wake of what occurred in Camrose, of Edmonton’s planning department will be requiring that all temporary stages have a building permit. (The specifics of the new requirement are still being defined.) “There are always things you want to improve – I think set up and strike down functions are an area where there could be more improvement in terms of occupational safety and protection of the public in site setup,” says Finn. But, overall, “I personally think [municipalities] do a very good job,” says MacKay, the concert promoter. “The immediate response from an insurance company is going to be: ‘Are you prepared?’ So, they’re on top of it. No one wants to be responsible for causing an incident.” Municipalities also do a good job of protecting themselves in the event of an incident. They typically require third-parties to have a minimum of $2 million of liability insurance, and enter into contracts with groups for the events they wish to hold on city property or in public space.
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Conclusion Our concern for public safety should not impede the enjoyment of the festivals and events that so many Canadians attend every summer. We have the knowledge to carefully assess the physical risks, and to ensure that adequate measures are taken to mitigate them. With proper planning and a risk management plan in place, municipal staff can ensure they are keeping doors open to exciting events, rather than taking a fearful approach. “Sometimes organizers want to close off certain roads, and the special events department comes back and explains why – frequently for health and safety reasons – some of the request might not be permitted, but we always come back with alternatives,” says Toronto’s Harold Mah. “I’ve been with the city in this role for 10 years. I like to say that only once in that time have I had to say ‘no’ to an event.” Edmonton takes a similar approach. “We don’t make judgments on the activities that are part of the event. For instance, if it’s a high-risk event, we assess the proposal based on what is required to hold the event, such as more police, or more insurance. Rarely would we say that an activity can’t occur,” says Finn. There are very few things in life that are as carefree and relaxing as an outdoor festival – and that’s the way it needs to be. MW
Further References
Ontario Ministry of Labour, Safety Guidelines for the Live Performance Industry in Ontario. <www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/guidelines/liveperformance/gl_live_pub.html> Theatre Alberta and Alberta Employment, Immigration & Industry, Safe Stages, 2007. <www.theatrealberta.com/documents/SafeStages2007.pdf> Paul Dorman, “Fostering Community Vitality, Managing Risk,” Municipal World, October 2006. Festivals and Events Ontario - Resources – Risk Management & Insurance. <www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca/page.asp?catid=11&pageid=29>
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coming events calendar May 1 – Disaster Resilience & Recovery Workshop Saskatoon SK. https://www.seda.sk.ca/ html/seda-events/Disaster-Resilience---Recovery-Workshop/index.cfm May 2-3 – Urban Transit Infrastructure West Vancouver BC. https://www.canadianinstitute. com/urban-transit-infrastructure-west/ May 2-4 – 2018 OSUM Conference and Trade Show Niagara Falls ON. http://www.osum.ca/ Events/2018-OSUM-Conference.aspx May 6-9 – 112th Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Annual Conference St. Louis MO. http://www.gfoa.org/conference May 6-9 – 2018 North American Snow Conference Indianapolis, IN. http://snow.apwa.net/ May 6-9 – MISA Prairies 2018 Conference and Trade Show Red Deer AB. https://event. crowdcompass.com/prairies2018 May 10-13 – Association of Yukon Communities 2018 Annual General Meeting Dawson City YK. http://www.ayc-yk.ca May 14-16 – NIGP 2018 ARNIGP Conference and Vendor Expo North Little Rock AR. https://www.arnigp.org May 14-17 – Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) 2018 Conference: Bridging the Gap Windsor ON. http://cnam.ca/events/conference/2018-conference/ May 14-18 – 55th International Making Cities Livable Conference on Healthy, 10-minute Neighbourhoods Ottawa ON. http://www.livablecities.org/conferences/55th-conference-ottawa June 3-6 – Regional Studies Association (RSA) Annual Conference 2018: A World of Flows: Labour Mobility, Capital and Knowledge in an Age of Global Reversal and Regional Revival Lugano, Switzerland. http://www.regionalstudies.org/conferences/conference/ rsa-lugano-2018 June 3-6 – MISA Ontario 2018 Annual Conference Hamilton ON. http://www.misa-asim.ca/ events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1036628&group= June 6-7 – Automated Vehicles 2018 Planning for Urban and Rural Transitions Edmonton AB. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/conf/vehicles/default.aspx June 10-13 – 2018 Annual Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) Convention Blue Mountains ON. http://www.amcto.com/ Education-Events/Annual-Conference/2018-Annual-Conference June 13-15 – SCMA National Conference Exploring Beneath the Surface St. John’s NF. http:// scma.com/national/en/events/national-conference June 13-15 – Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative 2018 Annual Meeting and Conference Ajax ON. https://glslcities.org/events/annual-meeting/ajax-2018/ June 17-20 – ALARA World Congress Northfield VT. http://www.cvent.com/events/alaraworld-congress-2018/event-summary-42ed3a41a8a24ca4add0709265e06fea.aspx APRIL 2018 | MWDIGEST | 25
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