Making a Difference...in Toronto
U of T Continuing Studies is now offering a course in Civic Participation 101. So, who can offer a mirrored course in Ottawa? How soon can we get it delivered?
Toronto Course Description:
Course Details
Yes, you can. But you've got to know what you want and how to make your views help shape political decisions. We will start by discussing how conflicting interests can get in the way of enhancing city life: neighbourhood protection versus affordable housing, parking versus speeding up auto traffic, supporting the arts versus keeping property taxes down. We will discuss whether conflicting interests can be reconciled to form a coherent vision to be used when dealing with city officials and developers. Or do we establish a hierarchy of priorities and decide which interest groups should be served first? We will look at the real world of urban planning and city politics. What do planners want? What moves politicians? How can citizens get planners and politicians to not only listen but pay attention to what they are saying?
We will examine past citizen campaigns such as saving the Oak Ridges Moraine, shaping the Dufferin triangle and killing plans for an inner expressway grid. We will revisit, briefly, the amalgamation of Toronto and discuss how citizen participation has changed. We will look at how the Ontario Municipal Board changed from being seen as, "a court of last resort for citizens" to "an unelected body" making arbitrary and unpopular decisions. We will discuss whether the OMB or some similar oversight body is needed. What kind of urban democracy is this? We will invite guest speakers when it seems appropriate and work toward deeper understanding of public life.
