Rethinking the Region 2016: Region-forward Thinking - Program, Backgrounder and Discussion Guide

The case studies in this discussion guide look at four cities that have different answers to the question of how we should govern our regions. The cities fall on a spectrum from decentralized governance, in which municipalities retain autonomy, to more centralized governance, in which municipalities consolidate to form one local government. The Greater Toronto Area, which is dominated by the City of Toronto and its 2.6 million residents, falls towards the centralized end of the spectrum, though the presence of the 4 million other residents of the GTA creates a unique situation. Stockholm, Vancouver, and Portland represent more decentralized approaches with varying degrees of central authority over certain issues and varying means of deciding who occupies the offices of central authorities.