Planning Politics in Toronto: The Ontario Municipal Board and Urban Development

by Aaron Alexander Moore

Overview

The Ontario Municipal Board is an independent provincial planning appeals body that has wielded major influence on Toronto’s urban development. In this book, Aaron A. Moore examines the effect that the OMB has had on the behavior and relationships of Toronto’s main political actors, including city planners, developers, neighbourhood associations, and local politicians.

Moore’s findings draw on a quantitative analysis of all OMB decisions and settlements from 2000 through 2006, as well as eight in-depth case studies. The cases, which examine a variety of development proposals that resulted in OMB appeals, compare the decisions of Toronto’s political actors to those typified in American local political economy analyses.

A much-needed contribution to the literature on the politics of urban development in Toronto since the 1970s, Planning Politics in Toronto challenges popular preconceptions of the OMB’s role in Toronto’s patterns of growth and change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442699465
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	02/26/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Aaron A. Moore is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Winnipeg.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments; Contents; Tables; Charts; Figures; Maps; Abbreviations

1. Introduction: The OMB in North America

2. Local Political Economy Theory and Toronto

3. The OMB and the Politics of Urban Development

4. OMB Appeals in Toronto from 2000 Through 2006

5. Experts and the Planning Community In Toronto

6. The Politics of Toronto’s Development Industry

7. Neighbourhood Mobilisation in Toronto

8. Politicians and Urban Development in Toronto

9. The OMB and Local Political Economy

Appendix A: Studying Local Political Economy

Notes

References

Works Cited

City Of Toronto Documents

City Of Toronto By-Laws

Ontario Municipal Board Archives

Ontario Municipal Board Decisions

Provincial and State Legislation

Interviews

What People are Saying About This

Caroline Andrew

“The Ontario Municipal Board exerts a powerful influence over urban development, but it is very much understudied. In Planning Politics in Toronto, Aaron A. Moore addresses this gap through valuable case studies supported by extensive data. Moore’s thorough knowledge of the literature and his ability to synthesize this knowledge make his book a major contribution to research.”

Editorial Reviews

The Ontario Municipal Board exerts a powerful influence over urban development, but it is very much understudied. In Planning Politics in Toronto, Aaron A. Moore addresses this gap through valuable case studies supported by extensive data. Moore’s thorough knowledge of the literature and his ability to synthesize this knowledge make his book a major contribution to research.”—Caroline Andrew, Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa

From the Publisher