Ontario 360’s latest policy paper, “How Ontario’s Mid-Sized Cities Can Thrive,” outlines a new policy framework to help Ontario mid-sized cities attract investment, jobs and opportunities using place-based strategies.
The paper is co-authored by policy consultants Blair Gibbs and Carly Munnelly and former Munk School graduate student Luka Glozic and edited by Ontario 360 co-director Sean Speer. It sets out a “regeneration toolkit” to help municipal policymakers identify local strengths and weaknesses to inform economic development strategies.
The toolkit – which the authors apply to Oshawa, Peterborough, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay – draws on global best practices for place-based strategies, including local leadership, intergovernmental cooperation, and broad engagement with business, civil society, and the general population.
Future Ontario 360 policy papers, briefing memos, and online discussions will set out additional research and analysis on policy reforms for a post-pandemic recovery strategy, with the overarching goal of achieving higher rates of inclusive growth in the Province of Ontario and across the country.
