What makes some cities great and others just ordinary? How can we make sure that we are doing our best to shape Canada's cities so that they are wonderful places to live and work for people who are poor or rich, young or old, recently-arrived or First Nations? How can we get governments - at all levels - to work together with common purpose to address the challenges of our cities today and in the future?
Cities as Crucibles is full of case studies and illustrations that make the "urban agenda" come to life. Drawing from his experience in both the municipal and federal government sectors, François Lapointe argues convincingly for new models of collaboration, better decision making within and between governments, and above all, for re-designing the platforms for citizen engagement. Like a good urban planner, Lapointe forces us to think long-term and beyond the boundaries of our individual urban realities, while at the same time, grounding us in issues that are both immediate and local.
Cities as Crucibles advocates strongly and passionately for a different urban world-view. Through the proposed reflections on Canada's urban future, the book explores the many dimensions and ramifications of an urban agenda, more specifically:
It documents the urban reality of Canada in a holistic manner, showing and explaining its intricacies and complexities in accessible and readable language.
It puts forward a number of proposals for the governance of Canadian cities in the context of the development and realization of Canada's urban agenda.
It seeks to elicit, among Canadians, further reflections about the country's cities and their future, with the hope that it will address the particular learning and participation needs of younger Canadians.
