A new report called Smart Growth in Ontario: The Promise vs. The Performance was released today. The 41 page Pembina Institute study systematically assesses the province's performance on smart growth issues over the two years since former Premier Harris announced this initiative.
The report, prepared by Dr. Mark Winfield, Pembina's Environmental Governance Director, examines the government's performance in a series of key areas including: land use planning; fiscal and taxation policies; infrastructure funding: sustainable energy; and local and regional governance. The report highlights the gap between the government's smart growth commitment and the policies that it is actually implementing.
Dr. Winfield stated, "Properly implemented smart growth policies and principles can deliver multiple benefits, such as improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and the protection of prime agricultural and conservation lands, and sources of drinking water. As well, such policies can provide relief from traffic congestion, increase economic efficiency and reduce infrastructure construction and maintenance costs."
Unfortunately, instead of implementing smart growth measures, the report finds that the land use, taxation, and infrastructure funding policies that have encouraged and facilitated urban sprawl throughout southern Ontario over the past eight years remain in place.
Moreover, the SuperBuild program, identified by the province as its most significant smart growth implementation vehicle, is sponsoring a massive program of new highway construction in southern Ontario. This can only mean more sprawl, increased reliance on private cars for transportation, and greater congestion, smog and greenhouse gas emissions.
77% of SuperBuild's total transportation funding (and 40% of total spending in 2002/03) is now committed to major highway expansion. In contrast, only 15% of SuperBuild transportation funding, and 7% of its total expenditures has been committed to public transit.
Dr. Winfield concludes "The key decisions with respect to the future shape of urban development in Ontario lie in the hands of the provincial government. The choices it makes in the next few months will shape for the future of communities in Ontario for decades to come."
For more information call:
Kyle Ferguson at ECO — Environmental Communication Options
416-972-7401
Mark Winfield is Director of the Pembina Institute's Environmental Governance Program. The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit environmental policy research and education organization. The report, Smart Growth in Ontario: The Promise vs. The Performance can be viewed at www.pembina.org