Diversity and Urban Policy: The Case of Planning

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Diversity and Urban PolicyThe Case of Planning

• Caroline Andrew
• Centre on Governance
• University of Ottawa
• Presentation at the Canadian Ethnic Studies
  Association Conference,Thursday October 13, 2005

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• A sixth requirement is the elaboration of new
  notions of citizenship - multicultural and urban
  - This involves nothing less than willingness,
  on the part of host societies, to be redefined in
  the process of migrant integration, as well as
  openness to the new definition of common identity
  that emerges through an always contested notion
  of the common good and shared destiny of all
  residents
• Leonie Sandercock
• University of British Columbia
• Sustaining Canadas Multicultural Cities
• In C. Andrew Our diverse cities (2004)

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• The initial impact of multiculturalism is to
  bare cultural biases of purportedly neutral
  planning assumptions and policies Culturally
  sensitive planning is in its early phases. It
  comes in the form of allowing exceptions and
  variances from planning policies and standards on
  a case-by-case basis. Planning assumptions and
  standards are being called into question on a
  cultural basis, as they have been on gender and
  affordability.
• Mohammad Qadeer
• Queens University
• Urban Planning and Multiculturalism in Ontario,
  Canada in the H. Thomas and V. Krishnarayan
• (eds.) Race Equality and Planning (1994).

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• Multicultural planning is not a doctrine but
  rather a process of challenging traditional
  beliefs and focusing on citizen-centered planning
  outcomes. It involves active engagement in
  community development, education, communication,
  and integration.
• Wendy Au
• City of Vancouver
• Planning Amidst Diversity
• Plan Canada 40-4, 2000

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So - we can look at 3 kinds of planning
activities

• Official Plans
• Specific Zoning Questions
• Community Consultation/Participation

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Official Plans

• Ottawa 2020 (adopted 2003) plus 4 other
• growth management plans
• Human Services Plan
• Arts Heritage Plan
• Economic Strategy
• Environmental Strategy
• Was diversity taken into account?

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• 7 Guiding Principles to overall 2020 Plan
• No explicit recognition of diversity
• Human Services Plan
• 5 Strategic Directions
• Number 1 Diversity and Inclusion
• Diversity is an emerging value for the City of
  Ottawa (p. 20)
• Recognition of policy gaps
• Not much analysis of intersections of diversity
• Arts and Heritage Plan
• No explicit mention in vision, mission and 5
  strategic directions.
• One of 7 unlocked strategies
• Foster diverse, creative community activity

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• A fifth requirement is a better understanding of
  how urban policies can and should address
  cultural difference. This includes issues of
  design, location and process. For example, if
  various cultures use public and recreational
  space differently, then accommodating these
  differences may require designing new kinds of
  public spaces, or re-designing new ones

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Specific Zoning Decisions

• One unfortunate Ottawa example
• Zoning decision on funeral home
• Attempts by Chinese-Canadian community to
• raise the issue of the cultural incompatibility
  of
• funeral homes in residential areas.
• Technical criteria for zoning are embedded in
• the dominant cultural norms.

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Community Consultation/ Participation

• Ottawa 20/20
• Extensive public consultation
• But mostly focused around neighborhoods
• Human Service Plan
• Roundtable on Diversity and final version much
  stronger than draft plan

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Conclusion

• Ottawa 20/20
• Some good beginnings (Human Services Plan) but
• Plans adopted - spring and summer 2003
• Budget crisis - fall 2003
• Ottawa 20/20 set aside
• It may be coming back.
• One of Community Protective Services
• Priority projects 2005
• Neighborhood Planning
• Will it take diversity into account?