This book project explores how new ideas and practices that come largely from outside traditional city management fields could help cities respond to emerging challenges and lead the way to a more sustainable future. This approach follows on the growing body of research showing that many breakthroughs in social problem solving are achieved by bringing together experts from diverse fields to think creatively and propose solutions outside the box. The book inventories the main sources of potential innovation; explores potential applications to community governance, planning, design and management; looks at how cities are (or are not) starting to respond to these innovations; and speculates on how these responses could be enhanced to maximize community sustainability. The project is being done in collaboration with Mark Roseland of Arizona State University.
This study focuses on the dynamics of surban "recentralization" - efforsts by local and regoinal governments to increase densities and the range of land uses so as to reduce urban sprawl and car dependency. Most of the case studies being examined are in new "downtowns" or areas adjacent to high-quality transit stations. The case studies are exploring barriers and successful implementation strategies in order to point to practical recommendations for moving forward. This study is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and is being led by Pierre Filion at the University of Waterloo.