Rural-Urban Linkages are multiple and complex

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Atlantic Canada’s Demographic Future:

Rural-Urban Interaction, Functional Regions &

How We’re all in this Together!

How We re all in this Together!

Presentation to C.D. Howe Policy Conference, Halifax, May 12, 2009

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Rob Greenwood, PhD

Director, Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development, Memorial University

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Overview Overview

• The Population Project: NewfoundlandThe Population Project: Newfoundland and Labrador in Transition

• Defining Rural

• Rural-Urban Interaction in Canada

• CRRF – FCM Alliance: Local

Governance of Rural-Urban Interaction

¾ Lessons from NL

• Political Power vs. Political Will

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Political Power vs. Political Will

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The Population Project: N&L in Transition

• 3-year umbrella projecty p j

¾ private sector & government funding

• Dr. Keith Storey, Research Directory,

• Harris Centre Advisory Board priority issue:

• aging population

• out-migration

• declining fertility rates

• rural to urban shift

• Initial research on commute workforce

• Stay tuned

• Stay tuned…

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CANADA RANKS IN THE MIDDLE OF OECD COUNTRIES: SHARE OF POPULATION IN

Norway Turkey

COUNTRIES: SHARE OF POPULATION IN PREDOMINANTLTY RURAL REGIONS

Austria Greece Finland Ireland New Zealand Sweden

France CANADA Iceland Portugal United States Austria

Italy Switzerland Czech Republic Spain Japan Australia

Luxembourg Netherlands United Kingdom Belgium Germany y

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Share of total population in predominantly rural regions, 1991

Source: OECD. 1996. TERRITORIAL INDICATORS OF EMPLOYMENT: FOCUSING ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT (Paris: OECD), Table 1.1 Canadian data are based on 1986 census division boundaries.

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In 2006, 19 percent of Canadians lived in rural and small town areas

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There are 4 “Rurals” (at least!)( )

1.Rural Adjacent (mixed economy; daily commuting to urban)

2.Rural Non-Adjacent (mostly primary resource)

3 R l R t ( tl i l i d t

3.Rural Remote (mostly single industry, northern; aboriginal)

4 Rural Amenity (cottage country retirement 4.Rural Amenity (cottage country, retirement

communities, resorts)

…and urban comes in all sizes, and relative position matters

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1996 Classifications

Census Metropolitan Areas Census Agglomerations

Non Census Metropolitan/Census Agglomeration AreasRural and small town areas

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Metropolitan Influenced Zones (MIZ) in Rural and Small Town Canada, 2001

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CMAs grow more than CAs - Rural Areas with stronger metropolitan influence grow more

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In the 1980 to 1990 period, one-third of Canada’s predominantly rural regions were “dynamic”

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Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) alliance with Federation of

(CRRF) alliance with Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)

Local Governance of Rural-Urban Interaction 1) Identify and map (GIS) linkages between

communities in “regions”, particularly urban and g p y rural relationships

2) Assess governance mechanisms used to manage 2) Assess governance mechanisms used to manage

these relationships, identify gaps, investigate alternatives

3) Assess the contribution of community linkages to sustainability and create a “regional development viability index”

viability index

¾ Which linkages contribute most to viability?

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Rural-Urban Linkages are multiple and complex

multiple and complex

• Trade and commerce

• Goods, Finance, Services, People, Information

• Functional integration

C b i i i

• Carbon sequestration, water protection, recreation

• Institutional integration

• Health education social economy NGOs familyHealth, education, social economy, NGOs, family

• Common environments

• Water, air, climate

• Common identities

• Local, regional, national, international

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Population Pyramid Characteristics

D Al i Si D t f G h M i l

Dr. Alvin Simms, Dept. of Geography, Memorial

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Functional Regions: Labour Centres

D Al i Si D t f G h M i l

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Journey to Work Patterns y

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Industry Concentration Index y

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Employment Dependency Index Employment Dependency Index

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Possible Types of Regional Governance Arrangementsg

Municipalities N&L, Community Cooperation Resource Centre

• Informal assistance/support

• Mutual aid – formal/written

• Contracted/purchase of service

• Formation of a joint service provider/organization

¾ Incorporated and unincorporated

• “Joint Councils” (eg. B.C. Regional Districts; Quebec MRCs)

• New regional municipal structures

¾ Mergers/regional municipalities

L i l ti ti R i l C il S i B d

• Legislative options: Regional Councils or Services Boards

Regional Collaboration is Key with Existing Capacity

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Political Power vs. Political Will: Need

for Greater Regional Capacity in Canada for Greater Regional Capacity in Canada

Political Power

Federal

Regional Provincial

Political Will g

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Political Will

Denzil Doyle

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Thank You!

• Comments?Comments?

Questions?

• Questions?

• Opportunities?

robg@mun.ca

www.mun.ca/harriscentre Yaffle.ca