Canada's cities are part of a new global force for social and economic change.

The views expressed in this publication are provided here to stimulate discussion and learning. They do not reflect the views of Canada’s World staff, reviewers, funders, collaborators, or the SFU Centre for Dialogue.

Increasingly the media, urban thinkers, politicians and publics see cities, especially larger cities, as a new international force and a new player in international diplomacy. Some think that Canada’s biggest cities, with their diverse populations and global connections, have the potential to play a bigger role  – one that would bring great benefits to Canadians and also extend Canada’s influence abroad. Others view Canada’s cities at the nexus of where many of our ‘new realities’ – communications revolution, indigenous rights, diversity, climate change – will be played out. They are less sure that our cities can take on a larger role, at least not unless pressing urban problems are addressed.

Canada’s urban centres, representing 80% of the population, could join networks of other leading global cities emerging as a new international force. Or they could carry on in a ‘business as usual’ mode, missing out on global opportunities and struggling to address systemic problems. Canadians all want their cities to thrive and contribute, but people have different ideas about how to make that happen and about the best balance between local actions and globally-focused actions. There are a range of possible answers to the following questions:

What role could Canadian cities play at home and in the world?

What choices might Canadians be prepared to make to support the actions needed to give cities a stronger global presence?

Will Canadian cities offer a model for others or fall behind in a competitive and globalized world?

Cities are powerful: most of the world’s wealth is generated in cities, and they house the majority of the world’s population. They also require up to 10 times their land area to support their population and activities and have other profound impacts on the environment.

More than half the world’s population now lives in cities: in some countries, the ratio is more than 90 %.  The UN HABITAT reports that large cities, especially mega-cities of more than 10 million, have changed the dynamics of urbanization and are hubs of economic activity that drive globalization. Cities like Tokyo, Frankfurt, New York, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Dubai and Bangalore have greater international prominence than many large countries. Acting as economic, cultural and economic engines, these mega cities have become powerful city-states.   With high productivity and key assets, they can be more nimble in responding to opportunities and challenges than their parent nation-states, and have more flexibility in arranging favourable agreements with other global partners than national governments in state-to-state-negotiations.

There are no Canadian cities among the 60 largest global cities. Some see this as a simple and appropriate reflection of Canada’s history and relatively small population.  While acknowledging this historical reality, others think that our cities could be stronger global players and contribute more locally, nationally and internationally provided that their most serious challenges are addressed. 

Some urban analysts think that Canada’s cities are at a crisis point. The Japanese ideogram for the word crisis combines the concepts of danger and opportunity.  The danger is that through inaction and lack of capacity, cities will have diminished quality of life and be less competitive. The opportunity is that Canada’s cities could realize their development potential and contribute more to the international community,  (provided that they address the most serious problems in a timely way. 

This discussion guide provides an overview of cities as the emerging dominant form of human settlement. It describes the state of Canadian cities within an international context, and then invites readers to consider approaches to shaping a future for Canada’s cities as players on the world stage.

Want to read the rest of this discussion guide? Download it in PDF format! Or join the conversation on the power of cities online!