Dr. Sandeep Agrawal, professor and inaugural director at the University of Alberta, discusses municipal amalgamation; its history, strengths and weaknesses. He talks about his exposure to planning through working in several cities: Winnipeg, St. Louis, Toronto and Edmonton, and explains that while nearly all amalgamations were presented as a cost savings option, none have resulted in this. Yet it still carries some benefits.
Amalgamations have been done from the 1950s onward with some with success, determining that bigger is not always better. While in many cases they have resolved inter-municipal disputes and improved water supply, they have also meant municipalities have run significant deficits and low staff levels have driven up costs. They are a direct response to rapid urban growth, and can further develop a rural/urban divide, but can also give a stronger economic presence and voice to the city.
He suggests that regional commissions get brought back into Alberta, and that they be kept unelected with a strong regional mandate. This presentation was a part of the Alberta Professional Planners Institute Annual Conference, Lifecycle of a Planner, October 2014.
