Browse Our Research
Video | 2022
Building a Residential Property Tax from Scratch: The Irish Story
Gerard Turley
In this video, IMFG Visiting Scholar Gerard Turley presents on the story of Ireland’s new residential property tax, covering the background and country context, design features, implementation, and reform lessons.
Find out more »
Find out more »
Presentation | 2022
Building a Residential Property Tax from Scratch: The Irish Story
Gerard Turley
On May 25, 2022, IMFG Visiting Scholar Gerard Turley presented on the story of Ireland’s new residential property tax, covering the background and country context, design features, implementation, and reform lessons.
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2022
A Seat at the Table: Municipalities and Intergovernmental Relations in Canada
Tomas Hachard
In the final paper of the IMFG’s Urban Project series, Tomas Hachard explores how Canada’s intergovernmental infrastructure could be reformed to include municipalities. Drawing on an analysis of how other countries have made space for municipalities in their intergovernmental processes, the paper offers four approaches to intergovernmental reform in Canada from eliminating unfunded mandates to strengthening trilateral relations.
Find out more »
Find out more »
Presentation | 2022
How the Built Environment Affects Public Trust in Canadian Municipalities
Fernando Calderón Figueroa
IMFG Graduate Fellow Fernando Calderón Figueroa explored the relationship between trust and the built environment of neighbourhoods across Canadian municipalities. First, he used data from Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey to show that trust is spatially concentrated. Second, he argued that the spatial composition of cities is positively correlated with trust, and that a having a lot of amenities in close proximity to each other promotes the kind of recurrent casual encounters that lead to higher levels of trust.
Find out more »
Find out more »
Video | 2022
How the Built Environment Affects Public Trust in Canadian Municipalities
Fernando Calderón Figueroa
On May 10, 2022, IMFG Graduate Fellow Fernando Calderón Figueroa explored the relationship between trust and the built environment of neighbourhoods across Canadian municipalities. First, he used data from Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey to show that trust is spatially concentrated — in other words, that people with similar levels of trust towards others tend to be in proximity to one another. Second, he argued that the spatial composition of cities — measured through people’s proximity to amenities like libraries, parks, and schools — is positively correlated with trust, and that a having a lot of amenities in close proximity to each other promotes the kind of recurrent casual encounters that lead to higher levels of trust.
Find out more »
Find out more »
Who Does What Report | 2022
The Municipal Role in Economic Development
Shauna Brail, Charles Conteh, Leann Hackman-Carty, Gabriel Eidelman, Tomas Hachard, Jason Adade
The three papers in this report identify where municipalities currently face constraints, how other orders of government can support municipalities, and where intergovernmental cooperation is needed.
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2022
Evaluating Affordable Housing Outcomes in Toronto: An Analysis of Density Bonusing Agreements
Julie Mah
Over the last several decades, municipalities have increasingly relied on the private sector to help build affordable housing. Julie Mah analyzes and maps the affordable housing outcomes achieved in Toronto through Section 37 agreements. Between 1988 and 2018, the ad hoc use of Section 37 generated a limited number of affordable units. However, as the city implements a new inclusionary zoning policy in November 2021, Mah’s analysis of where, how many, and what type of affordable units were produced through Section 37 agreements creates a baseline against which the new approach can be evaluated
Find out more »
Find out more »
Presentation | 2022
A New Engagement: Incorporating Newcomers into GTA Planning Processes
Shervin Ghaem-Maghami
On April 26, IMFG Graduate Fellow Shervin Ghaem-Maghami examined how selected municipalities in the GTA are engaging immigrants in planning decisions, and how such public participation activities can be improved to most meaningfully draw upon the strengths and adapt to the needs of newcomer communities.
Find out more »
Find out more »
Search Research Archive
Municipal World: Enid Slack on Municipal Finance
March 5, 2024
Daily Commercial News: Aaron Moore on Winnipeg’s Infrastructure
February 23, 2024
The Public Record: Alexandra Flynn on the ‘Strong Mayor’ Powers
February 22, 2024