Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 03

GOVERNMENT only a call to action, it is a recognition of the limitations of contemporary gover- nance frameworks, off-the-shelf policy prescriptions, and incrementally focused “best” practices. In fact, the Broadway Plan represents a unique opportunity to dem- onstrate how a differentiated portfolio of human-centred designs (ie., “tiny” homes, “superblocks,” complete streets, stream restoration ) can transform the Broadway study area into a much more interesting place to live, work, and learn. Because of its scale and ambition, the Broadway Plan has great potential as a prototype for the larger Vancouver Plan. Although the Vancouver City Council postponed the Broadway Plan until 2021 so that it can concentrate on meeting the critical housing shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this tactical delay creates much-needed space to broaden the public dialogue and enhance strategic plan- ning initiatives using co-design methods such as scenario planning. Furthermore, this is an excellent opportunity to scale in- stitutional learning and human-centred de- sign principles by leveraging the reciprocal knowledge sharing among urban planners, business improvement associations (BIA), academics, and community leaders that is proliferating on virtual platforms. Rising public demand for innovative so- lutions to intractable social, political, and environmental problems has increased the premium on fast-track policy exchang- es and local policy-making processes. The COVID-19 pandemic could be a watershed moment to envision how these demands might be met by through the functional integration of national and municipal ca- pabilities. Global Leadership: City-to-city Diplomacy Strengthening the resilience of Canada’s social and economic institutions is the first step in managing the second and third- order consequences of the COVID-19 pan- demic threat. Even if Canada prevents the formation of new coronavirus infection clusters in the short-term, future outbreaks around the world could inhibit, or poten- tially reverse Canada’s economic recovery. Wide-spread infections could easily flare up in less developed countries least capable of managing a large-scale coro- navirus pandemic, especially one that is highly contagious and for which there is no known cure. Currently, 50 per cent of the world’s population is currently under lockdown conditions. But many places are beginning to relax their virus suppression measures to jump-start the local economy. According to the International Labour Or- ganization (ILO), the immediate future of the 1.6 billion labourers in the informal economy, equivalent to nearly 50 per cent of the global workforce, looks bleak. Even though multilateral organizations are not immune to the COVID-19 out- break, the lack of leadership exhibited by the G7 and the G20 is dispiriting. Recent meetings organized specifically to address the global pandemic crisis were not pro- ductive. Communiques from recent high- level policy discussions reflected strategic confusion, not a structured plan for eco- nomic recovery. If the initial statements are any indication of future commitments, municipal leaders may have to step up to fill the leadership vacuum. There are several reasons to consider such as proposal. In the current environ- ment of geopolitical uncertainty and the resurgence of great-power rivalry, para- diplomacy networks function as critical knowledge portals. First, global power is now distributed more evenly among city- regions and technologically enabled ac- tors which are forcing international gover- nance institutions to become more open, innovative, and flexible. Second, city-to- city networks are gaining prominence at a time when global governance institutions are failing to adapt along with the pace of geo-economic and geopolitical change. Third, city-to-city diplomatic exchanges are intensifying as new trust relation- ships and communities of practice (COP) are formed and the urgency for cities to make themselves more resilient becomes apparent. Urban leaders from around the world actively engage with other levels of government and international stakehold- ers on a variety of complex issues ranging from cultural heritage protection to infra- structure financing, education policy, and environmental sustainability. By one esti- mate, there are 200 city-to-city networks advocating for a new urban agenda. In Canada, city-to-city (or city-twinning) relationships have traditionally enjoyed the support of local community groups that partner across international borders to or- ganize international conferences, student exchanges, business trips, and joint cul- tural events. These informal activities are an overlooked aspect of Canada’s foreign policy which may need to be strengthened in short order. Since Canada lacks a central coordinating body, a strategic question fac- ing national policymakers is how to sustain the mission-critical capabilities that may need to be rapidly scaled-up in support of Canada’s commitment to maintain es- sential global links for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. A model that Canada may consider adopting is Japan’s Council of Local Authorities for International Re- lations (CLAIR). This national-level orga- nization ensures that Japanese city-to-city as well as person-to-person relationships are sustained and strengthened. By work- ing collaboratively with Japan to shore up municipal linkages essential to the global economic recovery, Canada may enhance its own long-term security and prosperity while setting an example for other middle- ranking powers worldwide. Conclusion Re-designing Canada’s legacy institutions with dynamic adaptive capabilities will not happen overnight. The transition to a revised governance paradigm in an era of biosecurity will usher in an intense period of reflection and over-the-horizon think- ing about the best way to secure an open society. In fact, this may ultimately be a multi-generational endeavour. Predict- ing the future is impossible. But a safe bet is that when the process of adapting to a “new normal” is over, many of our core as- sumptions about urban planning, national security, foreign policy, and Canadian fed- eralism will have become memories of a by-gone era. 14 / Canadian Government Executive // May/June 2020