Importance of Public Policy All of what I've described as contributing to Toronto's liveability and competitiveness are the focus of and are influenced by public policies. Public policies determine the priority given to infrastructure investments. Public policies and regulations affect the environment for private sector investment. Public policies in the form of direct investment or plans and regulations influence the variety and affordability of housing in a city. Public policies impact how easy or difficult it is for people and goods to move in to, out of and within our cities.
Public policies can mitigate or exacerbate outcomes of the marketplace.
He argued that the Canadian difference was not based in wealth but rather in how Canada's cities managed growth and what they did with their wealth. In Professor Novick's opinion, strong public frameworks at all three levels of government have been essential to the post-war success of Canadian cities like Toronto. High quality public services in cities which prevented a flight of the advantaged and articulate from the cities. And the introduction of successful governance structures, such as Metro Toronto in the 1950s, which was able to ensure that essential services were accessible throughout the metropolitan area. I don't want to get into a debate about the relative merits of the Canada Assistance Plan versus the CHST, or UI versus EI, or the unified City of Toronto versus Metro Toronto.