Research & Studies
LOCAL
No need to live, or own property, or be on the voters list to run for election any BC municipality, Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, May 2020
A City Divided: Together we are stronger. Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, April 25, 2018
The Case for a Saanich Peninsula Municipality Amalgamation Study, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, February 2018
Integrated Police Teams Review, BC Ministry of Justice, (prepared for Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Central Saanich and Esquimalt), June 5, 2014
Saanich Governance Review, Report of the Saanich Citizen Advisory Committee, October 23, 2017
Safe Communities and Strong Economies: Supporting Policing in BC, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, May 2017
(WEBSITE TEMPORARILY NOT AVAILABLE)
Saanich Governance Review, Karen Harper, May 2017
Capital Integrated Services and Governance Initiative, Circle Square Solutions and Urban Systems, prepared for the Province of BC, Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, March 2017
2016 Census: Provincial Capital Cities in Canada, Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, March 2017
Local Government Representation in Canada, Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, March 2017
Critique of CD Howe Institute Commentary No. 458 Thinking Regionally: How to Improve Service Delivery in Canada’s Cities, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, November 2016
Federal Government Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) paid to Canadian municipalities in 2015, Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, January 2017
Federal Government Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) paid to Greater Victoria municipalities in 2015, Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, January 2017
How Much is a Governance Study Worth? Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, January 2017
Towards Improved Governance for Greater Victoria, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, August 2016
Critique of Governing Greater Victoria, a report of the Fraser Institute (Bish), Earle Anthony, May 13, 2016
Halifax and Victoria: A Tale of Two Cities, John Weaver, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria, February 2016
Federal Government Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) paid to Greater Victoria municipalities in 2015, Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, January 2017
How Much is a Governance Study Worth? Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, January 2017
Towards Improved Governance for Greater Victoria, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, August 2016
Critique of Governing Greater Victoria, a report of the Fraser Institute (Bish), Earle Anthony, May 13, 2016
Halifax and Victoria: A Tale of Two Cities, John Weaver, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria, February 2016
Key issues for 2017, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, 2017
Does competition between municipalities in close proximity result in lower taxes? Colin Nielsen, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, March 2016
Rebalancing Municipalities and Regional Districts, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, 2015
Regional Transportation Authorities, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (undated)
A Review of the Fraser Institute report: Municipal Amalgamation in Ontario, Earle Anthony, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, August 2015
Review of Regional Governance Model in Urban Areas, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (undated)
Land Use Across the CRD, Victoria Analysis, May 19, 2015
Police Amalgamation, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (undated)
2014 Capital Region Community Wellbeing Survey: Analysis of Qualitative Responses, prepared for Vancouver Foundation, Balfour Consulting Group, December 2014
Victoria Capital Region Community Wellbeing Survey: A Profile of the Wellbeing of Victoria Capital Region Residents, Canadian Index of Wellbeing, University of Waterloo, August 2014
Provincial Role in Municipal Amalgamations, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, 2012
Reviewing Regional District Accountability, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, 2016
Q & A: The Concept of Municipal Amalgamation in the CRD, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, May 2013
Consolidation and Fragmentation: Regional Governance in Greater Victoria, Caleb Horn, University of Victoria, 2014
A prosperous region needs a vibrant core, Elisabeth Gugl, Brad Hackinen, David Scoones and Joe Tamosiunas, Department of Economics, University of Victoria, BC, May 28, 2013
The Rationale for Amalgamation in the Capital Region, Earle Anthony, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, 2014
Why Amalgamation? The Facts, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, 2013
How did we get to 13? Bernard von Schulmann, 2013
13 Reasons, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, 2016
In Municipal Politics, Size Matters, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, 2013
Living on the Edge, Colin Nielsen, 2013
A Framework for Effectiveness: Report on Victoria and Esquimalt Policing - Governance and Funding Issues, Province of BC, January 31, 2012 (Jean Greatbatch and Associates)
A Review of Victoria Police Department Operations, Darryl Plecas, Tara Haarhoff, Irwin Cohen, Kevin Burk,
Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of the Fraser Valley, June 2012
Verdict at Coroner's Inquest: Chun, Park, Lee Deaths, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Province of BC, December 8, 2009
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Local government incorporation and restructure, Governance and Structure Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Province of BC, 2019
Reuniting the District and City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, BC, 2018
A History of Amalgamations in BC since 1921, Capital Region Municipal Amalgamation Society, March 9, 2020
North Cowichan/Duncan Citizens' Assembly on Municipal Amalgamation, 2017 and ongoing.
Comox Valley Governance Review Task Force, 2017 and ongoing.
Governing Cities Through Regions: Vancouver, Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly and Eve Arcand, University of Victoria School of Public Administration, BC, 2014
New Pathways to Effective Regional Governance: Canadian Reflections , Michelle Dann, Brian Walisser, Gary Paget, September 2013
A Review of Regional Governance Model in Urban Areas, The Chamber, BC Chamber of Commerce, 2014
Governance, identity and service delivery in Metro Vancouver, Angus Reid Institute, April 12, 2015
North Shore Reunification Committee Report to Council, September 2014
BC Public Sector Compensation Review, Ernst & Young, October 2014
Excerpts from Forsaken: the Report of the Missing Women Commission of Enquiry Executive Summary, Honourable Wally T. Oppal, QC Commissioner, November 19, 2012
Managing Changes to Local Government Structure in British Columbia: A Review and Program Guide, Province of BC, October, 2000
New Ruling on Conflict of Interest and Participation of Elected Officials on Boards of Not-for-Profit Organizations: Court of Appeal Finds an Indirect Pecuniary Interest, Colin Stewart, Stewart McDannold Stuart, Barristers & Solicitors, January 15, 2013
Legislation in British Columbia: Local Government Act, Community Charter
REST OF CANADA
A Playbook for Voluntary Regional Governance in Greater Toronto, André Côté, Gabriel Eidelman, and Michael Fenn, Institute on Municipal Finance and Government No. 28/2020, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto
Windsor/West Hants, Nova Scotia. Why Consolidation, 2020
Legacies of the Megacity: Toronto's amalgamation 20 years later, Mathew Lesch, Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, No. 9, 2018
Bigger Is better: Reducing the cost of local administration by increasing jurisdiction size in Ontario 1995 - 2010, Timothy W. Cobban, Urban Affairs Review, July 2017
Municipal Amalgamation in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Adopted 2012 Policy Resolutions
Manitoba Amalgamation Success Stories, Province of Manitoba
Manitoba amalgamated municipalities, January 1, 2015
Case Study: Halifax Saves Time, Money and Disruptions by Coordinating Capital Works, National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure
A Comparative Analysis of Municipal Government in Ontario: A Pre-Amalgamation and Post-Amalgamation View of Windsor-Essex, Ottawa, and the Greater Toronto Area, Drew Dilkens, Mayor of Windsor, August 2014
Models of Government Structure at the Local Level, Enid Slack, Enid Slack Consulting Inc., Queens University, 2004
It Takes a Region: A Case Study in Growth and Governance in the St. John's city-region of Newfoundland and Labrador, Brian Butt, Simon Fraser University, Fall 2014 and Memorial University 2003
Nova Scotia Provincial-Municipal Fiscal Review, Steering Committee on Provincial-Municipal Review, February 2014
Police and Crime Rates in Canada, Fraser Institute, September 2014
St. John's Amalgamation Review 2011, Stantec Consulting Ltd., October 2011
Building Stronger Local Governments and Regions, Jean-Guy Finn, Commissioner on the Future of Local Government, New Brunswick, November 2008
Guidebook for Amalgamation of Police Forces in Canada, Jennifer O'Donoughue, Canadian Association of Police Boards, March 1999
Provincial - Municipal Relations in Ontario: Approaching an Inflection Point, André Côté and Michael Fenn, Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance, Vol. 17, 2014
Bibliography on Rescaling and Regional Cooperation, Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research
Building the New City of Toronto: Status Report on Amalgamation, 1998/99
INTERNATIONAL
The Effect of Local Government Separation on Public Service Provision in Indonesia: A Case of Garbage Service Pickup in Urban Areas, Higashikata, T.(2020),,inKojima, M. (ed.), Regional Waste Management –Inter-municipal Cooperation and Public and Private Partnership.ERIA Research Project Report FY2020no.12,Jakarta: ERIA, pp.154-167
Incorporation of identity discourses in newly amalgamated municipalities: Insights in Het Hogeland, the Netherlands, O.R.J. Kamminga, Cultural Geography, University of Groningen, July 2020
Innovative Citizen Participation and New Democratic Institutions: Catching the Deliberative Wave, Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation, June 2020
Approaching the Limit of Decentralization? The Oxford Handbook of Danish Politics, 2020
Negotiating Municipal Merger, Stine Ravndal Nygård and Ann-Karin Tennås Holmen, Scandinavian Political Studies, 2020
Disappointment or unexpected gain? A survey based study of the motives and outcomes of inter-municipal cooperation in Poland, Adam Gendźwiłł, Joanna Krukowska, Marta Lackowska, Department of Local Development and Policy, Chair of Development and Local Policy, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland, January 2019
Why American cities are so weirdly shaped, The Economist, December 22, 2018
Local Government Size and Political Efficacy: Do Citizen Panels Make a Difference? Rhys Andrews, Tom Entwistle and Valeria Guarneros-Meza, International Journal of Public Administration, 2018
The Dumbing Down of Local Democracy? Referendums and Deliberation in Norway’s Municipality Reform, Arild Gjertsen, Annelin Gustavsen, Bjarne Lindeløv, 2017
The legitimacy of local referendums in municipal amalgamations, B Folkestad, JE Klausen, J Saglie, SB Segaard, Oslo, Norway, December 2017
Less is more: North American case studies on the amalgamation of policing, Johnstone, George Steven, September 2017
Steering the metropolis: metropolitan governance for sustainable urban development, David Gómez-Álvarez, Robin Rajack, Eduardo López-Moreno, Gabriel Lanfranchi, Inter-American Development Bank, 2017
The Heresthetic of Local Government Amalgamations, J Drew, M Noguchi, H Endot, 2017
Innovation and Collaboration in Global City-Region Governance, Future Cities Publications, University of California, 2016
Metropolitan Governance Reform, Myron Orfield and Baris Dawes, University of Minnesota, 2016
Public Safety Consolidation: Does it Make Sense? Brandon S. Morley, M.S.Ed., and Jeffery M. Hadley, M.S., April 2013
OECD Regional Outlook 2014: Regions and Cities, where Polities and People Meet, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2014
Metropolitan Governance, Jefferey Sellers, Vincent Hoffman-Martinot, Gold Report 2009
Why metropolitan governance matters a lot more than you think, Rudiger Ahrend, Alexander C. Lembcke, Abel Schumann, Voxeu.org, Centre for Economic and Policy Research, January 19, 2016
What makes cities more productive? Evidence on the role of urban governance from five OECD countries, OECD Regional Development Working Papers, No. 2014/05, Ahrend, R, E Farchy, I Kaplanis and A C Lembcke, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Municipal Fragmentation and Economic Development in OECD TL2 Countries, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, July 2015
Can municipal reform lead to cost savings? Sara Lundin, Department of Economics, (University unidentified), Sweden, 2015
A Case Study of the Tipperary County Council Merger, Joanna O'Riordan, Richard Boyle, Institute of Public Administration, Local Government Research Series, June 2015
The Metropolitan Century: Understanding Urbanism and its Consequences, Key Findings, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, February 18, 2015
The Creation of Competitive Cities in South Africa: The Case of West Rand Vision 2016, Nonpumelelo Q. Thwala, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2014
Restructuring police organizations, Problems and Perspective in Management, Volume 13, Issue 2, 2015
Do Municipal Amalgamations Work? Evidence from Municipalities in Israel, Yaniv Reingewertz, Department of Economics, Herbrew University of Jerusalem, Journal of Urban Economics, November 2012
Finding Your Right (or Left) Partner to Merge, Benjamin Bruns, Ronny Freier, Abel Schumann, German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, 2015
Local Government Commission of New Zealand
The Institutional Collective Action Framework: An Application to Regional Governance in Taiwan, Ssu-Hsien Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Affairs, University of Taipei
Transitional Impacts of Municipal Consolidations, Igor Vojnovic, Journal of Urban Affairs, Vol. 22, No. 4/2000
Is Amalgamation the Path to Sustainable Local Government Finance? International Journal of Sustainable Policy and Practice, Joel Tamosiunas, Elisabeth Gugl, Brad Hackinen, David Scoones, 2013.
Metropolitan Governance and Territorial Inequalities. An assessment of the Social Stratification and Government Inequality Thesis in Switzerland. Daniel Kubler, Philippe Rochet, Dept. of Political Science and Centre for Democratic Studies, University of Zurich, August 23, 2013
Service Efficiency and Effectiveness: Local Excellence -- Councils Working Together for Communities,
Local Government Association of South Australia, September 2011