The study examines the relationships between air quality, climate change and urban development issues in an Ontario context. The paper highlights the potential for 'smart growth' policies to generate mutually reinforcing benefits with respect to GHG emissions, air quality, the protection of ecologically significant areas and prime agricultural lands, reduced infrastructure costs, and increased transportation efficiencies. Existing provincial policies related to land-use planning, infrastructure funding, fiscal and taxation matters, sustainable energy and regional governance are also assessed against a potential smart growth strategy for Ontario.
The study concludes that there is a major gap between the government's smart growth vision and the policies that it is actually implementing. It highlights the SuperBuild Corporation's $1billion/yr highway construction program in particular as a major barrier to the implementation of a smart growth vision for the province.
Finally, the paper outlines a series of measures that should be adopted by the province as part of a meaningful smart growth framework.
