Maxwell Hartt – författare

At 5 percent, Canada's population growth was the highest of all G7 countries when the most recent census was taken. But only a handful of large cities drove that growth, attracting human and monetary capital from across the country and leaving myriad social, economic, and environmental challenges behind. Quietly Shrinking Cities investigates a trend that has been largely overlooked: over 20 percent of Canadian cities shrank between 2011 and 2016, and twice that proportion grew more slowly than the national average. Yet continuous, ubiquitous growth is considered normal, and policy and planning professionals have had little success in managing the practical challenges associated with population loss. Declining birth rates and an aging population only compound the phenomenon. This meticulous work demonstrates that shrinking cities need to rethink their planning and development strategies in response to a new demographic reality, questioning whether population loss and prosperity are indeed mutually exclusive.

How well do the places where we live support the wellbeing of older adults? The Canadian population is growing older and is reshaping the nation’s economic, social and cultural future. However, the built and social environments of many communities, neighbourhoods and cities have not been designed to help Canadians age well.Bringing together academic research, practitioner reflections and personal narratives from older adults across Canada, this cutting-edge text provides a rare spotlight on the local implications of aging in Canadian cities and communities. It explores employment, housing, transportation, cultural safety, health, planning and more, to provide a wide-ranging and comprehensive discussion of how to build supportive communities for Canadians of all ages.

Urban planning has moved online, transforming community engagement into a digital process—but this shift has opened the door to disruption. Automated social media accounts, or bots, now infiltrate forums, surveys and virtual meetings, skewing debates and disrupting development projects. This book investigates the scale and impact of bot interference in US planning, tracing its roots in digital participation and the early use of AI. Through case studies, theoretical insights and the introduction of an Online Conversion Framework, it offers practical strategies for cities to safeguard democratic planning. It is essential reading for urban planners, policy makers and anyone concerned with technology’s influence on civic life.