Growth over resilience: how Canadian municipalities frame the challenge of reducing carbon emissions: Fid-Bau Portal

Growth over resilience: how Canadian municipalities frame the challenge of reducing carbon emissions

Reynard, Darcy / Collins, Damian / Shirgaokar, Manish

In response to anthropogenic climate change, many governments are adopting policies to reduce carbon emissions. In Canada, federal and provincial governments have implemented carbon pricing. One of the effects of putting a price on carbon is increasing the cost of using private vehicles, which may reduce mobility and increase the risk of social exclusion, especially in contexts where car dependence is high. In this article, we analyse how municipal governments in Canada frame the challenges of climate change and reducing emissions, and examine whether they link these challenges to issues of mobility and social exclusion. Focusing on policies from four of Canada's largest cities – Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver – we identify four main frames used in planning documents: “the Growing City”, “If You Build It, They Will Come”, “Better City for All”, and “the Resilient City”. The Growing City frame is used to support status quo urban development, with climate mitigation options (including sustainable travel modes) optionally included for more concerned residents. This is the dominant frame in Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. Conversely, Vancouver uses the Resilient City frame to indicate that climate mitigation and adaption strategies are essential, and all citizens must be prepared for change. Vancouver presents changes to mobility as necessary for all, rather than an option for some. Social exclusion is not explicitly addressed in the frames, though it is presented as a reason to support building alternative transportation or more public spaces. Social exclusion receives little consideration as a potential consequence of climate mitigation policies.