The information on the website was created for the 2021 Massey Cities Summit, a global conference on the constitutional status of cities. While the information is not current and will not be updated, we wanted you to have access to the archive of blog posts, podcasts, articles, videos, and other information.
Making the case for constitutional power for Canadian cities
When we think of Canadian cities, we might picture the places where we live, work, and gather—a straightforward concept at first glance. But from a constitutional standpoint, cities in Canada occupy a challenging position, often compared to the “middle child” in the family.
Constitutional Space for Cities
Constitutional Amendments: Making, Breaking, and Changing Constitutions
Richarad Albert identifies the issue that constitutional designers today have virtually no resources to guide them in constructing the rules of amendment, and how scholars do not have a clear portrait of the significance of amendment rules in the project of constitutionalism.
Cities in National Constitutions: Northern Stagnation, Southern Innovation
Ran Hirschl explores what national constitutions around the world say (and do not say) about cities, before examining three of the most ambitious attempts to date to bolster the constitutional status of cities.
Constitutions and the Metropolis
Extensive urbanization and the consequent rise of megacities are among the most significant demographic phenomena of our time. Our constitutional institutions and constitutional imagination, however, have not even begun to catch up with the new reality. Ran Hirschl addresses the four dimensions of the great constitutional silence concerning the metropolis.
City,State: Constitutionalism and the Megacity
Cities have remained virtually absent from constitutional law and constitutional thought, not to mention from comparative constitutional studies more generally. As the world is urbanizing at an extraordinary rate, Ran Hirschl discovers new thinking about constitutionalism and desperate need for urbanization.
Thank you to all attendees, panellists, and moderators for helping to make this conference a success.
City in Sight Podcast Series: Episode 3
Indigenous Cities
The Indigenous population in urban areas is growing fast. What are cities doing to provide for these populations, to build cities that reflect these communities, and to address the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? Would greater autonomy for cities help achieve these goals? To find out, we speak to three Canadian mayors.
Mayor Rebecca Alty, Yellowknife
Mayor Brian Bowman, Winnipeg
Mayor Charlie Clarke, Saskatoon