The Myth of the North American City

The continuing tendency to "continentalize" Canadianissues has been particularly marked in the area of urban studies whereUnited States-based research findings, methodologies, and attitudeshave held sway.

In this book, Goldberg and Mercer demonstrate that the label"North American City" as widely used is inappropriate andmisleading in discussion of the distinctive Canadian urban environment.Examining such elements of the cultural context as mass values, socialand demographic structures, the economy, and political institutions,they reveal salient differences between Canada and the UnitedStates.

One of the most important of the many contextual differences is thestrong collective sense in Canada which accepts more publicintervention in social and economic matters in contrast to the Americancommitment to individualism. Canadians, consequently, expect a livablecentral city which is compact and well-served by public transit andwhich has a fiscally sound local government.

To demonstrate these issues, the discussion includes a detailedcross-national empirical analysis of over 300 North Americanmetropolitan areas along some three dozen dimensions, includingdensity, transportation, household change and structure, income andfiscal disparities, and economic structure.

Since much urban planning in Canada is based upon the continentalistassumption, this volume should generate a reassessment of policy andencourage the development of a research base to suit thedistinctiveness of the Canadian experience. With growing pressures totake a North American view of Canadian policies it is vitally importantthat the differences delineated in this book are understood, not justfor their urban policy implications but for broader purposes aswell.