Research Agenda: Questions

The terrible and terrifying impact of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005 has underscored the urgency of investigating the ways that public infrastructure can contribute to social inclusion. In contemporary societies, where individuals are increasingly responsible for their own well-being, equitable access to infrastructure plays a crucial role in ensuring that all citizens can participate fully in society. This is particularly true for vulnerable populations such as the elderly who often have limited mobility, the poor who lack financial resources and immigrants and refugees who need specialized information and support services.

The geography of public infrastructure is uneven. Infrastructure needs are increasing quickly in suburban areas where, in many places, rapid population growth is outstripping the capacity of existing infrastructure. The imbalance between the supply of infrastructure and infrastructure needs in many suburbs is heightened by three trends. Firstly, with a shorter history of development, suburban areas have been particularly vulnerable to the full impact of fiscal constraint by all levels of government in the past two decades. Without the historical legacy of infrastructure investments found in older parts of metropolitan areas, suburbs have suffered an even larger shortfall in infrastructure than other locations. Secondly, infrastructure demands are increasing rapidly in suburban areas where there are growing vulnerable populations. Residents are aging, economic restructuring is leaving behind many suburban residents swelling the numbers of low-income households in the suburbs, and growing numbers of immigrants are settling in the suburbs, outside traditional ports of entry at the centre of metropolitan areas. Thirdly, auto-oriented, low-density, and highly segregated land use patterns in the suburbs exacerbate infrastructure needs. Residents must often travel long distances using slow and infrequent public transportation to reach a limited number of services.

This project, taking advantage of a unique planning and policy forum, York Region’s Human Services Planning Coalition, that brings together representatives from across the public sector that provide a broad range of public infrastructure in this regional municipality north of Toronto, will study the availability of public infrastructure for three vulnerable populations – immigrants, seniors, and the poor. York Region is a rapidly growing and diversifying suburban community that is also experiencing rapid intensification of land uses, substantial investments in transit, and enhanced urban and social planning efforts. The research focuses on human services, all those services and programs that support a safe, healthy community and maintain and promote its quality of life. In particular, the project attempts to address the following questions:

1. What are the residential patterns of immigrants, seniors and low-income groups in York Region?
2. How aware are the three vulnerable groups of the services available in York region, and how often do they use the services?  For those who have used the services, how satisfied are they with the services provided?
3. What are the infrastructure needs and priorities among the three groups and how do they vary?
4. Is there a spatial mismatch between the demand for and supply of services?
5. What can policy makers, planners and human service providers do to promote the social inclusion of vulnerable populations in this region?