Nicole McMahon, University of Calgary
The CMB Data in Action series highlights published work that uses the Canadian Municipal Barometer survey data. This post is focused on the article Missing density: assessing support for compact cities among Canadian municipal officials and members of the public by Dr. Seth Wynes (University of Waterloo) and Dr. H. Damon Matthews (Concordia University).
The article examines views of Canadian municipal representatives and the Canadian public on issues relating to climate action and urban density. Data from the 2020 and 2021 CMB surveys were combined with public opinion data to understand how elected representatives and voters view issues such as active transport (e.g., walking and biking), carbon tax, and increased housing density in existing neighbourhoods. Wynes and Matthews find that both groups were supportive of climate action but were more supportive of active transit than increased housing in established neighbourhoods. They argue that this represents a missed opportunity since dense housing complements low-carbon transport making it more cost-effective and efficient. Moreover, they suggest that “provincial or national legislation may circumvent local opposition and accelerate the transition to a more compact urban form.”
We recently caught up with Dr. Seth Wynes to learn more about the research and its real-world applications.
How did the idea for this article come about?
When reading articles about municipal decision makers, it seemed that there was a disconnect where municipal officials who were vocally in favor of climate action or low-carbon transport were not in favor of efforts to build apartment buildings in existing communities.
This struck me as a sort of contradictory stance because apartment buildings enable better public transit and more climate action, but it also is understandable because people who are in favor of climate action may not see that linkage. I wanted to see if this was actually true in polling data.
What are the main takeaways you hope readers remember from your article?
If we want climate action at the local level, creating denser communities is a hugely important strategy and yet it is very hard to achieve through municipal politics. Instead, we should be looking to provincial politicians to step in on this particular issue.
Did any of the results surprise you or challenge your expectations going into the project?
Generally, the hypotheses were validated, but I was surprised by the strength of the correlations that were found.
Are there real-world developments that have made your findings more relevant or timely since publication?
In British Columbia there has been some conflict between the provincial government and municipalities that are reluctant to build new housing.
As an example, the District of Oak Bay has a lot of voters who have voted Green historically, but there is a lot of opposition to new housing. That housing would allow people to live in a really low-carbon community (clean grid, good cycling infrastructure etc.) and drive down emissions.
It illustrates the dynamic found in my research where both members of the public and local officials might seem to care about climate action, but don't want denser communities that probably represent their best tool to achieve it.
What audiences do you hope will read and engage with your article?
