Slow Growth and Decline in Greater Sudbury: Challenges, Opportunities, And Foundations for a New Planning Agenda (Report‪)‬

Abstract In Canadian urban geography, new periods of economic prosperity, recessions, and restructuring coupled with demographic fluctuations have added new and accentuated divisions and disparities creating an increased gap between cities that have growing populations and those that do not. Under these conditions, it seems realistic to expect that 'no-growth' and limited growth cities might begin to develop distinctive planning strategies centered on a theme of decline or 'no-growth' scenarios. However, this has not been the case judging from the absence of literature and by the case of Greater Sudbury. The City of Greater Sudbury is located in northeastern Ontario and is best known across Canada as being one of the countries largest resource-based 'boom-bust' cities and one of Canada's CMAs that has experienced population decline. The 21st-Century City of Sudbury has, however, evolved into a more balanced regional centre. Nonetheless, the population of the City has been fluctuating over the last 30 years, experiencing decline, slow growth, and 'no-growth.' Utilizing policy documents and key informant interviews this paper depicts the constant struggle of Greater Sudbury in maintaining a 'positive' urban identity while dealing with its 'no-growth' reality. It concludes with a discussion of what might constitute alternative criteria for a new vocabulary and a new model of planning and development capable of generating more realistic policy and strategy considerations for 'no-growth' urban areas.