MPA Major Research Papers

Date of Award

7-1-2020

Degree Type

Major Research Paper

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration

Program

Political Science

Supervisor

Zack Taylor

Geographical Areas

Ontario

Abstract

Community Improvement Plans are an often used, but seldom studied economic development and planning tool used to spur economic growth within an economically depressed area. But are they effective? This paper answers two questions concerning Community Improvement Plans. First, “How are Community Improvement Plans used in the Province of Ontario?”; and second, “Is the execution of these plans resulting in greater economic prosperity for the communities that have enacted them?”. This work is undertaken by reviewing the content of 202 Community Improvement Plans across the Province of Ontario. Regression tests on municipal assessments from 2001-2018 to determine what effect the adoption of Community Improvement Plans has on assessment values. This paper highlights differences in Community Improvement Plan usage according to the regions they were written in, the size of municipality that has enacted them, and nature of their authorship. It also seeks to use changes in municipal assessment over time as a measure for the effectiveness of Community Improvement Plans. Although many of the outcomes are statistically significant, it is determined that changes in assessment are tied too closely to the size of a municipal population to be an effective tool to measure the effect of Community Improvement Plans

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