An Application of the Resilience Assessment Workbook on the Town of Caledon, Ontario, Canada: Resilience of What? Resilience to What? Resilience with What?

resilience;assessment;Environmental and Resource Studies

Liu, Wai Ting, Elizabeth

University of Waterloo

关键词: resilience;    assessment;    Environmental and Resource Studies;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/6198/1/Liu_Wai.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

This research involves conducting a resilience assessment on the Town of Caledon in southernOntario, Canada, through the use of the Resilience Assessment Workbook authored by theResilience Alliance. The purpose of the research is to develop a comprehensive understanding ofCaledon, and identify ways to enhance its resilience as a linked social-ecological system in thecontext of urban growth.Urban growth pressures have brought multiple challenges to Caledon in land use, infrastructuremaintenance, farmland preservation and watersheds conservation. Urban growth management inCaledon is situated in the provincial growth strategy for the Greater Golden Horseshoe areas inOntario. Provincial legislation including the Places to Grow Act (2005), the Greenbelt Act (2005),the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act (2001) and the Provincial Policy Statement (2005) aim toreconcile the needs for population increase, economic growth and environmental protection.The results of the resilience assessment of Caledon consist mainly of a cross-scalar study andinterviews with twenty-six community members. The cross-scalar study examines Caledon in itssocial, ecological and economic domains on the provincial, regional and municipal levels. The studyalso identifies potential resilience threats and assets of Caledon in the context of urban growth.Interviews have been conducted to verify and complement findings of the cross-scalar study.Interviewees include Caledon municipal staff, residents, environmental group leaders, politicians, anaggregates industry representative, a social services representative and a local property developer.The results of this research reveal resilience threats and assets in Caledon, and identify ways for thetown to enhance resilience against urban growth pressures. Threats to resilience are found to beassociated with urbanization, agricultural land loss, aggregates mining and a lack of affordablehousing. Assets of resilience in Caledon are found to be related to civic engagement, participatoryplanning and agricultural diversification. Based on the cross-scalar study and interview results,emerging themes of resilience and recommendations are developed. Recommendations for Caledonto enhance its resilience include: promoting continual learning and adaptive governance;diversifying agriculture; providing affordable housing; treating urbanization as an opportunity; anddeveloping trade-off principles for the implementation of an integrated plan for resilience.