Measuring Ontario’s Urban-Rural Divide
Published in University of Toronto, 2019
Recommended citation: Ahmed, Weseem. (2019). "Measuring Ontarios Urban-Rural Divide." University of Toronto. http://weseemahmed.github.io/files/Measuring-Ontario’s-Urban-Rural-Divide-nov5_FINAL.pdf
Developing a competitiveness strategy for Ontario requires that policymakers understand the differing economic performances and underlying demographic characteristics of the province’s regions. These place-based differences will require that Ontario policymakers draw on different policy levers to support economic activity, investment, and job creation across the province. There are no “one size fits all” solutions in a province with considerable regional economic disparity.
There are big differences between Northern Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, for instance, and we must understand these differences if we are to develop and implement policies that create the conditions for jobs and economic growth in all parts of the province.
One of the most significant sets of differences in the province is between urban and rural places. The purpose of this short primer is to help Ontario policymakers understand the urban-rural divide in the province – including how it manifests itself in differing economic and social outcomes. The paper concludes with some policy areas that ought to be given consideration as part of an effort to reduce regional economic disparity, and in so doing contribute to bridging the province’s urban-rural divide.