{"id":71966,"date":"2020-12-16T13:03:26","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T18:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/?p=71966"},"modified":"2020-12-16T13:04:02","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T18:04:02","slug":"bolder-quicker-more-inclusive-how-toronto-city-hall-could-adapt-to-a-post-pandemic-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/local\/gta\/bolder-quicker-more-inclusive-how-toronto-city-hall-could-adapt-to-a-post-pandemic-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Bolder, quicker, more inclusive: How Toronto city hall could adapt to a post-pandemic world"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bolder,
Toronto city hall has been largely empty since March, but observers say the efficiencency and effectiveness of the local government has improved amid the pandemic. (Evan Mitsui\/CBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Whether it happened by necessity or through a sense of opportunity, Toronto’s municipal government has demonstrated a previously untapped ability to move quickly and boldly during the COVID-19 pandemic, say observers and advocates at city hall.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Toronto expands bike share program \u2018into all corners\u2019 of city during pandemic<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s a way of doing business that should continue, they say, even after the pandemic ends.<\/p>\n

“We’ve seen a lot of very quick responses, some really interesting innovations,” said Caryl Arundel, the interim executive director of the advocacy group Social Planning Toronto.<\/p>\n

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“But on the other hand, the problems are so big, they have to do more and they have to do it faster.”<\/p>\n

‘Chaos creates opportunity’<\/h2>\n

Arundel is among the long-time city hall watchers who say Toronto’s actions during the pandemic should not be viewed as a temporary break from normal business, but rather as a new standard for decision-making that would better serve residents.<\/p>\n

She says a bolder and more decisive local government will be required to tackle the city’s greatest challenges, such as affordable housing and deep-rooted disparities along racial and socio-economic lines.<\/p>\n

The city’s actions during the pandemic show that real transformation is possible, she says, but only if there is a willingness to commit to long-term changes.<\/p>\n

“Our history is being more thoughtful and cautious,” Arundel told CBC Toronto. “We have this window to act now. We have to change the way things are.”<\/p>\n

Leslie Woo, CEO of the local non-profit CivicAction, said residents should take the pandemic as a sign of what’s possible and demand improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of Toronto’s local government.<\/p>\n

\"Leslie
Leslie Woo, CEO of CivicAction, said the city could encourage public engagement by continuing to offer virtual participation at meetings and consultations. (CivicAction)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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“I think it is our duty as a civil society to ensure that all the benefits that have emerged out of this pandemic in terms of engagement and collaboration continue,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Chaos creates opportunity.”<\/p>\n

Woo says the city should consider allowing residents to virtually participate in meetings\u00a0long-term. She says the\u00a0move would likely increase the diversity of participants while making\u00a0it easier for people to be involved in important policy decisions.<\/p>\n

City delivers on multiple major projects<\/h2>\n

Since declaring a state of emergency in March, observers say the city has displayed a heightened ability to conceive and roll out ambitious projects, which in previous years could have been bogged down by the city’s frequently slow-moving bureaucracy.<\/p>\n

Projects delivered during the pandemic include:<\/p>\n