This is the first in a three-episode series on cities in Canada. In 1911, 45 percent of people lived in cities in this country. By 2021, that number had risen to 82 percent–and growing.

The growth of cities in Canada has been painful. Today, they face significant challenges including housing policy, policing, and public transit. And yet, they get far less attention than other orders of government and exist under the thumb of provinces. To try to understand what this means for residents, we ask: What is the state of cities in Canada?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Andrea Reimer, Principal at Tawaw Strategies, adjunct Professor of Practice at the University of British Columbia’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and former three-term Vancouver city councillor.