Regional infrastructure planning in a splintering urban world: The Greater Toronto Transportation Authority

This major paper examines the role of the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (GTTA) in the planning and provision of regional transportation infrastructure in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The main objective of this Major Paper is to understand what role the GTTA might play in light of the theoretical literature on the role of the state in transportation infrastructure planning and provision, along with the history of regional planning and governance in Ontario. The GTTA is in a position to have a profound impact on transportation infrastructure planning and provision for decades to come, and will allow it to either contribute to the emerging splintering of the urban environment or to improve and expand transportation options on a collective basis for the region as a whole. The GTTA faces several challenges: limited power and funding, and cantankerous inter-governmental relationships are some of the obstacles it will face. This paper assesses these challenges and develops an understanding of the likely outcomes. A common goal of both the province and the GTTA’s member municipalities is to improve the region’s global competitiveness through improved transportation infrastructure planning and provision. However, the GTTA is a regional governance body still in its infancy and this research illuminates an uncertainty amongst members about its potential role and abilities.