Changing Planning Governance: The Woodbine Project and the Implications of the Resource Agreement in Rexdale

Abstract

My Major Paper examines the Woodbine (re)development project at the Woodbine Racetrack and Casino located in Toronto’s Rexdale neighbourhood as a case study of evolving urban governance. This study examines a Resource Agreement report Woodbine Transit-Oriented Community Secondary Plan - Authorization to Enter in Agreements for Resourcing between the City of Toronto and the Woodbine Entertainment Group as a governance arrangement that shapes planning practice. This research draws on theories of neoliberal urban governance, alongside scholarship on public-private partnerships and community benefits. Its conceptual analytical framework incorporates governmentality and collaborative and communicative planning to examine how cities are governed. Specifically, the study examines allocating planning resources and staff capacity to undertake the Woodbine Transit-Oriented Secondary Plan study. Using a qualitative research design consisting of semi-structured interviews, policy and document review, media analysis, historical-geographical analysis, and socio-demographic profile of Rexdale, this research examines the evolution of governance frameworks and the Woodbine project overtime. It further investigates the role of planners and their involvement in the (re)development process. Key findings suggest that the Resource Agreement represents a shift towards new funding mechanisms embedded within broader governance frameworks due to lack of municipal capacity and budget. Findings also reveal that the Resource Agreement is subject to varied interpretations, among planners and the public, shaped by how the arrangement is communicated, understood and engaged with throughout the planning process. This research argues that the Woodbine project in Rexdale reflects evolving forms of neoliberal urban governance. The Resource Agreement reshapes planning practice by redistributing resources, responsibilities, and power among public and private actors, while raising questions about community participation and whose interests shape the future urban (re)development outcomes of Rexdale.