Overview

Faced with increasing demands from residents, and amidst growing legal and resource constraints, municipalities are experimenting to find new ways of making things work. Inside Public-Sector Innovation profiles the expertise and experience of local administrators in Canada who have successfully moved innovation from conception to reality. A practitioner-oriented guide, this volume features multiple innovations from rural, urban, and suburban governments of various sizes. Exploring organizational, process, and service innovations, public administrators directly involved in their implementation highlight lessons for other practitioners considering similar strategies. Chapters cover challenges across policy domains including diversity and inclusion, public health, environmental sustainability, and service delivery inefficiencies. All together, these case studies enhance our understanding of what local public-sector innovation entails and how enterprising public servants can put it to immediate use. Recognizing local governments in Canada as drivers of experimentation, Inside Public-Sector Innovation advances research through its rich descriptions and analysis of municipal strategies, drawing attention to the unique complications and opportunities associated with innovation at scale.

Full Product Details

Author:   Zachary Spicer ,  Joseph Lyons ,  Tyler Romualdi
Publisher:   McGill-Queen's University Press
Imprint:   McGill-Queen's University Press
ISBN:  

9780228027256

ISBN 10:   022802725
Pages:   360
Publication Date:   14 April 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
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Table of Contents

Tables and Figures ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: Innovation in Canadian Local Government 3 Joseph Lyons, Tyler Romualdi, and Zachary Spicer PART ONE: Changing Organizations 15 Zachary Spicer, Joseph Lyons, and Tyler Romualdi 1 Durham: Innovation and Design Services 22 Emma McGarry Ware 2 District of Squamish: The IDEA Committee 37 Keely Kidner 3 York Region: iLabs 52 Michelle Adlam 4 Toronto Community Housing: Anti-Black Racism Strategy, Action Plan, and the Centre for Advancing the Interests of Black People 67 Krystle Skeete, Safia Hirsi, Shaquille Morgan, and Zakaria Abdulle PART TWO: Changing Processes 79 Zachary Spicer, Joseph Lyons, and Tyler Romualdi 5 Town of Ajax: Fire Data Mapping and Senior and Qualified Residents Snow Removal Program 87 Nicole Cooper and Chris Walker 6 Guelph-Wellington: Rural-Urban Living Lab 100 Barb Swartzentruber 7 York Region: COVID Wastewater Surveillance Research Pilot Project 114 Carina Bee, Hadi Dhiyebi, Jennifer Khemai, Asim Qasim, Jessica Armstrong, Mark Payne, and Mark R. Servos 8 Markham, Oakville, and Quinte West: The Municipal Special Event Advisory Team Model 128 Rebecca Cotter 9 The City of Waterloo: The Waterloo Decision Support System 146 Cassandra Pacey 10 The City of Richmond: Long-Term Planning and Development of District Energy Utility Infrastructure 160 Peter Russell and Alen Postolka PART THREE: Changing Services 177 Zachary Spicer, Joseph Lyons, and Tyler Romualdi 11 The City of Vaughan: The Maintenance Decision Support System 187 Maurice Battistuzzi 12 Hamilton Public Library: Extended Access 200 Simona Dinu and Sherry Fahim 13 The City of Toronto: Indigenous People in Toronto: An Introduction for Newcomers 212 Maimuna Gaye, Francesca Serena Pecora, and Nicole Watson 14 The Municipality of Middlesex Centre: Electronic Building Permits 222 Arnie Marsman 15 The City of Mississauga: Smart Streetlight Poles 236 Craig Stumpf and Karen Gomez 16 The City of Toronto: Using Behavioural Insights to Increase Registered Education Savings Plan Enrollments 247 Paolo Staffieri 17 The City of Guelph: Using Artificial Intelligence to Support Waste Diversion 272 Chad Scott and Vivian De Giovanni Conclusion: Lessons Learned from Innovative Canadian Local Governments 282 Zachary Spicer, Joseph Lyons, and Tyler Romualdi Bibliography 301 Contributors 317 Index 321

Reviews

""A dynamic and insightful exploration of how innovation thrives across diverse local government contexts. The examples of real-world challenges and creative solutions are both inspiring and instructive. The book's engaging, accessible style and practitioner-led approach make it a standout contribution to the field."" Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria ""Every Canadian municipal leader should have a copy of this work. The case studies provide excellent frameworks, as they move from ideation to implementation through the innovation journey."" Jason Reynar, Lerners LLP ""Public administration must be as much about practice as it is about theory to have legitimacy - and this volume provides both. Inside Public-Sector Innovation offers ways to both learn from innovation and encourage it."" Marcia Wallace, Planning, Development, and Building Services, City of Ottawa

“Public administration must be as much about practice as it is about theory to have legitimacy – and this volume provides both. Inside Public-Sector Innovation offers ways to both learn from innovation and encourage it.” Marcia Wallace, Planning, Development, and Building Services, City of Ottawa “Every Canadian municipal leader should have a copy of this work. The case studies provide excellent frameworks, as they move from ideation to implementation through the innovation journey.” Jason Reynar, Lerners LLP “A dynamic and insightful exploration of how innovation thrives across diverse local government contexts. The examples of real-world challenges and creative solutions are both inspiring and instructive. The book’s engaging, accessible style and practitioner-led approach make it a standout contribution to the field.” – Tamara Krawchenko, University of Victoria

Author Information

Zachary Spicer is associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration and the head of New College at York University. Joseph Lyons is assistant professor of political science and director of the Local Government Program at the University of Western Ontario. Tyler Romualdi is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario.

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