As cities grow, the power of our mayors falls behind

Benjamin Barber likes to quote former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who said, “There is no Democratic or Republican way of fixing a sewer,” to underscore why a mayor is more effective than a political leader.

It’s that pragmatic, non-partisan position, alongside the rapid growth of cities around the world, that has given mayors more political prominence, says Barber, author of If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities and founder of the Global Parliament of Mayors, a newly formed international network of civic leaders.

Toronto Mayor John Tory was elected in 2014. (FRED LUM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

Today, 54 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to grow to 66 per cent by 2050, according to the United Nations. And about 80 per cent of global gross domestic product is generated in cities, reports the World Bank.

“Mayors have grown in importance, as cities have grown in importance,” Barber notes.

Still, despite the growing economic clout of cities, he argues that mayors aren’t given enough power, or resources, to do the work they must do, which includes developing and maintaining public services such as garbage collection and transit, as well as tackling global issues such as inequality and climate change.

The latter is especially important, considering that cities consume close to two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Gregor Robertson has been the mayor of Vancouver since 2008. (JOHN LEHMANN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

Barber also points out that cities get back from other levels of government only about half of the GDP they generate. It’s not enough, he contends, given how well positioned cities are to provide local solutions and best practices to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

“Cities need more wealth. They need more autonomy. They need more authority to do all of the important things they’re being asked to do and have to do to make the cities work and the world work,” Barber says.

The problem cities face is that their governance model doesn’t give them the power and money needed to grow, notes leading urban studies expert Richard Florida, University Professor and Director of Cities at the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

“The mayor’s role has grown immeasurably in economic importance, not just for their cities but also for the economy writ large,” Prof. Florida explains. “It’s time to give our mayors power commensurate with their role.”

And, according to Prof. Florida, in Canada mayors are “weaker” than their global peers because of what is called “a weak mayor” system. “[The mayors] have less power to get their job done. It’s tragic, really. At a time when mayors of our large cities are running huge economies, they lack the basic powers to build and run their cities.”

Naheed Nenshi has been mayor of Calgary since 2010. (JOHN LEHMANN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

Mayors also need more control over the resources their cities generate, so that they can do what is needed to make them more prosperous, less divided and more inclusive, Prof. Florida says, noting too that support staff and various training programs are typically provided to CEOs, presidents and prime ministers.

“Mayors have little of that. They are essentially winging it. If we really mean [it that] cities are the driving force of the economy, we have to do a lot more to develop and train our mayors and their staffs.”

This is partly why, Prof. Florida says, the University of Toronto is working on setting up a “mayors’ school” — something that doesn’t exist in Canada. It would be a place where new mayors can learn from academics and other, experienced mayors and urban leaders.

Such a school could go a long way to help mayors face what Prof. Florida views as today’s top challenges — “creating prosperous economies, dealing with inequality and housing affordability, investing in transit; making sure their cities and our society remain open, inclusive and tolerant; and, of course, balancing their budgets and spending taxpayer money wisely.”

David Miller, who was the mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010, believes municipal leaders have an advantage because they’re closer to their constituents and work on issues that directly impact their daily lives.

David Miller was mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010. (FRED LUM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

“The mayor has a bully pulpit like no other,” says Miller, who is now CEO of World Wildlife Fund-Canada. “It’s the job of a good leader, on difficult issues, to help the public understand and appreciate the proposal through good work on facts, good work by the civil service and using the bully pulpit to strongly make the case for the initiative.”

His advice for present and future mayors is to be authentic, including being the same person in office as they were when they campaigned, and to provide “real substance” in the role. “That is how you can most effectively persuade the public,” Miller says.

But it’s not just up to the civic leaders to shape a city’s future, says Miller. He believes citizens also need to do their part.

“You don’t consume a city,” he says. “You build it. You have to give back a bit if you want a city to be a great city.”