Abstrakt: | The author explores the problem of territorial reorganization of the metropolitan area
within the Canadian evolutionary federal system, taking as an example the cities of Toronto and
Montreal. The results of the research indicate that adaptation strategies, applied by states aiming
at empowering the metropolis, depend on the general level of the territorial units’ autonomy. The existence of strong local self-government favours creation of intercommunal cooperation
structures without dissolution of current local territorial units. Territorial reorganization in the case
of states with a low level of local autonomy may facilitate elimination of former local units by
theirs amalgamation in new, larger metropolitan self-government structures. As far as this context
is concerned, Canada constitutes a very interesting study case. Taking into consideration Canadian
evolutionary federal system, highly limited local autonomy of the cities, and its mix of European
and American traditions, one can observe almost all the above-mentioned dimensions of reform
and adaptation strategies. Advanced and institutionalized intercommunal cooperation, developed in
Toronto and Montreal in the middle of the 20th century, was interrupted by amalgamation imposed
by provincial government, which resulted in creation of new, enlarged metropolitan cities of
Toronto in 1998 and Montreal in 2002. In both cases the amalgamation has not been accepted by
a part of the population and destabilized cooperation in these metropolitan areas. The trouble with
amalgamation led to abandonment of further structural and territorial reforms, which were replaced
by functional ones, taking the form of special agreements between Toronto and Montreal and their
respective provinces (Ontario and Quebec), giving them both new competences and financial
resources. Regardless of any difficulties in pursuing an appropriate metropolitan regime and the
suitable position for the metropolis in the structure of a political and territorial system, both cities
have achieved strong economic performance and high quality of life. |