The Governance and Implementation of Smart Growth Urban Intensification Through Stakeholder Engagement

This research will investigate how principles of urban sustainability (smart growth) can be implemented in the City of Ottawa to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. The research will focus on local citizen engagement as a necessary precursor to the governance and implementation of smart growth policies. This research found that there are policy and process barriers to the meaningful implementation of urban sustainability policies. However, there is also a strong base of informed and engaged citizens who are ready and willing to play a role in the policy development process. This thesis uses stakeholder analysis theory to investigate who the key players are, what opportunities and barriers they face, and how the City of Ottawa can coalesce these groups to create effective and leading urban sustainability policies.