Author: Dr. Loleen Berdahl
Urbanites in the West and Toronto place great value on the environment in and around their cities. The Looking West 2007 Survey shows that many environmental concerns are related to urban population size. The larger the city, the more concerned its residents are about the urban environment. This likely reflects perceptions of lower environmental quality in larger cities. As cities grow larger, air quality drops and the surrounding countryside is consumed, and what becomes rare, becomes more precious. The survey findings suggest that Canada may become increasingly environmentally conscious-especially in terms of the urban environment-as the country’s cities continue to grow.