Social Change in the Central Ontario Region

Bourne outlines the major demographic trends that are shaping the Central Ontario Zone and their implications for planning, public policy, and the quality of life. In particular, he focuses on the rapidity of population growth, the aging of the baby boom, the trend towards smaller households and more non-family households, the effects of large-scale immigration, and the widening gap between rich and poor. The spatial effects of these changes are unpredictable, and Bourne argues for flexible policies to respond appropriately to social changes.