Books

Goodman, Nicole, Helen A. Hayes, R. Michael McGregor, Scott Pruysers and Zachary Spicer. Voting Online: Technology and Democracy in Municipal Elections. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Forthcoming.

Spicer, Zachary. Delivery by Design: Inter-Municipal Cooperation, Shared Services and Canadian Local Government. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. September 2022.

Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer (eds). The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. August 2021.

Spicer, Zachary, Joseph Lyons and Kate Graham. Local Government in Practice: Case Studies in Policy, Planning and Governance. Toronto: Emond. November 2019.

Spicer, Zachary. The Boundary Bargain: Growth, Development and the Future of City-County Separation. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. May 2016.

Peer-Reviewed Journals

Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer. “Examining the Smart City Generational Model: Conceptualizations, Implementations and Infrastructure in Canada’s Smart City Challenge.” Urban Affairs Review. Forthcoming.

Spicer, Zachary, Nicole Goodman and David Wolfe. Forthcoming. “How ‘Smart’ Are Smart Cities? Resident Attitudes Toward Smart City Design.” Cities: The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning.

Spicer, Zachary, Joseph Kushner and Jean-Francois Lamarche. Forthcoming. “Are Municipal Budget Cycles Political? Evidence from Ontario, Canada.” State and Local Government Review.

Spicer, Zachary, Joseph Lyons and Morgan Calvert. Forthcoming. “Preparedness and Crisis-Driven Policy Change: COVID-19, Digital Readiness and Information Technology Professionals in Local Government.” Canadian Public Administration.

Spicer, Zachary, Tyler Girard, Jen Nelles and Christopher Alcantara. Forthcoming. “Measuring Accountability in Interlocal Agreements: Towards More Reliable Predictive Models.” Governance.

Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. Forthcoming. “Small Town, Short Work Week: Evaluating the Effects of a Compressed Work Week Pilot in Zorra, Ontario, Canada.” State and Local Government Review.

Zwick, Austin, Zachary Spicer and Mischa Young. Forthcoming. “Moving Ideas? Ridehailing and Municipal Agenda Setting in Canadian Cities.” Journal of Urban Affairs.

Hayes, Helen A., Nicole Goodman, Michael McGregor, Zachary Spicer and Scott Pruysers. “The Effect of Exogenous Shocks on teh Administration of Online Voting: Evidence from Ontario, Canada.” Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Forthcoming.

Haggart, Blayne and Zachary Spicer. 2022. “Infrastructure, Smart Cities and the Knowledge Economy.” Canadian Public Administration. 65(2): 295-313

McGregor, Michael, Scott Pursayers, Nicole Goodman and Zachary Spicer. 2022 ‘‘Survey Recruitment Messages and Reported Turnout - An Experimental Study.’’ Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. 32(2): 322-338.

Spicer, Zachary, Nicole Goodman and Nathan Olmstead. 2021. “The Frontier of Digital Opportunity: Smart City Implementation in Small, Rural and Remote Communities.” Urban Studies. 58(3): 535-558

Zwick, Austin, Nicole Goodman, Zachary Spicer and Nina Carlsen. 2020 ‘‘Public Engagement in Smart City Building: Lessons from Communities in Canada’s Smart City Challenge.’’ Canadian Geographer. 64(3): 416-432

Kiss, Simon, Andrea Perrella and Zachary Spicer. 2020. “Right-Wing Populism in a Metropolis: Personal Financial Stress, Conservative Attitudes and Rob Ford’s Toronto.” Journal of Urban Affairs. 42(7): 1028-1046.

Goodman, Nicole and Zachary Spicer. 2019. “Administering Elections in a Digital Age: Online Voting in Ontario Municipalities.” Canadian Public Administration. 62(3): 369-392. 

Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer. 2019. “Blight or Remedy: Understanding Ridehailing’s Role in the Precarious ‘Gig Economy’.” Planning Theory and Practice. 20(3): 424-428

Spicer, Zachary, Gabriel Eidelman and Austin Zwick. 2019. “Patterns of Local Policy Disruption: Regulatory Responses to Uber in Ten North American Cities.” Review of Policy Research. 36(2): 147-167

Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “Is Ridesharing Good for Canadian Cities?” The Canadian Geographer. 62(4): 430-436.

Smith, Alison and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “The Local Autonomy of Canada’s Largest Cities.” Urban Affairs Review. 54(5): 931-961.

Spicer, Zachary, Michael McGregor and Christopher Alcantara. 2017. “Political Opportunity Structures and the Representation of Women and Visible Minorities in Municipal Elections.” Electoral Studies. 48: 10-18.

Spicer, Zachary. 2017. “Bridging the Accountability and Transparency Gap in Inter-Local Collaboration.” Local Government Studies. 43(2): 388-407.

Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “Governance by Handshake? Assessing Informal Municipal Service Sharing Relationships.” Canadian Public Policy. 42(4): 505-513.

Spicer, Zachary and Kate Graham. 2016. “Preparing to Lead: Mayoral Transition Planning in Canadian Cities.” Canadian Public Administration. 59(4): 538-555.

Alcantara, Christopher and Zachary Spicer. 2016. “Evaluating the Kelowna Accord and the Promise of Multilevel Governance in Canada.” Canadian Public Administration. 59(2): 183-203.

Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “A Patchwork of Participation: The Search for Community Representation in Post-Amalgamation Ontario.” Canadian Journal of Political Science. 49(1): 129-150.

McGregor, Michael and Zachary Spicer. 2016. “The Canadian Homevoter: Property Values and Municipal Politics in Canada.” Journal of Urban Affairs. 38(1): 123-139.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Cooperation, Coordination and Competition: Why Do Municipalities Participate in Economic Development Alliances?” Canadian Public Administration. 58(4): 549-573.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Adapting (Municipal) Form to (Provincial) Function: City-County Separation and the Introduction of the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager System in Ontario.” American Review of Canadian Studies. 45(3): 346-364.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Regionalism, Municipal Organization and Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada.” Canadian Public Policy. 41(2): 137-150.

Spicer, Zachary. 2014. “The Ties That Bind? Exploring the Dynamics of Inter-Municipal Agreement Formation Between Separated Cities and Counties.” Canadian Public Policy. 40(3): 245-258.  

Spicer, Zachary and John L. Nater. 2013. “Legislative Dissent Without Reprisal? An Alternative View of Speaker Selection.” Journal of Legislative Studies. 19(4): 505-525.

Spicer, Zachary. 2012. “Post-Amalgamation Politics: How Does Consolidation Impact Community Decision-Making?” Canadian Journal of Urban Research. 21(2): 90-111.

Alcantara, Christopher, Zachary Spicer and Rob Leone. 2012. “Institutional Design and the Accountability Paradox: A Case Study of Three Aboriginal Accountability Regimes in Canada,” in Canadian Public Administration. 55(1): 69-90.

Spicer, Zachary. 2012. “The Reluctant Urbanist: Pierre Trudeau and the Creation of the Ministry of State for Urban Affairs.” International Journal of Canadian Studies. 44: 185-199.

Alcantara, Christopher, Rob Leone and Zachary Spicer. 2012. “Responding to Policy Change from Above: Municipal Accountability and Transparency Regimes in Ontario,” Journal of Canadian Studies. 46(1): 112-137.

Spicer, Zachary. 2011. “The Rise and Fall of the Ministry of State for Urban Affairs: A Re-Evaluation,” in Canadian Political Science Review. 5(2): 117-126.

Spicer, Zachary. 2010. “Institutional Policy Learning and Formal Federal-Urban Engagement in Canada,” in Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance. 7

Book Chapters

Olmstead, Nathan and Zachary Spicer. 2023. “The Politics of Re-Membering: Inequity, Governance and Biodegradable Data in the Smart City.” Digital (In)Justice in the Smart City. Debra MacKinnon, Ryan Burns and Victoria Fast (eds.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Lyons, Joseph, Zachary Spicer and David Taylor. 2023. “Municipal Owned Corporations in Canada.” Corporatisation in Local Government. Marieke Van Genugten, Bart Voorn, Rhys Andrews, Ulf Papenfub, Harald Torsteinsen (eds.). London: Palgrave Macmillan

Spicer, Zachary, Austin Zwick and Nina Carlsen. 2021. “A Smart City for Toronto: What Does Quayside Tells Us About the State of Smart City Building?” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer (eds.) Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Spicer, Zachary and Austin Zwick. 2021. “Conclusion.” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer (eds.) Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Zwick, Austin, Zachary Spicer and Kate Alexix Abogado. 2021. “Introduction.” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer (eds.) Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Spicer, Zachary. 2021. “A New Public-Private Partnership for the Platform Age? Uber as Public Transit.” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer (eds.) Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Spicer, Zachary. 2019. “The Politics of Federal-Local Inter-Governmental Relations in Canada.” The State of the Federation 2017: Federalism and Democratic Renewal, eds. Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant and Kyle Hanniman. Montreal:  McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Lyons, Joseph and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “Accountability and Local Collaborative Governance.” Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada, eds. Sandra Breux and Jerome Couture. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Spicer, Zachary. 2018. “Municipalities and Canadian Public Administration.” Issues in Canadian Governance, eds. Amanda Clarke and Jonathan Craft. Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications.

Policy Reports

Spicer, Zachary. 2022. Digital Dilemmas: Technology, Governance and Canadian Municipalities. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance.

Spicer, Zachary. 2022. Organizing Canadian Local Government. Calgary: School of Public Policy, University of Calgary.

Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. 2021. The Transition to Digital Council Meetings in Middlesex County. Toronto: Institute of Public Administration of Canada and Policy Ready.

Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. 2020. The Ingredients for Innovation in Small Town Ontario: Leadership and Culture. Toronto: Institute of Public Administration of Canada and Policy Ready.

Spicer, Zachary. 2018. “The Platform Economy and Regulatory Disruption: Estimating the Impact on Municipal Revenue.” IMFG Papers. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance. University of Toronto.

Daley, Kate and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “Finding Common Ground: Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada in Theory and Practice.” IMFG Forum. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.

Flynn, Alexandra and Zachary Spicer. 2017. “Re-Imagining Community Councils in Canadian Local Government,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.

Spicer, Zachary and Adam Found. 2016. Thinking Regionally: How to Improve Service Delivery in Canada’s Cities. CD Howe Institute Commentary.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Cooperation and Capacity: Inter-Municipal Agreements in Canada,” in IMFG Papers. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.

Spicer, Zachary. 2014. “Linking Regions, Linking Functions: Inter-Municipal Agreements in Ontario,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.

Andrew, Caroline, André Côté , Peter Graefe, Andrew Sancton, Zachary Spicer, John Sutcliffe and Tom Urbaniak. 2014. “The Times They Are A Changin’ (Mostly): A 2014 Election Primer for Ontario’s Biggest Cities,” IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.

Slack, Enid, Zachary Spicer and Markham Montacer. 2014. “Decentralization and Gender Equity,” in Forum of the Federations Occasional Papers Series Vol. 14. Ottawa: Forum of the Federations.

Spicer, Zachary. 2014. “Too Big, Yet Still Too Small: The Mixed Legacy of the Montréal and Toronto Amalgamations,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.

Editorials

Spicer, Zachary. 2022. “Even Without Strong Powers, Mayors Find a Way to Get Things Done.” The Conversation. December 15, 2022.

Spicer, Zachary. 2022. “If we want better municipal politicians, we should pay better wages.” The Conversation. July 20, 2022

Spicer, Zachary and Karla Mikhael. 2021. “The Impact of COVID-19 on Canada’s Public Service: A View from the Deputy Minister’s Office.” Policy Options. August 23, 2021.

Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. 2021. “Digitization in Local Government Needs Both Opportunity and Preparation.” Apolitical. May 19, 2021.

Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. 2020. ‘‘A Small Town Solution to Digitization.’’ Apolitical. April 9, 2020.

Spicer, Zachary. 2020. ‘‘Cheers to the Accidental Public Servants.’’ IPAC Blog. March 27.

Craft, Jonathan and Zachary Spicer. 2020. ‘‘Everyone Loves Digital Government, But What Is It?’’ Apolitical. January 15.

Haggart, Blayne and Zachary Spicer. 2018. ‘‘What Quayside has Taught Us About Smart Cities and Data Governance.’’ The Conversation. April 2.

Spicer, Zachary and Nicole Goodman. 2018. ‘‘Winning the Smart City Challenge with Equity, Inclusion.’’ Policy Options. March 6.

Smith, Alison and Zachary Spicer. 2017. “The Local Autonomy of Canada’s Largest Cities.” Urban Affairs Forum. October 11, 2017.

Spicer, Zachary. 2017. “Amalgamation Is the Last Option.” Waterloo Chronicle. January 18.

Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “Forced Cooperation Recipe for Bad Blood Among Alberta Municipalities.” Edmonton Journal. October 21.

Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “Local Accountability and Transparency: Closing the Accountability Gap in Inter-Municipal Contracting and Service Sharing.” Municipal World. October.

Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “The Future of City-County Separation: Breaking Ontario’s Boundary Bargain” Municipal Monitor. August.

Spicer, Sarah and Zachary Spicer. 2016. “Wellesley Should Stay Distinct, Skip Costly Name Change.” New Hamburg Independent. July 19.

Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “Don’t Amalgamate, Cooperate.” Vancouver Sun. May 26..

Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “Framing the Amalgamation Debate.” Kitchener Post. April 14.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “The State of Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada.” Public Sector Digest. December.

Miljan, Lydia and Zachary Spicer. 2015. “The Case for De-Amalgamation.” Municipal Monitor. December.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “What Will Trudeau’s Urban Agenda Look Like?” Policy Options. October 30.

Miljan, Lydia and Zachary Spicer. 2015. “Amalgamation Should Not Be Entered Lightly” Victoria Times Colonist. July 23.

Miljan, Lydia and Zachary Spicer. 2015. “Is De-Amalgamation the Answer?” Financial Post. July 15.

Alcantara, Christopher and Zachary Spicer. 2015. “Learning from the Kelowna Accord.” Policy Options. July 6.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “How Do You Solve a Problem like Uber?” Municipal World. July.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Sunshine List is All Breadth, No Depth,” Waterloo Record. April 1.

Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Uber Decision May Be Out of Region’s Hands” Waterloo Record. January 23.

McGregor, Michael and Zachary Spicer. 2014. “For Municipal Politicians, Homeowners are Prized Above All Others.” National Post. October 22.

Spicer, Zachary. 2014. “Regionalism and Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada,” Curb Magazine. October.

Slack, Enid and Zachary Spicer. 2014. “Toronto: Too Big, Too Small,” Novae Res Urbis. April 4.

Slack, Enid and Zachary Spicer. 2014. “Amalgamation Still Haunts Us, But Not How You Think,” Toronto Star. March 17.

Spicer, Zachary. 2013. “The Urban-Rural Divide,” Municipal World. December 1.

Spicer, Zachary. 2013. “City-County Separation: When Municipalities Cross the Line,” Public Sector Digest. October.

Spicer, Zachary. 2013. “A Community of Communities, Divided Against Itself,” Urbanicity Magazine. March 12.