Municipal Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services in an Age of Migration and Superdiversity

Abstract

The goals of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion have gained currency in planning practice, and institutions are increasingly expected to address structural inequalities related to race, ethnicity and other forms of marginalization. This article examines how six Canadian municipalities have adapted their parks, recreation and culture strategic plans, policies, programs and services in response to international migration and racial diversity. The analysis of official documents and interviews with municipal officials and community representatives reveals that municipalities have adopted de facto multicultural planning practices aligned with the state paradigm of immigrant integration and national identity, even when the term “multiculturalism” is rarely employed in official discourse. They have also incorporated some aspects of mainstreaming into the planning repertoire. In Canada, mainstreaming is not an alternative to group-specific programing, but an additional mechanism for the recognition of difference in public institutions.