Viewpoint: Human Rights and the City: A View From Canada.

In planning matters, human rights challenges are increasing, so planning scholars and practitioners must understand the issues and find ways to address them. In this Viewpoint I argue that the Canadian state, through constitutional and quasi-constitutional protections as well as its active judiciary, has strengthened the rights of Canadians to tackle issues at the city level. Nonetheless, the pursuit of these rights is ongoing, especially regarding issues of access to housing, universal accessibility to public services, and freedoms of expression and religion. Educating practicing and budding planners, and the public, about the implications of human rights on planning is a key way forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]