Local government,multilevel governance,and cluster‐based innovation policy: Economic cluster strategies in Canada’s city regions

This article examines the relationship between local government economic development policy and multilevel governance, and investigates whether multilevel governance can be effectively implemented in key sectors, using two case studies of the aerospace and fashion sectors. This article seeks to answer the following questions: What inhibits the formation of multilevel collaborative governance institutions in these sectors? What implications does this have for urban economic development policy for the City of Toronto, and by extension, other cities across Canada? The case study evidence suggests that these institutions are forming in other cities such as Montreal and contributing to their success. So why is Toronto different?