Christopher Stoney

– BA Honours (Lancaster University)
– MA in Public Policy and Administration (Carleton University)
– PhD (University of Leeds)

As the Director for the Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE), Chris’s main research focus examined infrastructure and urban sustainability and identifies barriers and opportunities in the field. His background in public management, federal and municipal government enabled him to bring a governance lens to analyse urban sprawl and key decisions about transportation and infrastructure, land-use planning, housing and energy. His findings illustrate that governance and systems of governance are crucial in understanding infrastructure policies and choices and, ultimately, the kinds of cities they produce.

Local decision-making and municipal government is intended to be the most inclusive, representative and transparent of all levels of government. As cities continue to increase in size and importance, they face challenges to maintain these qualities and adapt their governance structure to adapt to growing responsibilities, demands and technologies. For economic, social, political and democratic reasons understanding the role and potential of cities has become crucial not only for municipal government but also for regional and national governments that must find ways to play an enabling role in developing urban centres and enhancing the quality of life for urban, sub-urban and rural based citizens.

His research also focused on federal government including key aspects of “good governance” in areas such as transparency, accountability and procurement, as well the changing relationship between public servants and elected officials. 

Strategic management in a public sector context provides another focus for his research and, in particular, the complexity of planning for emergency and crisis situation following natural and man-made disasters.

• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C., & Hilton, R. (2021). Keeping Canada running: Infrastructure and the future of governance in a pandemic world. McGill-Queen’s University Press.
• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C. (2016).How Ottawa Spends 2016-2017: The Trudeau Liberals in Power. SPPA.
• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C. (2015).How Ottawa Spends 2015-2016: The Liberal Rise and the Tory Demise. SPPA.
• Doern, G. B., Auld, G., & Stoney, C. (2015). Green-Lite: Complexity in fifty years of Canadian Environmental Policy, governance, and democracy. McGill-Queen’s University Press.
• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C. (2015).How Ottawa Spends 2014-2015: The Harper Government: Good to Go? SPPA.
• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C. (2015).How Ottawa Spends 2013-2014: The Harper Government: Mid-term Blues and Long-term Plans. SPPA.
• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C. (2015).How Ottawa Spends 2012-2013: The Harper Majority, Budget Cuts, and the New Opposition. SPPA.
• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C. (2015).How Ottawa Spends 2011-2012: Trimming Fat or Slicing Pork. SPPA.
• Doern, G. B., Stoney, C. (2015).How Ottawa Spends 2010-2011: Recession, Realignment, and the New Deficit Era. SPPA.
• Doern, G. B., & Stoney, C. (2009). Research and innovation policy: Changing federal government-university relations. University of Toronto Press.

• Gorman, Lisa, and Christopher Stoney. “Missed Opportunities: Public Health Disaster Management in Canada.” Journal of Public Management & Social Policy 22(2) (2015). Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration. ISSN: 1080-8523
• Scanlon, Joseph, and Christopher Stoney. “Ad Hoc Rules, Rights, and Rituals: The Politics of Mass Death.” Journal of contingencies and crisis management 22(4): pp. 223–237 (December 2014) Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Stoney, Christopher, and Tamara Krawchencko “Crisis and opportunism: Public finances from stimulus to austerity in Canada” Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Research, 24 (2013)
• Stoney, Christopher, and Tamara Krawchenko. “Transparency and Accountability in Infrastructure Stimulus Spending: A Comparison of Canadian, Australian and U.S. Programs.” Canadian public administration 55(4): pp. 481–503 (December 2012) Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Krawchenko, Tamara, and Christopher Stoney. “Public Private Partnerships and the Public Interest: A Case Study of Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park Development.” Canadian journal of nonprofit and social economy research 2(2): pp. 74–90 (November 2011) Calgary: Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research.
• Stoney, Christopher et al. “Steadily Increasing Control: The Professionalization of Mass Death.” Journal of contingencies and crisis management 19(2): pp. 66–74 (June 2011) Wiley-Blackwell Full Collection – CRKN.
• Stoney, Christopher, and Katherine A.H Graham. “Federal-Municipal Relations in Canada: The Changing Organizational Landscape.” Canadian public administration 52(3): pp. 371–394 (October 2009) Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishing.
• Stoney, Christopher, and Robert Hilton. “Sustainable Cities: Canadian Reality or Urban Myth?” Commonwealth journal of local governance 4: pp. 46–76 (2009) Sydney: U T S ePRESS.
• Stoney, Christopher, and Catherine Waters. “The Federal Accountability Act: The Impact of Changes in Party Finances on the Democratic Functions of Political Parties.” Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law 1: pp. 155-182 (2008) Toronto : Thomson Carswell.
• Robert Hilton et Christopher Stoney. “Ottawa’s LRT System: Dreams, Delusions and Deceptions” Revue Gouvernance 4(1) (March 2007) The Summit Group.
• Stoney, Christopher & Mark Roberts. “The Case for Older Workers at Tesco: An Examination of Attitudes, Assumptions and Attributes” Managing Older Workers (January 2003) Stirling, Scotland: University of Stirling.
• Stoney, Christopher, and Diana Winstanley. “Stakeholding: Confusion or Utopia? Mapping the Conceptual Terrain.” Journal of management studies 38(5): pp. 603-626 (July 2001) Oxford, UK and Boston, USA: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
• Stoney, Christopher. “Partnership and Workplace Learning in the UK: Pioneering Work at British Telecommunications Plc.” The journal of workplace learning 14(2): pp.58-67 (March 2002) Bradford: MCB UP Ltd.
• Stoney, Christopher. “Strategic Management or Strategic Taylorism?: A Case Study into Change Within a UK Local Authority.” The International journal of public sector management 14(1): pp. 27–42 (February 2001) Bradford: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
• Stoney, Christopher. “Lifting the lid on strategic management: a sociological narrative.” Electronic Journal of Radical Organization Theory 4(1): pp. 1-35 (1998).
• Bostock, Richard, and Christopher Stoney. “Japanese Corporate Governance: Governance for the Twenty-First Century or a Model in Decline?” Asia Pacific business review 4(1): pp. 63–82 (October 1997) Frank Cass.

• The Changing Roles of Politicians and Public Servants, in The Routledge Handbook of Global Public Policy and Administration’ eds. Thomas R. Klassen, Denita Cepiku, T. J. Lah, Ch. 24, 2017, Routledge, (with Robert Shepherd, and Lori Turnbull)
• The Politics of Intergovernmental Transfers in Canada, in How Ottawa Spends 2017-18, Canada @150, eds. A. Maslowe and K.Graham, pp.69-81 (With Andrew Seto)
• ‘The Liberals in Power’, in How Ottawa Spends 2016-17, ch.1 eds. Doern, B.G. and Stoney C. (with B. G. Doern)
• ‘The Liberal Rise and the Tory Demise’, in How Ottawa Spends 2015-16, ch.1 eds. Doern, B.G. and Stoney C. (with B. G. Doern)
• ‘Leaner and Meaner: Government Spending from Stimulus to Austerity’ in The Harper Record 2008-2015 pp. 271-285, Eds. Healy, S. and L.Trew, October 2015, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, pp. 271-285 (with Tamara Krawchenko)
• ‘Justin Trudeau and Leadership Idolization: The Centralization of Power in Canadian Politics and Political Parties’ in How Ottawa Spends 2014-15, Chapter 5 with MacNaughton, C., 2014.
• ‘The Harper Government: Good to Go?’ Chapter 1. with G.B. Doern, 2014, in How Ottawa Spends eds. Stoney C. and G.B. Doern MQUP.
• The Harper Government: Mid-term Blues and Long-term Plans, with G.B. Doern, September 2013, in How Ottawa Spends 2013-14, Chapter 1, eds. Stoney C. and G.B. Doern,. MQUP.
• ‘The Harper Majority, Budget Cuts and the New Opposition, How Ottawa Spends’ with G.B. Doern, September 2012 in How Ottawa Spends 2012-2013, eds. G. Bruce Doern and Christopher Stoney, MQUP
• ‘Public Private Partnerships in Canada: Current Issues, Dilemmas and Concerns’, in New Technologies in Public Administration as Reflected by Canadian and Russian Experience: («Новые технологии государственного управления в зеркале канадского и российского опыта») January 2013, Moscow Press
• ‘SARS in Canada’ in SARS from East to West, Edited by Eva-Karin Olsson and Lan Xue, November 2011, Lexington Books (with Dan Markel).
• ‘Harper Budgeting in a Time of Austerity:Trimming Fat or Slicing Pork’, Ch1 in How Ottawa Spends 2011, with G.B. Doern, September 2011, MQUP
• ‘Do institutions responsible for parliamentary oversight offer better tools for scrutinizing and improving governance (with R. Shepherd)? Chapter 7, Contemporary Debates in Public Administration F. Omeheng, Edmond Montgomery Publications (Winter 2010-11).
• ‘Double Deficit: Fiscal and Democratic Challenges in the Harper Era’, Chapter 1, pp. 1- 30, with G. B. Doern, in How Ottawa Spends 2010-2011, ‘Reform and Realignment in a time of Crisis’ with G. B. Doern MQUP, (2010)
• ‘Conclusions: Changing Symbiotic Research Relationships: Conflict and Compromise”, with G. B. Doern, Chapter 12 pp. 289- 314 in Universities and Research and Innovation: Changing Federal Government University Relations (ed.) B Doern & C. Stoney, 2009, UTP.
• ‘Federal Gas Tax Transfers: Politics and Perverse Policy’, in How Ottawa Spends 2009-2010, MQUP with R. Hilton.
• ‘Federal Research and Innovation Policies and Canadian Universities: A Framework for Analysis’ with G. B. Doern, Chapter 1, pp. 1-34 in Universities and Research and Innovation: Changing Federal Government University Relations (ed.) G. Doern & C. Stoney, 2009, UTP.
• ‘Barriers to Innovation: Universities, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship’, with Paul Madgett, in Universities and Research and Innovation: Changing Federal Government University Relations (ed.) G. Bruce Doern and C. Stoney, 2009, UTP.
• ‘Why Smart Growth Isn’t Working: An Examination of Ottawa’s Failure to Deliver Sustainable Urban Transit’ in Innovation, Science and Innovation, Canadian Policies and Performance 2008-2009 ed. G Toner, Montreal Queens University Press, with R. Hilton.
• ‘Challenges in Performance Management: Gas Tax Funding with Municipal Infrastructure’, in Holy Grail or Achievable Quest? International Perspectives on Public Sector Performance Management, pp. 67-84, with T. Bellefontaine KPMG/IPAC 2008.
• Addressing the Fiscal Imbalance through Asymmetrical Federalism:Dangerous Times for the Harper Government and for Canada’ (with Andrew Teliszewsky,) in How Ottawa Spends 2007-2008, (ed.) B.Doern, McGill-Queens June 2007, Ch. 2
• ‘Federal Approaches to the Regulation of Sin’ (with Malcolm Bird, in How Ottawa Spends, (ed.) B. Doern, McGill – Queens University Press (June 2006).
• ‘The Maritime Helicopter Project: The Costly Politics of Military Procurement’ (with T. Neima) in How Ottawa Spends, (ed.) B. Doern, McGill – Queens University Press (June 2006).
• ‘Still Between a Rock and a Hard Place: the New Deal and Local Government Autonomy’ in Rules Rules Rules: Multi-level Governance, B. Doern and R Johnson (eds), ch. 5, pp. 101-123 October 2006, University of Toronto Press, Toronto.
• ‘Regulating Risk: An Assessment of Canada’s Multi-Level Emergency Management’ (With Phil Graham ) ‘Rules Rules Rules Issues of Multi-level governance in Canada’, Bruce Doern (ed), in Press October 2006.
• ‘Into the Long Grass? Evaluating the Role of Commissions of Inquiry in the New Mandate’ (with Ian Hodges), in How Ottawa Spends, Bruce Doern (ed), McGill – Queens University Press, pp.183-199, 2005.

• The future of public transportation uncertain in post-pandemic times (Capital Current, Apr 2021)
• Glebe BIA seeks to turf local councillor over ‘adversarial approach’ (CBC, Jun 2020)
• SPPA Takes Gold Medal at National Public Administration Case Competition (FPA News, Feb 2020)
• Carleton Hosts National Case Study Competition Examining Public Policy Issues (Carleton Newsroom, Mar 2019)
• Phoenix creators helped build failed pay system’s business case (CBC, Oct 2017)
• Operations for LRT tunnel secret for VIP visits to Ottawa (Ottawa Citizen, Jun 2016)
• Straight to the Top: How Cities Look to the Feds for Support (FPA News, Apr 2016)