Capitalism’s affinity for suburban development: locating a new high school in Moncton, New Brunswick
Loading...
Files
Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of New Brunswick
Abstract
Capitalism as a worldview is both a view of life and a way of life that is structurally embedded in our society. In Canada and the United States capitalism shapes the political economy, which in turn influences the thoughts and actions of players engaged in the system at various levels: governments, institutions and the marketplace. Actors in this political economy have, at times, partnered or conspired to influence a suburban way of life for the majority of citizens. A case in point is the site selection for a new school in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. The thesis makes the case that the Moncton high school project unfolded as it did due to factors that included certain actions by particular players, the sale of land, proposed increased residential development, land values, and demands placed on existing infrastructure to accommodate the school project. The capitalist-public authority-marketplace relationship revealed that the values of actors in the marketplace were not always in alignment and conflict occurred.