Governance lessons from public-private partnerships: examining two cases in the Greater Ottawa Region

Abstract

This paper is concerned with studying the administrative and democratic effects of PPP procurement involved in the realisation of two PPP projects in the Greater Ottawa region: Gatineau’s Robert-Guertin Arena and Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park. First, we review the theory regarding PPPs and democratic municipal governance. Second, we propose a normative framework of good governance in the municipal sector, tailor-made to infrastructure matters. Third, we critically analyze the decision-making process and contractual agreements of both projects in order to identify key issues regarding infrastructure PPPs in municipalities. We conclude by drawing lessons from the analysis of the two projects and discussing the potential implications of our findings.