Zachary Spicer
School of Public Policy and Administration
Associate Professor
Email: zspicer@yorku.ca
Media Requests Welcome
Accepting New Graduate Students
Zachary Spicer is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration. He holds a PhD in Political Science from The University of Western Ontario and began his career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Brock University after completing post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance and the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy at Wilfrid Laurier University. He has also served as a Senior Policy Advisor with the Ontario Public Service and as the Director of Research and Outreach with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. He is the recipient of both the Susan Clarke Young Scholars’ Award and the Norton Long Young Scholars’ Award from the Urban Politics Section of the American Political Science Association.
Degrees
PhD, Political Science , The University of Western OntarioMA, Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University
BA (Hons), Political Science , McMaster University
Research Interests
- Susan Clarke Young Scholars' Award (American Political Science Association) - 2016
- Norton Long Young Scholars' Award (American Political Science Association) - 2013
Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer (eds). 2021. The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press
Spicer, Zachary, Joseph Lyons and Kate Graham. 2019. Local Government in Practice: Case Studies in Policy, Planning and Governance. Toronto: Emond
Spicer, Zachary. 2016. The Boundary Bargain: Growth, Development and the Future of City-County Separation. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary. 2021. “A New Public-Private Partnership for the Platform Age? Uber as Public Transit.” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance, eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary, Austin Zwick and Nina Carlsen. 2021. “A Smart City for Toronto: What Does Quayside Tell Us About the State of Smart City Building?” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary and Austin Zwick. 2021. “Conclusion”. The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Zwick, Austin, Zachary Spicer and Kate Alexis Abogado. 2021. “Introduction.” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary. 2019. “The Politics of Federal-Local Inter-Governmental Relations in Canada.” The State of the Federation 2017: Federalism and Democratic Renewal, eds. Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant and Kyle Hanniman. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. June 2019.
Lyons, Joseph and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “Accountability and Local Collaborative Governance.” Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada, eds. Sandra Breux and Jerome Couture. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary. 2018. “Municipalities and Canadian Public Administration.” Issues in Canadian Governance, eds. Amanda Clarke and Jonathan Craft. Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications.
Spicer, Zachary, Nicole Goodman and Nathan Olmstead. 2021. "The Frontier of Digital Opportunity: Smart City Implementation in Small, Rural and Remote Communities." Urban Studies 58(3): 535-558
Goodman, Nicole, Austin Zwick, Zachary Spicer, Nina Carlsen. 2020. “Public Engagement in Municipal and Indigenous Smart City Development: Lessons from Canada’s Smart City Challenge.” The Canadian Geographer. Vol. 64, No. 3.
Kiss, Simon, Andrea Perrella and Zachary Spicer. 2020. "Right-Wing Populism in a Metropolis: Personal Financial Stress, Conservative Attitudes and Rob Ford's Toronto." Journal of Urban Affairs 42(7): 1028-1046
Goodman, Nicole and Zachary Spicer. 2019. “Administering Elections in a Digital Age: Online
Voting in Ontario Municipalities.” Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 62, No. 3.
Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer. 2019. “Blight or Remedy: Understanding Ridehailing’s Role in the Precarious ‘Gig Economy’.” Planning Theory and Practice. Vol. 20, No. 3.
Spicer, Zachary, Gabriel Eidelman and Austin Zwick. 2019. “Patterns of Local Policy Disruption: Regulatory Responses to Uber in Ten North American Cities.” Review of Policy Research. Vol. 36, No. 2.
Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer. “Is Ridesharing Good for Canadian Cities?” The Canadian Geographer. Vol. 62, No. 4. December.
Smith, Alison and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “The Local Autonomy of Canada’s Largest Cities.” Urban Affairs Review. Vol. 54, No. 5. September.
Spicer, Zachary. 2017. “Bridging the Accountability and Transparency Gap in Inter-Local
Collaboration.” Local Government Studies. Vol. 43, No. 2.
Spicer, Zachary, Michael McGregor and Christopher Alcantara. 2017. “Political Opportunity Structures and the Representation of Women and Visible Minorities in Municipal Elections.” Electoral Studies. Vol. 48.
Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “A Patchwork of Participation: The Search for Community Representation in Post-Amalgamation Ontario.” Canadian Journal of Political Science. Vol. 49, No. 1
Alcantara, Christopher and Zachary Spicer. 2016. “Evaluating the Kelowna Accord and the
Promise of Multilevel Governance in Canada.” Canadian Public Administration. Vol., 59, No. 2
Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “Governance by Handshake? Assessing Informal Municipal Service
Sharing Relationships.” Canadian Public Policy. Vol. 42, No. 4.
Spicer, Zachary and Kate Graham. 2016. “Preparing to Lead: Mayoral Transition Planning in Canadian Cities.” Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 59, No. 4.
McGregor, Michael and Zachary Spicer. “The Canadian Homevoter: Property Values and Municipal Politics in Canada.” Journal of Urban Affairs. Vol. 38, No. 1
Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Adapting (Municipal) Form to (Provincial) Function: City-County Separation and the Introduction of the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager System in Ontario.” American Review of Canadian Studies. Vol. 45, No. 3.
Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Cooperation, Coordination and Competition: Why Do Municipalities Participate in Economic Development Alliances?” Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 58, No. 4,
Spicer, Zachary. “Regionalism, Municipal Organization and Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada.” Canadian Public Policy. Vol. 41, No. 2.
Spicer, Zachary. “The Ties That Bind? Exploring the Dynamics of Inter-Municipal Agreement Formation Between Separated Cities and Counties.” Canadian Public Policy. Vol. 40, No. 3.
Spicer, Zachary and John L. Nater. 2013. “Legislative Dissent Without Reprisal? An Alternative View of Speaker Selection.” Journal of Legislative Studies. Vol. 19, No. 4.
Alcantara, Christopher, Zachary Spicer and Rob Leone. 2012. “Institutional Design and the Accountability Paradox: A Case Study of Three Aboriginal Accountability Regimes in Canada,” in Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 55, No. 1.
Spicer, Zachary. 2012. “Post-Amalgamation Politics: How Does Consolidation Impact
Community Decision-Making?” Canadian Journal of Urban Research. Vol. 21, No. 2.
Alcantara, Christopher, Rob Leone and Zachary Spicer. 2012. “Responding to Policy Change from Above: Municipal Accountability and Transparency Regimes in Ontario,” Journal of Canadian Studies. Vol. 46, No. 1.
Spicer, Zachary. “The Reluctant Urbanist: Pierre Trudeau and the Creation of the Ministry of State for Urban Affairs.” International Journal of Canadian Studies. Vol. 44
Spicer, Zachary. “The Rise and Fall of the Ministry of State for Urban Affairs: A Re-Evaluation,” in Canadian Political Science Review. Vol. 5, No. 2
Spicer, Zachary. 2010. “Institutional Policy Learning and Formal Federal-Urban Engagement in Canada,” in Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance. Vol. 7
Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. 2021. “Virtual Meeting Transitions in Middlesex County.” Policy Ready/Institute of Public Administration of Canada Digital Case Study Series. Toronto: Policy Ready and Institute of Public Administration of Canada. June 2021.
Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. “The Ingredients for Innovation in Small Town Ontario: Leadership and Culture.” Policy Ready/Institute of Public Administration of Canada Digital Case Study Series. Toronto: Policy Ready and Institute of Public Administration of Canada.
Daley, Kate and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “Finding Common Ground: Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada in Theory and Practice.” IMFG Forum. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Spicer, Zachary. 2018. “The Platform Economy and Regulatory Disruption: Estimating the Impact on Municipal Revenue.” IMFG Papers. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance. University of Toronto.
Flynn, Alexandra and Zachary Spicer. 2017. “Re-Imagining Community Councils in Canadian Local Government,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Spicer, Zachary and Adam Found. 2016. Thinking Regionally: How to Improve Service Delivery in Canada’s Cities. CD Howe Institute Commentary.
Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Cooperation and Capacity: Inter-Municipal Agreements in Canada,” in IMFG Papers. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Slack, Enid, Zachary Spicer and Markham Montacer. 2014. “Decentralization and Gender Equity,” in Forum of the Federations Occasional Papers Series Vol. 14. Ottawa: Forum of the Federations.
Spicer, Zachary. 2014. “Linking Regions, Linking Functions: Inter-Municipal Agreements in Ontario,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto. .
Andrew, Caroline, André Côté , Peter Graefe, Andrew Sancton, Zachary Spicer, John Sutcliffe and Tom Urbaniak. 2014. “The Times They Are A Changin’ (Mostly): A 2014 Election Primer for Ontario’s Biggest Cities,” IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Spicer, Zachary. “Too Big, Yet Still Too Small: The Mixed Legacy of the Montréal and Toronto Amalgamations,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | AP/PPAS4380 3.0 | A | Local Government | SEMR |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2025 | GS/PPAL6200 3.0 | O | Research Methods and Information Systems | SEMR |
Zachary Spicer is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration. He holds a PhD in Political Science from The University of Western Ontario and began his career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Brock University after completing post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance and the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy at Wilfrid Laurier University. He has also served as a Senior Policy Advisor with the Ontario Public Service and as the Director of Research and Outreach with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. He is the recipient of both the Susan Clarke Young Scholars’ Award and the Norton Long Young Scholars’ Award from the Urban Politics Section of the American Political Science Association.
Degrees
PhD, Political Science , The University of Western OntarioMA, Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University
BA (Hons), Political Science , McMaster University
Research Interests
Awards
- Susan Clarke Young Scholars' Award (American Political Science Association) - 2016
- Norton Long Young Scholars' Award (American Political Science Association) - 2013
All Publications
Spicer, Zachary. 2021. “A New Public-Private Partnership for the Platform Age? Uber as Public Transit.” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance, eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary, Austin Zwick and Nina Carlsen. 2021. “A Smart City for Toronto: What Does Quayside Tell Us About the State of Smart City Building?” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary and Austin Zwick. 2021. “Conclusion”. The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Zwick, Austin, Zachary Spicer and Kate Alexis Abogado. 2021. “Introduction.” The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance eds. Austin Zwick and Zachary Spicer. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary. 2019. “The Politics of Federal-Local Inter-Governmental Relations in Canada.” The State of the Federation 2017: Federalism and Democratic Renewal, eds. Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant and Kyle Hanniman. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. June 2019.
Lyons, Joseph and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “Accountability and Local Collaborative Governance.” Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada, eds. Sandra Breux and Jerome Couture. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary. 2018. “Municipalities and Canadian Public Administration.” Issues in Canadian Governance, eds. Amanda Clarke and Jonathan Craft. Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications.
Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer (eds). 2021. The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy and Governance. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press
Spicer, Zachary, Joseph Lyons and Kate Graham. 2019. Local Government in Practice: Case Studies in Policy, Planning and Governance. Toronto: Emond
Spicer, Zachary. 2016. The Boundary Bargain: Growth, Development and the Future of City-County Separation. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Spicer, Zachary, Nicole Goodman and Nathan Olmstead. 2021. "The Frontier of Digital Opportunity: Smart City Implementation in Small, Rural and Remote Communities." Urban Studies 58(3): 535-558
Goodman, Nicole, Austin Zwick, Zachary Spicer, Nina Carlsen. 2020. “Public Engagement in Municipal and Indigenous Smart City Development: Lessons from Canada’s Smart City Challenge.” The Canadian Geographer. Vol. 64, No. 3.
Kiss, Simon, Andrea Perrella and Zachary Spicer. 2020. "Right-Wing Populism in a Metropolis: Personal Financial Stress, Conservative Attitudes and Rob Ford's Toronto." Journal of Urban Affairs 42(7): 1028-1046
Goodman, Nicole and Zachary Spicer. 2019. “Administering Elections in a Digital Age: Online
Voting in Ontario Municipalities.” Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 62, No. 3.
Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer. 2019. “Blight or Remedy: Understanding Ridehailing’s Role in the Precarious ‘Gig Economy’.” Planning Theory and Practice. Vol. 20, No. 3.
Spicer, Zachary, Gabriel Eidelman and Austin Zwick. 2019. “Patterns of Local Policy Disruption: Regulatory Responses to Uber in Ten North American Cities.” Review of Policy Research. Vol. 36, No. 2.
Zwick, Austin and Zachary Spicer. “Is Ridesharing Good for Canadian Cities?” The Canadian Geographer. Vol. 62, No. 4. December.
Smith, Alison and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “The Local Autonomy of Canada’s Largest Cities.” Urban Affairs Review. Vol. 54, No. 5. September.
Spicer, Zachary. 2017. “Bridging the Accountability and Transparency Gap in Inter-Local
Collaboration.” Local Government Studies. Vol. 43, No. 2.
Spicer, Zachary, Michael McGregor and Christopher Alcantara. 2017. “Political Opportunity Structures and the Representation of Women and Visible Minorities in Municipal Elections.” Electoral Studies. Vol. 48.
Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “A Patchwork of Participation: The Search for Community Representation in Post-Amalgamation Ontario.” Canadian Journal of Political Science. Vol. 49, No. 1
Alcantara, Christopher and Zachary Spicer. 2016. “Evaluating the Kelowna Accord and the
Promise of Multilevel Governance in Canada.” Canadian Public Administration. Vol., 59, No. 2
Spicer, Zachary. 2016. “Governance by Handshake? Assessing Informal Municipal Service
Sharing Relationships.” Canadian Public Policy. Vol. 42, No. 4.
Spicer, Zachary and Kate Graham. 2016. “Preparing to Lead: Mayoral Transition Planning in Canadian Cities.” Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 59, No. 4.
McGregor, Michael and Zachary Spicer. “The Canadian Homevoter: Property Values and Municipal Politics in Canada.” Journal of Urban Affairs. Vol. 38, No. 1
Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Adapting (Municipal) Form to (Provincial) Function: City-County Separation and the Introduction of the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager System in Ontario.” American Review of Canadian Studies. Vol. 45, No. 3.
Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Cooperation, Coordination and Competition: Why Do Municipalities Participate in Economic Development Alliances?” Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 58, No. 4,
Spicer, Zachary. “Regionalism, Municipal Organization and Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada.” Canadian Public Policy. Vol. 41, No. 2.
Spicer, Zachary. “The Ties That Bind? Exploring the Dynamics of Inter-Municipal Agreement Formation Between Separated Cities and Counties.” Canadian Public Policy. Vol. 40, No. 3.
Spicer, Zachary and John L. Nater. 2013. “Legislative Dissent Without Reprisal? An Alternative View of Speaker Selection.” Journal of Legislative Studies. Vol. 19, No. 4.
Alcantara, Christopher, Zachary Spicer and Rob Leone. 2012. “Institutional Design and the Accountability Paradox: A Case Study of Three Aboriginal Accountability Regimes in Canada,” in Canadian Public Administration. Vol. 55, No. 1.
Spicer, Zachary. 2012. “Post-Amalgamation Politics: How Does Consolidation Impact
Community Decision-Making?” Canadian Journal of Urban Research. Vol. 21, No. 2.
Alcantara, Christopher, Rob Leone and Zachary Spicer. 2012. “Responding to Policy Change from Above: Municipal Accountability and Transparency Regimes in Ontario,” Journal of Canadian Studies. Vol. 46, No. 1.
Spicer, Zachary. “The Reluctant Urbanist: Pierre Trudeau and the Creation of the Ministry of State for Urban Affairs.” International Journal of Canadian Studies. Vol. 44
Spicer, Zachary. “The Rise and Fall of the Ministry of State for Urban Affairs: A Re-Evaluation,” in Canadian Political Science Review. Vol. 5, No. 2
Spicer, Zachary. 2010. “Institutional Policy Learning and Formal Federal-Urban Engagement in Canada,” in Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance. Vol. 7
Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. 2021. “Virtual Meeting Transitions in Middlesex County.” Policy Ready/Institute of Public Administration of Canada Digital Case Study Series. Toronto: Policy Ready and Institute of Public Administration of Canada. June 2021.
Spicer, Zachary and Joseph Lyons. “The Ingredients for Innovation in Small Town Ontario: Leadership and Culture.” Policy Ready/Institute of Public Administration of Canada Digital Case Study Series. Toronto: Policy Ready and Institute of Public Administration of Canada.
Daley, Kate and Zachary Spicer. 2018. “Finding Common Ground: Inter-Local Cooperation in Canada in Theory and Practice.” IMFG Forum. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Spicer, Zachary. 2018. “The Platform Economy and Regulatory Disruption: Estimating the Impact on Municipal Revenue.” IMFG Papers. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance. University of Toronto.
Flynn, Alexandra and Zachary Spicer. 2017. “Re-Imagining Community Councils in Canadian Local Government,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Spicer, Zachary and Adam Found. 2016. Thinking Regionally: How to Improve Service Delivery in Canada’s Cities. CD Howe Institute Commentary.
Spicer, Zachary. 2015. “Cooperation and Capacity: Inter-Municipal Agreements in Canada,” in IMFG Papers. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Slack, Enid, Zachary Spicer and Markham Montacer. 2014. “Decentralization and Gender Equity,” in Forum of the Federations Occasional Papers Series Vol. 14. Ottawa: Forum of the Federations.
Spicer, Zachary. 2014. “Linking Regions, Linking Functions: Inter-Municipal Agreements in Ontario,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto. .
Andrew, Caroline, André Côté , Peter Graefe, Andrew Sancton, Zachary Spicer, John Sutcliffe and Tom Urbaniak. 2014. “The Times They Are A Changin’ (Mostly): A 2014 Election Primer for Ontario’s Biggest Cities,” IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Spicer, Zachary. “Too Big, Yet Still Too Small: The Mixed Legacy of the Montréal and Toronto Amalgamations,” in IMFG Perspectives. Toronto: Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, University of Toronto.
Current Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | AP/PPAS4380 3.0 | A | Local Government | SEMR |
Upcoming Courses
| Term | Course Number | Section | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2025 | GS/PPAL6200 3.0 | O | Research Methods and Information Systems | SEMR |
