Changing Toronto

At last, we have a book that does for Toronto what Mike Davis did for Los Angeles with City of Quartz. With an eye for global forces, as well as textures of everyday life bearing on urban politics in the neoliberal era, this panoramic account revolves around a sharp focus on social, spatial, and environmental justice in the city, offering a lively riposte to both the dull academicism and the theatrical boosterism of Toronto. Changing Toronto is not only a must-read for students and activists of Toronto, but also a valuable contribution to critical urban studies. -- Kanishka Goonewardena, University of Toronto Changing Toronto is generously large in scope, jumping ably from Jane and Finch to the agony of the disappearing middle classes, from Markham's water regime to the obsession with superstars and beauty in planning discourse. Its careful reflection of Toronto's neoliberal past and present offers readers an understanding of how the global affects the local in ways that raise important questions for current political practices. It will force readers to take a challenging, critical look at the city. -- Caroline Andrew, University of Ottawa

"With an eye for global forces, this panoramic account revolves around a focus on social, spatial, and environmental justice in the city, offering a lively riposte to both dull academicism and theatrical boosterism." - Kanishka Goonewardena, University of Toronto

By exploring the formative years of the New City of Toronto (between 1995 and 2005, the period just before, during, and after metropolitan amalgamation), Changing Toronto analyzes the political, social, and environmental challenges of living in, and governing, a major metropolitan city region that bills itself as a multicultural, world-class city.