Changing Toronto: Governing Urban Neoliberalism

Julie-Anne Boudreau is Associate Professor at the Center for Urbanisation, Culture, and Society of the National Institute for Scientific Research in Montreal. She holds the Canada Research Chair on the City and Issues of Insecurity. Her recent work focuses on fear in the city and fear of the city.
Roger Keil is the Director of the City Institute at York University and Professor at the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University, Toronto. Keil is the co-editor of the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and a co-founder of the International Network for Urban Research and Action.
Douglas Young is Assistant Professor of Social Science and teaches Urban Studies at York University, Toronto. He has worked as an architect, planner, and developer of non-profit housing co-operatives.

Preface

List of Figures, Tables, and Maps

Acknowledgements

1. Canada Urbana: Perspectives of Urban Research
2. The City That Works (No More): Towards the Crisis of the Mid-1990s
3. Tory Toronto: Neoliberalism in the City
4. Making the Megacity
5. Diverse-City
6. Official Planning
7. The In-between City
8. Urinetown or Morainetown?
9. Transportation Dilemmas
10. Creative Competitiveness
11. Millermania
12. Changing Toronto

References

Index

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