Toronto, no mean city

by Eric Arthur

Eric Arthur fell in love with Toronto the first time he saw it. The year was 1923; he was twenty-five years old, newly arrived to teach architecture at the University of Toronto. For the next sixty years he dedicated himself to saving the great buildings of Toronto's past. Toronto, No Mean City sounded a clarion call in his crusade. First published in 1964, it sparked the preservation movement of the 1960s and 1970s and became its bible. This reprint of the third edition, prepared by Stephen Otto, updates Arthur's classic to include information and illustrations uncovered since the appearance of the first edition. Four new essays were commissioned for this reprint. Christopher Hume, architecture critic and urban affairs columnist for the Toronto Star , addresses the changes to the city since the appearance of the third edition in 1986. Architect and heritage preservation activist Catherine Nasmith assesses the current status of the city's heritage preservation movement. Susan Crean, a freelance writer in Toronto, explores Toronto's vibrant arts scene. Mark Kingwell, professor and cultural commentator, reflects on the development of professional and amateur sports in and around town. Readers will delight in these anecdotal accounts of the city's rich architectural heritage.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cities, Architecture, Canada

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a used copy without the new essays designed to bring the work up to date that appear in recent editions. As a result, the book felt (quite naturally) dated.

Arthur is fairly restrained about wading into aesthetic criticism, although the passages where he does express his opinion as a matter of taste are some of the most interesting — particularly memorable are his praise of Osgoode Hall and his dismissal of the architecture of Queen's Park. Additionally, passages dealing with anecdotes from local history (such as the siege of "York" during the War of 1812) move along fluidly.

Much of the book is fairly technical and assumes both a solid orientation in architectural terminology and a steady appetite for further information about buildings that exist only in memory. In fact, it seems the bookends are the home of the celebrated 'call to arms' to celebrate and preserve Toronto's heritage, with the middle portion being taken up with a more dutiful chronicling of the design and construction (and, more often than not, demolition or destruction by fire) of noteworthy buildings of the 19th century. At the outset, Arthur takes pains to situate Toronto's footprint in its historical context, refusing to take as an artificial starting point the time of European settlement. In Arthur's history of Toronto's planning, the initial selection of a Roman-style grid pattern for streets was a misstep, because it disregarded the natural boundaries demarcated by ravines. Arthur concludes the work with a passionate call to arms to Torontonians to defend the 'human scale' of architecture and to preserve old buildings and public spaces from unrestrained development.

[Kurtis Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look into the building of Toronto through an architectural lens. Well written and very accessible. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in Toronto, its planning, or its history.