The Shape of the City: Toronto Struggles with Modern Planning

by John Sewell

Critics have long voiced concerns about the wisdom of living in cities and the effects of city life on physical and mental health. For a century, planners have tried to meet these issues. John Sewell traces changes in urban planning, from the pre-Depression garden cities to postwar modernism and a revival of interest in the streetscape grid. In this far-ranging review, Sewell recounts the arrival of modern city planning with its emphasis on lower densities, limited access streets, segregated uses, and considerable green space. He makes Toronto a case history, with its pioneering suburban development in Don Mills and its other planned communities, including Regent Park, St Jamestown, Thorncrest Village, and Bramalea. The heyday of the modern planning movement was in the 1940s to the 1960s, and the Don Mills concept was repeated in spirit and in style across Canada. Eventually, strong public reaction brought modern planning almost to a halt within the city of Toronto. The battles centred on saving the Old City Hall and stopping the Spadina Expressway. Sewell concludes that although the modernist approach remains ascendant in the suburbs, the City of Toronto has begun to replace it with alternatives that work. This is a reflective but vigorous statement by a committed urban reformer. Few Canadians are better suited to point the way towards city planning for the future.

Genres: Urban Planning, Urbanism, History

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 1993

Reviews

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows how Toronto-area planners and zoners made the same mistakes as their American counterparts: reckless expressway construction, demolishing existing street systems to build public housing "towers in a park" with no relationship to surrounding streets, exclusionary zoning designed to keep out modest dwellings and apartments.

Sewell raises other points that might be less familiar to Americans, including:

*The intellectual tradition of anti-urbanism. Some commentators (most notably Robert Bruegmann) have tried to blame pro-urban, anti-sprawl sentiment on intellectual "elitists." But Sewell points out that both Canadian and American intellectuals have a long tradition of viewing cities as monstrosities.

*How even a successful transit system can be damaged by suburban sprawl. In the 1960s and 1970s, Toronto expanded service to serve its new suburbs. The good news: rising ridership. The bad news: low-density suburbs are simply more expensive to serve than urban areas. Before the 1970s, Toronto's transit system actually made a profit. But when Toronto reduced suburban transit fares and increased suburban service in the 1970s, its transit system, like all American transit systems, became a money-loser.

[Mike Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five minute walk from my front door in Toronto’s east end, the streetscape changes, from a tight grid pattern with lots of street life and mixed use, to a landscape that is alternately high-speed industrial zones inhospitable to pedestrians and cyclists or leafy, empty residential cul de sacs where the right angle is frowned upon. It’s a transition that took place all over North America post-WW II. As never before or after, planners were hypnotized by the dream of the new, and had the power to make their dreams a reality. Unfortunately, those dreams were often based on very little hard evidence or understanding of what makes cities work.

As Jane Jacobs notes in the introduction, “this book is a sober description of sober quackery”, describing Toronto’s initial suburban developments such as Don Mills as well as the often misguided experiments at downtown renewal. This is an excellent case study of how urban planning went astray, and how we started to find our way back. It’s very specific to Toronto – while the planning lessons are universal, you probably won’t enjoy or appreciate the book nearly as much without the local context and the ability to visualize the specific places Sewell describes.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[Kristine Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended by my architectural history instructor. I know a fair bit about the history and development of some of Toronto's historic neighbourhoods: Corktown, Cabbagetown, Rosedale, The Annex, Parkdale, etc... This book covers neighbourhoods developed after 1950 and into the 1970's - all part of a failed attempt at urban renewal. It's not until you read through each of these developments do you realize how many there are and how the shape our city. Consider the best known examples of Regent Park (north and south), St. Jamestown, and Flemington Park. But consider Bell Manor (Parklawn north of Queensway), Lawrence Heights (either side of Allen Expressway north of Lawrence Avenue), Jane/Finch, Moss Park, Alexandra Park (South of Dundas, west of Spadina), Trefann Court, Don Mount (recently renamed Rivertown), Quebec/Gothic (High Park, north of Bloor), etc... The book also covers what are considered successful communities such as Don Mills, St. Lawrence Community, Thorncrest Village (Etobicoke), and Leaside. Very interesting book.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is fine, if dated. Sewell confirms the truth that cities are always in a state of becoming. The goal is to create 'better' cities. Sewell presents a history of the modern planning movement and how it emerged and spread throughout Canada. However the book is dry and takes what should be evocative urban transformations and crushes them into a chronological narrative.

[Mengyu Gao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read for Toronto-based city builders. Lots of details and history written in it. For example, Don Mills, Jane and Finch and Regent Park.

However, this book is very local and understanding it would be hard without knowing a lot about Toronto.

[Gao]

Very Interesting history book about Toronto. Many examples and pictures were showed in the book.