Toronto is at a critical juncture, facing challenges that threaten its reputation as a thriving metropolis. In an excerpt from the new book Saving Toronto: 10 City Builders Tell Us How (Dundurn Press), edited by Anne Golden and Ken Greenberg, the authors diagnose the city's problems and propose practical solutions. The book calls for cutting massive infrastructure deficits, constraining urban sprawl, and empowering cities with authority and a portion of sales tax.
The Turning Point
When Premier Bob Rae asked Anne Golden to chair the Task Force on the Future of the Greater Toronto Area in 1995, she accepted enthusiastically. The task force aimed to address growing concerns about the health and workability of the city-region. At that time, it was becoming clear that the secure and satisfying quality of life that people in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) had enjoyed for decades after the Second World War was under threat. The region's lagging economic recovery from the post-1989 recession revealed its vulnerability in the changing global economy. Torontonians felt that the systems they relied on—from municipal finance to governance to public transit—were breaking down and no longer meeting their needs.
Now, 30 years later, concerns about Toronto's viability have resurfaced. Toronto was once seen as a city that works, famously described by British actor Peter Ustinov as 'New York run by the Swiss.' Today, descriptions focus on its problems and their apparent intractability. Toronto used to top lists of the world's best cities to live in, but now it ranks among the most congested. The media increasingly portrays Toronto as a city where you can't afford a house, can't get anywhere, and nothing works.
Historical Turning Points
Toronto has experienced several turning points since its 'Hogtown' days, a nickname derived from its once-thriving meatpacking industry. In the late 1800s, it evolved from a modest settlement to a lively industrial centre, with trade and migration growing due to the railroad and significant European immigration. The early twentieth century was a time of creating iconic buildings, parks, and public services, marked by civic pride and cultural flourishing. The post–Second World War era brought an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, diversifying the city's population and cultural fabric.
The post-war economic boom led to job creation and urban growth, but the late twentieth century saw a decline in manufacturing jobs, rising unemployment, and serious social problems, including poverty, homelessness, and crime. These issues absorbed Golden during her time as president of United Way (1989–2001) and chair of the Task Force on Homelessness (1998). By the early twenty-first century, residents felt Toronto was in decline, and its reputation shifted from a thriving metropolis to a city grappling with major challenges.
Conclusion
Golden emphasizes that Toronto is at a turning point today, and the book offers a wake-up call with practical solutions to stop the decline. The editors and contributors aim to provide a roadmap for bringing the once-great city back from the brink.
