The Debate Over City Planning In Toronto

14 December 2006 - 2:00pm

With the city's planning and zoning rules outdated and elected officials often catering to the interests of developers or NIMBYs, many decry Toronto's "let's-make-a-deal" planning.

"Urban planning is one of those things like democracy or justice; everybody agrees we need it, but no one's sure how to get it or exactly what it means.

Is it an art? Or a science? Perhaps it's both. In any case, one topic on which there's consensus is that planning in Toronto doesn't work.

Residents don't like what they see. Neither do developers, politicians, or planners themselves.

Though there are cities where planners manage to contribute positively -- Vancouver is the best Canadian example -- Toronto planners leave just about everyone dissatisfied."

Source: The Toronto Star, December 13, 2006
Bookmark and Share
As an alternative to burial, cremation is no longer green enough, say some environmentalists, because it releases smoke and mercury into the atmosphere.