From Surf to Turf: no Limits to Growth in Toronto?

Abstract

In their analysis of growth policies and planning in Toronto in From Surf to Turf: No Limits to Growth in Toronto?, Gene Desfor, Roger Keil, Stefan Kipfer, and Gerda Wekerle argue that the widely accepted characterization of the visions in conflict — one urban and reform, the other suburban and developer-dominated — is oversimplified. Tracing the changing discourses of governance, they show that the development of Toronto today as a competitive city has led to waterfront development dominated by globalizing market trends that will marginalize and undermine the urban reform vision. Moreover, the suburban sprawl vision has been strongly contested, particularly around the Oak Ridges Moraine, but current governance structures allow sprawl to continue. The dilemmas of planning are therefore more complex than these popularly held two visions. The authors conclude by calling for real citizen involvement in planning.