Getting Smart about Cities

To date, this country has been slow to get it. Cities matter. Indeed, the relative vibrancy, economic vitality and social cohesion of our major cities will determine, in large part, how this country will survive in a global economy.

At the outset, it must be acknowledged that the status of cities has been one of my passions and the essence of my current work. In no way do I pretend to be neutral or agnostic on the subject. Thus, an urban-primer-cum-advocacy treatise outlining in compelling tones the urgency of the situation can, in my view, only add constructively to the debate.

That said, well-known urban journalist John Lorinc has written a forceful, well-researched and trenchant book on the crisis of Canada’s cities. Anyone interested in understanding the scope of the problems, their inter-connectedness, and the manner in which they should be addressed, will find Lorinc’s The New City: How the Crisis of Canada’s Cities Is Reshaping Our Nation...