City Resolution # 23

City Resolution #23 from Brent Toderian is an enjoyable one, though if you're like me, a challenging one to set time aside for. It encourages us to "start reading (or read more of) the many great books on smart city making and community building out there, not as a professional, but as an engaged citizen. See my hashtag #UrbanismBookClub." 

There really are so many great books on community building and creating equitable, liveable cities. Your local library will be able to get you started. You can also head over to your favourite bookstore (such as Wordsworth Books) to pick this one up: House Divided: How the missing middle can solve Toronto's affordability crisis, by Coach House Books.

The Waterloo Region Yes in my Backyard group will be hosting a book club night on that book and would love to have you join in the discussion. If you don't have time to read it, but would still love to discuss housing options in our city, please join us. The date and location will be decided upon shortly. You can follow along here for more details. I'm excited to read this one (just picked it up at Wordsworth this week) as it's recent and it's in the Canadian context. Here's a synopsis of the book:

A citizen's guide to making the big city a place where we can afford to live. Housing is increasingly unattainable in successful global cities, and Toronto is no exception - in part because of zoning that protects "stable" residential neighborhoods with high property values. House Divided is a citizen's guide for changing the way housing can work in big cities. Using Toronto as a case study, this anthology unpacks the affordability crisis and offers innovative ideas for creating housing for all ages and demographic groups. With charts, maps, data, and policy prescriptions, House Divided poses tough questions about the issue that will make or break the global city of the future. #365ofgoodWR

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