In the UK's
Financial Times last month, Tyler Brûlé, editor-in-chief of
Monocle magazine and founder of
Wallpaper* magazine, wrote about Toronto's current identity crisis.
"Last week marked something of a homecoming when I touched down in Toronto to open a new bureau and shop for
Monocle, and an office for my branding agency," writes Brûlé. "While I've been back to Toronto often (two trips a year on average) since I packed up and headed to Britain, the signing of a lease, hiring staff and hosting a party all signalled that I'd somehow 'come home.'"
Taking note of downtown's many new condo towers, as well as the sprawling suburbs, Brûlé wondered if it was time for Toronto to measure itself against something other than its U.S. peers.
"For the moment, Toronto doesn't want to focus on any single direction. There's much talk of being world class but, as with any city, the proof is on the street. Fortunately, there's plenty going on at pavement level—particularly with small-scale start-ups, well-designed cafés and tasty restaurants. The city has the good fortune of being one of the few North American cities that not only boasts a vibrant downtown but also has lively neighbourhoods. Off busy boulevards with low-rise commercial buildings are hundreds of tree-lined residential streets with higgledy-piggledy architecture and front lawns. There are walkable neighbourhoods connected by buses and streetcars. There are lots of independent shops and, most importantly, there is real life on the street. It was this dense, green and well-serviced vision of Toronto that first attracted urbanist Jane Jacobs, and it's still one of the city's strongest calling cards."
Read the full story
here
Original source: Financial Times