Local Motion: The Art of Civic Engagement in Toronto

(Paperback)

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Its election year in Toronto. Mayor David Miller is leaving office, and leaving behind a nagging worry that it might be harder than we ever anticipated to get anything substantial accomplished from within City Hall. Maybe, just maybe, we can get more done from without.

Shifting from the what of the previous uTOpia books to how, Local Motion presents an in-depth analysis of civic engagement in Canadas largest city. Decisions about the things that matter to us most on a daily basis our schools and roads and houses happen at the city level. So, how do we influence these decisions What motivates ordinary citizens to take action and improve their community How do neighbours organize together Does City Hall help facilitate engagement, or stand in the way Local Motion explores how we, as citizens, can make a positive change in our city.

Essays by politicians and senior journalists explain what makes one city, Toronto, tick and stall. They explore electoral reform, civic organizations, ethnicity and racism, the press gallery and grassroots activism, offering up ways in which the people who live there might help to make their city a better, more humane one. Former Winnipeg mayor and current Toronto Centre MPP Glen Murray asks why were consumers and taxpayer rather than citizens. Journalist Bert Archer looks at Torontonians' success at stopping things and asks why there isnt more activism that starts things. Mike Smith considers the creative city, John Lorinc looks at community responses to crime and Catherine Porter studies neighbourhood action. Denise Balkissoon explores how culture and ethnicity factors into the vote, Jennifer Lewington tells us about the role the media plays in city-building and how you might exploit it, while Hamutal Dotan rethinks zoning. Kelly Grant asks if there's room for us in city budgeting. Edward Keenan looks at how our elections could become more engaging, Hannah Sung depicts the lives of a few activists and Jason McBride studies how the private sector manages to get so much done.

Taken together, these twelve in-depth essays paint a citizen-focused portrait of a city in transition, offering up myriad ways in which the people who live there might help to make their city a better, more humane one.

Reviews

'There is so much disappointment in conventional politics. But cities and neighbourhoods are spaces where transformation is still within reach; indeed, it happens every day. This original and inspiring book arms us with the practical tools we need to change our communities for the better, regardless of which politicians are in power. Read it and find out where the action is.' -- Naomi Klein 'If our greatest asset as a city is our people, it stands to reason that, genuinely engaged, and liberated to think outside the box, the people of Toronto are the ones who can ensure that we build a city that is a model to the world. Local Motion is the "how to" book on building that great city. Over to us.' -- John Tory

Author Bio

Dave Meslin is a Toronto-based artist and organizer who has instigated a variety of urban projects including Reclaim the Streets, the Toronto Public Space Committee, Spacing magazine, City Idol, Human River, Toronto Cyclist's Union, Dandyhorse magazine and Better Ballots.