Green Cities Against Neoliberal Urbanism: Urban Planning and Toronto Politics
April 12, 2015
When: Sunday, April 12th, 2pm
Where: Beit Zatoun, 612 Markham St, Toronto (Bathurst & Bloor)
Canada’s municipalities are collapsing, from both fiscal austerity and ecological pressures. Toronto, in particular, has been dealing with the enormous challenges of rapid population growth, amalgamation, crumbling infrastructure, and the federal and provincial offloading of costs. The chronic underfunding of municipal projects is negatively impacting affordable housing, public transportation, social services, green initiatives, and public spaces.
Instead of an increase in public investments in our decaying city, we have seen a process of ‘neoliberal urbanism’ characterized by the privatization and elimination of public goods and services. Lost in this process is attention to poverty, social services, good jobs, and the protection of the environment.
Please join us to hear about the track record of neoliberal urbanism and its deregulation of greenbelts, expansion of capital developments, resulting housing inequalities, and ‘green-washing’ of planning and urban design, with comparative analyses to cities like Berlin and Seoul. Our speakers will also address paths to building people-centered and environmentally friendly cities through initiatives like democratic planning.
Speakers:
* Kanishka Goonewardena, University of Toronto
* Stefan Kipfer, York University
* Laam Hae, York University
The talk is free. The space is accessible by mobile ramp upon request in advance. Washrooms are downstairs and not accessible, unfortunately.
Sponsored by: Centre for Social Justice, Greater Toronto Workers’ Assembly, Socialist Project | Facebook event
