Governing Metropolitan Toronto

Governing Metropolitan Toronto: A Social and Political Analysis (1953-1971) provides an in-depth examination of Toronto's metropolitan governance, lauded as a model of "truly metropolitan government" in North America. Over nearly two decades, Toronto restructured its local government twice, adopting a two-tier federation model to address the challenges of urbanization, suburban expansion, and regional cooperation. This system, integrating multiple jurisdictions under a central framework, sought to resolve disparities in infrastructure, housing, and municipal services while accommodating the province's broader economic and environmental goals. Albert Rose, a scholar and civic participant, contextualizes Metro Toronto within Canadian and global urban governance traditions, offering insights into its achievements and the challenges posed by evolving social, environmental, and political dynamics.

Rose argues that Toronto's experience demonstrates how metropolitan governance must grow from addressing physical infrastructure to managing complex social issues such as housing and environmental quality. While the provincial government provided oversight and enabled Metro's creation, its involvement underscores the role of higher-level authorities in urban governance. The study situates Toronto's system alongside other Canadian and international models, including Winnipeg's uni-city approach and Minnesota's Metropolitan Council, suggesting that Toronto's adaptable federation structure may be better suited for larger, more complex urban regions. Rose's work highlights the ongoing interplay between local autonomy and provincial guidance, offering critical lessons for urban governance worldwide and serving as a valuable resource in understanding the transformative potential of metropolitan systems.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1972.