Subdivided

May 29, 2017
This insightful essay collection uses storytelling and analyses from numerous academics, activists, and journalists to question how Toronto, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, can address socioeconomic disparities and divisions, which have sparked unrest in other cities, and become a more connected and just place for people to live together. Some of the issues covered include transit equity (the majority of the city’s poor live in suburban areas that aren’t well served by transit), the need for trust-building policing (to counter practices of carding people of color), safe and affordable housing, holistic mental health care, and more responsive municipal governance. Many of the writers bring thorny issues to life by drawing from their own experiences. Journalist Asmaa Malik takes readers into the racial profiling debate that erupted on a Facebook page among her neighbors when someone posted a photo of black teenagers who she said had been “snooping” in private lanes and might be potential suspects for a recent bike theft. The book is not light reading, but it starts conversations about tough and important topics and is highly recommended to readers interested in urban politics and creating more humane cities.