One evening recently 'The Agenda' focused on the pros and cons of Toronto as a world class city. The participants, two former Toronto mayors, an ex-mayor of Winnipeg and a current Toronto councilor presented analyses of Canada's biggest city. From my perspective one of the most significant characteristics, important for major cities, was inadequately addressed in the debate, i.e. imagination.

A prime function of any city is being a business/commercial centre. From a social perspective this translates into employment, impacted upon by access to work and subsequent escape to more livable conditions. A current news item has been the controversy over remodeling Jarvis Street, a major access route to downtown. Jarvis is a continuation of a pleasant drive down Mt. Pleasant, turning into a 5 lane route south of Bloor St. (3 rush hour lanes south in the morning changing to 3 northbound in the evening) Any narrowing of the road to facilitate bicycles or pedestrian traffic would result in cries of anguish from car drivers all the way to or from Loretto. "We need to widen Jarvis, not narrow it".

One imaginative solution we encountered was in Bangkok where additional express highways were built above major access routes in the city, i.e. building up rather than disrupting the major ground level traffic. Torontonians are not unused to traffic disruption i.e. subway construction, roads under repair. Jarvis could also be built down, creating much needed below ground parking space.

Toronto has several major commuter access routes into or out of the city including the Gardiner, 401, Avenue Road and the Don Valley Parkway. A great city however has to place emphasis not only on the industrial sector but by creating a balance between people and cars. My daughter and her husband have recently returned from a project in one of Poland's major cities. One of many alterations they experienced was addition of raised dining areas at the side of major roads beside eating facilities to create a 'restaurant mall'. I am impressed with Sparks St. in Ottawa which is wide open to pedestrian use only a block from the parliament buildings. This concept has been discussed many times for Yonge St. in Toronto but it takes a great deal of political courage to make major changes to traffic patterns or commercial access.

I was intrigued by 'Curitiba' a city in Brazil written up in 'Natural Capitalism' (Hawkins, Lovins and Lovins 1999) of which I have written before. A very brave mayor took it upon himself to change the city. All municipal employees were ordered back to work on Friday evening to convert major roads to pedestrian walkways over the weekend. In a project initially opposed by the business managers, he rejuvenated a commercial society by enhancing the use of the downtown core.

Toronto is fortunate to have saved considerable space for people enjoyment purposes. Recreational land is of utmost importance in making a city livable. Thousands enjoy weekends, evenings, etc in High Park or the Don Valley from Lawrence Ave. down to the Science Centre and especially Edwards Garden. Even Queens Park is a delightful 'oasis' in the city. Toronto Islands and Ontario Place provide relief for young families in the heat of the summer.

The real trick in creating a world class city is to find a balance between working and living. Cities such as Bangkok have been able to make even the business section accessible to people. Major roads incorporate pedestrian overpasses at important intersections. An intriguing aspect of downtown Toronto has been the underground commercial district. Road level walking is great for those who enjoy window shopping in the summer but it is a real experience for residents in apartments adjacent to the subway system to be able to reach their offices complete with lunch time breaks walking the stores from Front St. to Bloor St. without ever having to experience a typical blustery Canadian winter.

Toronto has come a long, long way towards greatness but there remains room for improvement. I don't think we have yet achieved world class status but there is much to show that Toronto is well on the way to becoming one of the world's great cities.