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Designing a good community to live in

When
October 30, 2017
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location
Aurora Cultural Centre

John Sewell

John Sewell was a member of Toronto City Council from 1969 to 1984, and was Mayor of Toronto 1979 – 80. He has engaged in politics in Toronto as a community activist, city councillor, journalist, writer, housing administrator, and social entrepreneur, often speaking for and representing those who do not have access to the levers of power in society.

John has authored a dozen books, most recently `How We Changed Toronto, 1969 – 1980.’ He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2005.

Designing a good community to live in.’

We usually take for granted the way communities we live in are designed, and we assume all things are for the best. But different kinds of community designs have different costs, in some cases higher costs than are necessary both for the governments which are responsible for them and for the people who live there.

All designs influence the behavior of those who live there, often with powerful political results. Are we designing communities intelligently or simply according to custom or what people think they want? This lecture will address these questions – with lots of illustrations - in ways that are clear, and straightforward for a typical resident.

This event is part of the Fall 2017 Speaker series.