Active 18 & The West Queen West Triangle: A Case Study In The Politics Of "Good Planning"

This paper explores the relationship between community members and planners in Toronto as notions of “good planning” are formed, and how a prevailing interpretation of “good planning” that is born from this relationship shapes Toronto’s urban landscape. The redevelopment of Toronto’s West Queen West Triangle (WQWT) from 2005-2008, with special attention to the efforts of the community organization Active 18, is used as a case study to explore how good planning principles are differentially informed by knowledge from community members relative to professional or expert knowledge. Two main questions guide the analysis of this case study: (1) How did the efforts of Active 18 help define and interpret “good planning” policy, and (2) how do the material impacts of their efforts fulfill the expectations of “good planning” as set out during the WQWT’s redevelopment between 2005-2008?