Toronto Among Top Major Cities of the Future

February 17, 2012

Reading Thomas Friedman and U of T’s own Richard Florida, I’d conclude that the world is flat and spiky all at once. Flat in the ease with which people, ideas, goods, and services move around this hot and crowded planet. And spiky in the sense that population and creative activity are concentrated increasingly in a number of urban regions that serve as global hubs.

At a time, then, when cities matter more than ever, this report is illuminating: fDi Magazine, a division of The Financial Times, ranks Toronto among the top four Major [North] American Cities of the Future. In the individual categories, Toronto ranks third in economic potential, fifth in infrastructure, and eighth in quality of life.

The full article requires registration or subscription. But a Google search will retrieve snippets and quotes.

In brief, the Toronto region – however one fixes its borders – is not just Canada’s most important economic engine. Its success is critical to the future prosperity and global standing of this nation. I will have more to say about this topic in future posts and at an upcoming speech to the Toronto Board of Trade on March 23.