Visuality and the Emergence of City Planning in Early Twentieth-Century Toronto and Montreal

ANALYSIS I ANALYSE VISUALITY AND THE EMERGENCE OF CITY PLANNING IN EARLY TWENTIETH-CENTURY TORONTO AND MONTREAL SARAH BASSNETT is an Assistant Professor· of >SARAH BASSNETT 1 A1·t History in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Western Ontario. She is cu1·rently working on a book-length study of photography and the urbanization of Toronto in the early twentieth century. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING In 1907, when the Civic Improvement Committee of the Province of Quebec Association of Architects (PQAA) intro duced their plan for improvements to Montreal, they explained why it was needed: despite its "splendid natural location," Montreal had many of the faults of an older city. The general plan of the old city was rectangular and the streets and blocks were laid out in a grid pattern; however, the city had grown, and the architects claimed that the origi nal layout had become inadequate and inefficient. As a result, it had become impossible to properly manage the city. 2 Rather than suggesting drastic, sweep ing measures aimed at rearranging the city, the PQAA's plan offered a method for modifying and improving the exist ing city. The proposed changes centred on opening up main avenues to create "vistas," constructing diagonal roadways, and connecting existing parks with thor oughfares to form a system of continu ous avenues with "a lovely picture at each end." 3 Describing the central part of the city as "too congested," the PQAA's Civic Improvement Committee proposed cut ting diagonal streets from the downtown to the east and west areas of the city to provide direct communication between the central business district and outlying areas.• To support their proposal, they argued that the benefits of diagonal roads had already been demonstrated in cities such as Washington, DC, Vienna, and Paris. 5 The PQAA's plan outlined a strategy for turning a congested city with "gloomy and unattractive" views into a "well-designed city." 6 By implementing FIG. 1. PLAN OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL WITH IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED BY THE PQAA, 1909.1 RICKSON OUTHET FOR THE PQMS CIVIC IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE, VILLE DE MONTREAL, GESTION DE DOCUMENTS ET ARCH IVES. JSSAC I JSEAC 32 > N" 1 > 2007 > 21-38 21 SARAH B ASSNETT > ANALYSIS I ANALYSE problems without considering the effect i"LETCH£~'5 Fltttl on the city as a whole-, comprehensive 110NTII£AL IMI'P(NI;M£,NTJ JU:rot'l."'lENU£() 8'1' OlE PQQ.'INC:f CJf O...:I!:IJf.(! A$SOCV.fi'J"i l)f planning involved developing an ideal for MtCHITI!CTS 'i.......Y'-~~-1J2.-~ a city that took into account its future ~CA.Ucr rr:n growth.12 " Piecemeal" changes could be undertaken by municipal Works Depart ments and would include, for example, widening a road. Comprehensive plan ning, on the other hand, required a practitioner w ith specialized knowledge and exceptional aesthetic sensitivity. As Montreal architect J. Rawson Gard ner explained, comprehensive planning meant having a "well defined plan or ideal to work up to." 13 In order to grow and prosper, and to become cosmopoli tan, these cities had to be transformed from the congested, overgrown, and IMPROVEMENT COMMITIEE, JOHN BLAND CANADIAN ARC HI TECTURE COLLECTION, MCGILL UNIVERSITY, MONTR~A l. inefficient places they had become into sites of beauty and pleasure, and that the new plan, the architects argued, Civic Guild City Plan Committee, architect was only possible, they argued, through Montreal could become more distinctive, W. Ford Howland, explained: "It is quite systematic planning undertaken by sk illed more efficient, more modern, and more apparent to anyone that the rapid growth architects.14 beautiful. The campaign to modernize the of Toronto will soon make the improve city and attempts to improve the urban ment of her streets and the development Architects in cities all over North Amer environment and civic life coalesced in the of her beautiful places most imperative ica were arguing for comprehensive newly emerging field of city planning. for the proper expansion of civic life and planning, and planning became a way character, as has been found necessary to address the pressures caused by the Similarly, the plan of improvements by many other cities of this continent." 10 transformation of colonial settlements for Toronto, developed by the Ontario Taking up ideas that had been applied in into metropolitan centres. North Ameri Association of Architects (OAA) and the other urban centres, the OAA and Civic can plan makers felt that a comprehensive Toronto Civic Guild of Art at about the Guild sought to apply city planning initia approach to planning was the best way same time as the Montreal plan, sought t ives to problems they perceived in their to avoid the horrors of crime, disease, to transform the city from " a collection own cities. By incorporating elements and moral depravity associated with the of overgrown villages" into a place where such as diagonal streets and a system slums of major European cities. Planning the city's potential for greatness could be of continuous parkways to create a park was viewed as a way of improving the fulfilled .7 Like the plan for Montreal, the system, they further aimed to integrate aesthetic qualities of the urban environ Toronto plan concentrated on creating the qualities of an urban environment ment, but it also provided a mechanism broad, diagonal thoroughfares, build that were becoming valued internation for implementing practical solutions to ing parkways to create a system of city ally. They were certain that the proposed address problems such as traffic conges parks, and beautifying the area around improvements would transform Toronto tion and overcrowding.15 Through com the harbour. They claimed that the " nar into a modern city." prehensive planning, architects argued, it row cramped streets" and the " thickly would be possible to enhance the urban populated districts" needed attention.• The PQAA, the OAA, and the Civic Guild environment rather than merely fix indi These problems could be addressed by the argued that specifically what was needed vidual problems.'6 Because comprehensive proposed diagonal streets, which "would were comprehensive plans for Toronto planning was seen as a means of improv form great arteries of traffic and busi and Montreal. In contrast to "piecemeal" ing the overall condition of the city, it ness through the city." 9 A member of the development-which meant fixing minor would open up the possibility for civic 22 JSSAC I JSEAC 32 > N" 1 > 2007 SARAH B ASS NETT > ANALYSIS I ANALYSE FIG. 3. PRINCE ARTHU R DRIVE. IMPROVEMENTS RECO MM ENDED BY THE PQAA, 1908. I RICKSON OUTH ET FOR THE PQAfiS CIVIC IMPROVEMENTCOMMITTEE, JOHN BLAN D CANADIAN ARCHITECTURE COLLECTION, MCGILl UNIVERSITY, MONTREAL. beautification and the enhancement of strong .19 In both cities, poverty, poor advocates, architects, and members of the civic life. Through their attempts to imple health conditions, and immigration had business community, espoused the idea ment comprehensive planning, architects also been identified as problems. The that disease and decay were endemic in in Toronto and Montreal participated in hope was that, by improving the over cities. In an article discussing an American what Anthony Sutcliffe has defined as an all condition of a city, the development city planning conference, one commen international planning movement." schemes would resolve civic problems of tator emphasized the negative outcomes all kinds. that result from poor living conditions: With the rapid growth of both Toronto " The most pitiful victim of modern city and Montreal, architects were concerned Social historians, sociologists, and urban life is not the slum child who dies, but the with a range of related issues. In Toronto, historians have shown that, around the slum child who lives. Every time a baby which was second to Montreal in size, turn of the century, city planners and dies the nation loses a prospective citi Winnipeg was seen as a rival with the social reformers believed there was a zen; but in every slum child who lives, the potential to draw away wealth.18 Archi direct correspondence between poor nation has a probable consumptive and a tects concluded that by improving the health, cramped living conditions, and possible criminal."22 The imminent threat condition of the city and by fostering deficient moral values.20 Dolores Hayden, of physical and moral decay, criminality, civic pride, Toronto's appeal would grow for example, has shown that the social and a deficient citizenry spurred on civic and investment would not be lured away. settlement movement sought to improve improvement advocates and supported Although Montreal was the largest city in the physical and moral condition of the the argument in favour of city planning. the country and was securely established poor by creating municipal services, such as a financial and industrial centre, civic as soup kitchens and public baths and For those involved in civic improvement spirit was weak. Corruption scandals had laundries, which would, in turn, raise in Toronto and Montreal, improving social 2 caused anxiety about the proper man living standards. ' In Canada, the Cana conditions meant changing the physical agement and development of the city, dian Municipal Journal, which addressed conditions and spatial organization of and the drive for municipal reform was a readership of civic improvement the city itself. In order to implement the JSSAC I JStAC 32 > N" 1 > 2007 23 S ARAH 8 ASS NETT > ANALYSIS I ANALYSE CIVIC IMPROVEMENT COMM ITIE E, JOHN BLAND CANADIAN ARCHITECTURE COLLECTI ON. MCG ILL UN IVERSITY, MONTREA L. A1fWA1ff.2 AVE OOUllEVAR;[)) 1v - MONTJR.EAL -os IMPIW\/EMENTJ R. ECOI'I~IENDED 6Y' 1l1E PR.OVINCE Of QUEBEC ASSOCIATION Of ARCHITF.ClJ 'L_..,_ 'i'! -= · · =-~='·'"'-==~>~ ~ CAtE Of FEtT ol .;.

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