Are cities of the future headed for destruction and decay or are they centres of potential creativity and renewal? The call for a policy vision that extols urbanisation, as called for by John Lorinc in this book, is germane to social and urban planners today. Large cities are often beset by social ills which prevent essential growth and renewal. However, Lorinc posits that the crises which shroud urban cities today can be reframed as opportunity for rebirth, both physically aesthetic and socially coherent. The book is divided into three sections: the first section is dedicated to addressing the social problems currently plaguing Canadian urban centre's; the second section seeks redress to the problems identified; and the third section prescribes Lorinc's vision for healthy, inclusive urban centres of the future. The book offers a timely contribution to the literature, delving into the unique challenges of urbanisation unparalleled in history. This book will appeal to a wide audience, including urban and social planners, political leaders, architectural designers, and inhabitants of urban cities. Residents of smaller cities must proceed with caution as the book undoubtedly denigrates rural and suburban development in favour of high-density urbanisation.

Organised into chapters by thematic content, Lorinc addresses each of the stresses faced by global cities today. In response to the quandaries afflicting Canadian hub cities cited in the first section of the book, Lorinc postulates a variety of creative solutions. Addressing the plight of newcomers to Canada, Lorinc asserts that the recognition of foreign credentials is imperative and increased funding for settlement services is crucial. In recognition of the Aboriginal population, Lorinc contends that, ‘the solutions to urban Aboriginal poverty . . . depend on an integrated network of First Nations-run child welfare agencies, health and social services and schools’ (p. 135). Senior-friendly planning is also a must for contemporary urban and social planners. Home and community care options are preferred over institutionalised care facilities. To address rising poverty, politicians must seek redress to the urban social safety net. Planning must include a strategy for affordable housing and mixed-income neighbourhoods, which ‘serve as bulwarks against the social disintegration that takes root in highly segregated cities. . .’ (p. 167). Moreover, investments in early learning, childcare and ‘seamless services’ (wrap around programmes within schools) will reap huge social dividends. A diverse and accessible education system is fundamental to inclusive urban learning spaces.

To tackle the infrastructural needs of the urban core, Lorinc maintains that cities must be equipped with powerful local and municipal institutions. As many cities in Canada have undergone massive amalgamation processes, these mega-cities require the political wherewithal to address problems independently of federal (and provincial) governments, which do not have the common good of their local context in mind. Thus, the ‘New Deal for Cities’ (a plug for big-city mayors forcing the national government's hand to afford municipal leaders with a portion of the federal gas tax) could not have come at a more opportune time. Accordingly, urban cities must be self sufficient, ridding themselves of municipal debt, while investing significant amounts of their new-found spending power in strategic sectors. Lorinc underscores the need for ecologically friendly development to create eco-cities. In pursuit of aesthetically pleasing cities, Lorinc promotes the revitalisation of a city's waterfront to yield a wide variety of recreational and cultural amenities. Remembering the history of a city is important too, meaning that historic monuments must be preserved.

The book is structured well and is easy to read, with descriptive narratives and statistical data infused throughout. The merits of the book lie in its ability to draw data together succinctly to create the conditions for the ‘New City’. Lorinc carefully links each of the problems cited with solutions of how these issues have been successful addressed, leaving the reader with a greater degree of hope for the future.

The author puts forward several outrageous statements, however, which serve to undermine the overall effectiveness of the book. His plug for the legalisation of marijuana is highly contentious (not all would concur that, ‘there's little doubt that prohibition brings with it urban violence and organised crime’ (p. 326)). Moreover, the link between scores on the ‘Bohemian Index’ and robust cities remains untenable. Some may see the vision proposed by Lorinc as an elitist prescription for an aesthetically pleasing city, which rallies together urbanites whilst alienating the rest of the country. Moreover, some of the solutions raised in the book do not have the depth or breadth to effectively disentangle cities from the social problems that confront them. What is more, the dogmatic style of the author often conflicts with a compassionate cry for social justice and the recognition of the structural barriers at work in society, as exemplified by the statements, ‘No one is calling for a return to ruinously expensive social programs that encourage welfare dependency’ (p. 155), or ‘both the victims and the accused are black youth living in some of the city's roughest, poorest neighbourhoods . . . many linked to organised crime syndicates in Jamaica. . .’ (p. 322).

In the foreward of the book, Dr Anne Golden argues that, ‘This optimistic vision of inclusive, healthy, workable, civil, and human cities animates The New City, a book that leaves the reader both better informed and more hopeful about Canada's urban future’ (p. xiii). Lorinc accurately identifies the key social problems to contend with in contemporary cities. However, only if solutions to these challenges are seriously meted out, can we be confident of a hopeful and inclusive urban future.