What US cities can learn from Canada's Toronto

Toronto

WHEN Rob Ford's time as mayor of Toronto became a reality show that lurched from one cringe-inducing revelation to another, one question loomed: How did he come to lead Canada's largest city? His rumpled suits, fondness for profanity, racist and homophobic remarks, public drunkenness, admitted drug use and general boorishness made Mr Ford seem like an outlier in a city that had carefully cultivated a reputation for multiculturalism, tolerance and sophistication.

But Mr Ford, who died on March 22 while being treated for a rare form of cancer, wasn't a sign that something was wrong with the city but evidence of the smart planning and foresight that helped Toronto avoid many of the problems that plague US cities. In short, Toronto works because its suburbs never separated themselves economically or politically from the city core. Mr Ford, a suburban populist, may have been an embarrassment to some, but his election shows that the system works.