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Transforming Toronto’s Rivers: A Socio-Geomorphic Perspective

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The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Physical Geography

Abstract

Traditionally geomorphologists have examined the transformations of morphology of urban rivers entirely as physically determined human impacts and viewing urban river morphology as hybrid socio-geomorphic systems gives a fuller understanding of the changing urban riverscapes. In Toronto, the post-1950s institutional and policy powers, especially of the Conservation Authority and City, interacted with the regional landscape characteristics, rapid urban expansion and large storm events, and community visions to set rivers on a particular path of morphological transformation to their current state. Recent re-naturalization policies, and the scientific and commercial role of stream restoration practitioners, have produced novel technical riverscapes. Urban fluvial landscapes transcend natural-social distinctions and materialize physical processes combined with social processes and discourse reflecting both local and distal influences, contingencies, and events.

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Acknowledgements

My research on urban rivers in Toronto has been supported by grants from Natural Resources and Engineering Research Council, and by City of Toronto, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Parish Geomorphic and Aquafor Beech Ltd. Thanks to John McDonald for preparing the aerial photographs for Fig. 23.1 and Karen van Kerkoerle for Figs. 23.2, 23.4, and 23.5. John McDonald and Mariane Ferencevic’s thesis work on Highland Creek is one of the things that first got me thinking about the ideas developed here and provided empirical support for some of the morphological and process transformations that I discuss. Belinda Dodson encouraged my thinking on this topic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

    Peter Ashmore

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  1. Peter Ashmore
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Rebecca Lave

  2. University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Christine Biermann

  3. Université de Lausanne, Gryon, Switzerland

    Stuart N. Lane

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Ashmore, P. (2018). Transforming Toronto’s Rivers: A Socio-Geomorphic Perspective. In: Lave, R., Biermann, C., Lane, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Physical Geography. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71461-5_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71461-5_23

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71460-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71461-5

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