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March 1, 2024: Jason Hackworth Lecture
NEST Distinguished Speaker Series
The Myth of the North American City Revisited: Exploring the Role of Race and Racism in Canadian Cities
Friday, March 1, 2024 · 2:00pm
Goldberg and Mercer's The Myth of the North American City has become a classic in Canadian geography, planning, and sociology circles since its publication over 40 years ago. In it, the authors provide compelling evidence for contrast between American and Canadian cities. Race and racism are among the many dimensions they explore. In their narrative, they argue that American cities are deeply affected by racism and Canadian cities much less so (or not at all). More recently, other scholars in geography, sociology, and area studies have used the American experience of racism to highlight patterns in other non-American Global North locations – France, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, among others. This lecture focuses on the opportunities and challenges of applying, rather than juxtaposing as the myth and other similar writings do, the lessons of American racism to the urban context.
Jason Hackworth is a professor of planning and geography at the University of Toronto. He has written three books and numerous articles on the role of economics, race, and policy in shaping North American cities.