Decisions about the things that matter most on a daily basis – our roads and schools and houses – happen at the city level. So, how do we influence these decisions? What motivates ordinary citizens to take action and improve their community? How do neighbours organize together? Does City Hall facilitate engagement, or stand in the way? Local Motion explores how we, as citizens, can make a positive change in our city.

Shifting from the 'what' of the previous uTOpia books to 'how,' Local Motion presents an in-depth analysis of civic engagement in Canada's largest city. Essays by fourteen in-the-trenches journalists explain what makes one city, Toronto, tick and stall. They explore electoral reform, civic organizations, zoning, the 'creative city,' budgeting and guerrilla activism. They profile people and groups who've made things happen. They give practical advice on navigating bureaucracy and getting the media's attention. Taken together, these in-depth essays and profiles paint a citizen-focused portrait of a city in transition, offering up myriad examples of how the people who live there help to make their city a better, more humane one.

The book features a foreword by Dionne Brand, illustrations by Marlena Zuber, and articles by Bert Archer, Denise Balkissoon, Hamutal Dotan, Jonathan Goldsbie, Kelly Grant, Edward Keenan, Jennifer Lewington, John Lorinc, Jason McBride, Dave Meslin, Christina Palassio, Catherine Porter, Mike Smith and Hannah Sung.

‘There is so much disappointment in conventional politics. But cities and neighbourhoods are spaces where transformation is still within reach; indeed, it happens every day. This original and inspiring book arms us with the practical tools we need to change our communities for the better, regardless of which politicians are in power. Read it and find out where the action is.’ – Naomi Klein

‘If our greatest asset as a city is our people, it stands to reason that, genuinely engaged, and liberated to think outside the box, the people of Toronto are the ones who can ensure that we build a city that is a model to the world. Local Motion is the “how to” book on building that great city. Over to us.’ – John Tory

Alana Wilcox, author of A Grammar of Endings, lives in Toronto, where she works as a freelance writer and editor. She is currently the managing editor at Coach House Books. Her fiction has appeared in several magazines, including Quarry, Tessera, Paragraph, and Queen Street Quarterly.

Alana Wilcox's profile page

Christina Palassio is the managing editor of Coach House Books, and the co-editor of The State of the Arts: Living with Culture in Toronto, GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto and HTO: Toronto’s Water from Lake Iroquois to Lost Rivers to Low-flow Toilets.Alana Wilcox, author of A Grammar of Endings, lives in Toronto, where she works as a freelance writer and editor. She is currently the managing editor at Coach House Books. Her fiction has appeared in several magazines, including Quarry, Tessera, Paragraph, and Queen Street Quarterly.

Christina Palassio's profile page

Dave Meslin is a Toronto-based artist and organizer who has instigated a variety of urban projects including Reclaim the Streets, Toronto Public Space Committee, Spacing magazine, City Idol, Human River, Toronto Cyclists Union, Dandyhorse magazine and Better Ballots. Christina Palassio is the managing editor of Coach House Books. Alana Wilcox is the editorial director of Coach House Books.

Dave Meslin's profile page