When community/city planners talk in broad conceptual terms using words like stellar pattern' or urban infrastructure, one can sometimes get a cold chill. After all, planning is not about plumbing; it is about community. And although using broad strokes to deal with monumental social and economic problems may seem cold and far removed from the everyday needs of people, the bottom line is still the fostering of community. That is what cities are all about and one can never forget the underlying reasons for planners to plan. It is not simply to plug people into a life support system, but to provide them with an environment in which they feel they are a part of a larger whole - one that is conducive to participating creatively in the plethora of activities synonymous with life in the city.

The best way to understand what makes communities work is undoubtedly to experience it first hand. Bear with me if the following seems a bit scholarly and analytical, but I would like to use an example of a community that provides a good model to illustrate what a portion of the city fabric could, and perhaps should look like. It is the area of Toronto known as Swansea. It was once a town before the city grew and swallowed it up - like so many other communities in the area. Its roots may be traced to a former smelting plant on 'The Queensway' at its southern tip, for which housing was built to shelter workers nearby. Over time, as more housing sprung up, so did a school, churches, a town hall and a fire hall. Unlike some other communities, Swansea has been able to retain its own distinct character because of its institutions and the unique geographical and man-made features around it. This is not by any means unique in Toronto. There are other communities within the city that also preserve their own unique flavor. Swansea however, is the one I identify with most, and have grown to love as my stomping ground, so it seemed fitting to use as a positive example of community.

In the opening chapters of the town of York's history (now the City of Toronto), when road builders went about their business, they did not as a rule consult with urban planners. They either chose to put paving down onto what was already a beaten path, or they tried to find the shortest distance between the two points they were trying to connect. It may not have been their intent, but they established the first directions of growth for their regions.

As soon as any roads are laid down,

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