Toronto as Community is a poetic portrayal of the city, with photographs sequenced to evoke an intimate visual symphony. The pictures document the daily life of ordinary citizens, including work and leisure, many accompanied by original stories. The book also documents many of the natural areas and some of the city’s architecture, all through the lens of social justice. The images will resonate and provoke the readers’ sense of nostalgia, inviting reflection on the city that once was, how it became the city it is, and how it continues to develop into a social experiment that is the envy of many other cities and nations.

As the largest city in Canada and the fourth largest in North America, Toronto has become one of the most ethnically diversified cities in the world, with over 52% of its residents born outside of the country and speaking 180 languages.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo has been a dedicated chronicler of Toronto for more than fifty years. His attachment to the city and its people is demonstrated on every page of Toronto as Community. His father was a construction worker who helped to build many of Toronto’s landmark buildings. Vincenzo collaborated with Jane Jacobs, by providing photographs for an exhibition based on her seminal book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. He is the author of numerous monographs and exhibition catalogues, as well as commissioned books.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo is an award-winning photographer whose work has been widely published in Canada and abroad. An Italian-Canadian, he and his family immigrated to Canada in 1959. He is the author of Celebration of Resistance: Ontario's Days of Action (1999), Not Paved With Gold: Italian-Canadian Immigrants in the 1970s (2006), and Harvest Pilgrims: (2010), as well as many other books. In 2010 he was awarded the Cesar E. Chavez Black Eagle Award (Cultural) by the UFCW for his work photographing migrant workers and recording their stories. This work is the basis of Harvest Pilgrims.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo's profile page

“This beautifully photographed and well written book showcases Toronto both in its gritty reality and its beautiful glory. Vincenzo Pietropaolo has been taking what he refers to as ‘live’ photography of Toronto for over fifty years. The book captures his vision for the reality, for stolen moments, and for clarity about our city’s strengths — and challenges, from a place of affection. Vincenzo says that Toronto is the ‘enduring photographic subject of my life.’ It shows.”

David Miller, Mayor of Toronto 2003-2010

“As a Toronto city planner, Vincenzo worked to create a healthy city. With his camera and great eye he shows us that city, Toronto, full of life, joy, sometimes sadness, and beauty. This book reminds me why I love Toronto so much.”

Barbara Hall, CM, Mayor of Toronto 1994-1997