I’d summarize Toronto as ‘homely but homie’. Although the streets are usually packed with people, the city still feels barren and undecorated. Pragmatic to a fault.

But for the same reason, Toronto is not pretentious. The lack of green space makes the moss-covered buildings stand out. The lack of bike lanes make the brave cyclist outstanding. The abundance of concrete boosts the aesthetic of the brick.

Although disappointed at the lacklustre complete street design in Toronto, I was fascinated by how well road users share the space and organize themselves. A form of ‘disorganized chaos’ as Jane Jacobs had described of big cities: “Intricate minglings of different uses in cities are not a form of chaos. On the contrary, they represent a complex and highly developed form of order.”

The modern aspects keep the city interesting. It’s a joy to photograph the city’s architecture.

So although I would say Toronto is quite ugly, it is unpretentiously so, and you get what you see in this city of 2.7 million.