Beautiful Mess Toronto’s Laneways

Author: Matthew Blackett

Publisher: Spacing Toronto

In The Beautiful Mess of Toronto’s Laneways, Matthew Blackett employs striking visuals to explore the condition of Toronto’s laneways, where century-old garages and former workshops are locked in a constant battle with modernity, graffiti, and nature itself. Many of Toronto’s laneways are messy, dilapidated, overgrown, hazardous… and also strikingly beautiful. The distinct structures featured in this book not only shed a light on those who used these spaces before us, but reveal so much more about ourselves than our prim-and-proper front yards.

Matthew Blackett is the creative director and one of the founders of Spacing magazine. He is also a graphic artist, product designer, and deeply-committed advocate for Toronto. He is often seen, heard, and quoted in Canada’s local and national media as a commentator on a variety of urbanism and design issues. In 2007, he was named Editor of the Year by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors. In 2010, he was the co-recipient of the Jane Jacobs Prize.