https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X16688769 Journal of Planning Education and Research 2018, Vol. 38(1) 114–130 © The Author(s) 2017 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0739456X16688769 journals.sagepub.com/home/jpe Reviews David Gordon’s Town and Crown: An Illustrated History of Canada’s Capital is an ambitious attempt to chronicle the development of the capital city on a site both isolated yet strategically located on the Ontario–Québec border. Spanning the time period from the seventeenth to the twenty-first cen- tury, Town and Crown deftly illustrates the jurisdictional squabbles that have complicated land use planning as the profession came of age in Canada. Gordon’s main theme is the conflict between the federal government and the fledg- ling municipal governments of Ottawa, Hull, and the outly- ing townships of Nepean and Gloucester. The book is divided into fourteen chapters, most of which are the length of the average journal article; three of the chapters devoted to the postwar years are significantly lon- ger. The chapters are structured around key historical events such as the choice of Ottawa as the new capital (chapter 4, which spans the key years leading up to the Confederation in 1858–1867) and the Depression and wartime years (chapter 9, which spans 1930–1944). Each chapter ends with a brief “Reflections” section on the particular era, with recommen- dations on what the political figures or organizations could have done to reduce sectarian squabbling and produce a more legible plan for the city. Archival photographs, maps, and artwork greatly contribute to the reader’s understanding of Ottawa’s development from temporary townsite to metro- politan region. Ottawa was first envisioned to be a military town, so the planning of its townsite was not considered critical. The set- tlement was conceived as a temporary construction camp, without the usual lots reserved for places of worship, schools, courthouse, farmer’s market, hospital, or other public needs typically seen in the town plans of British North America. While it should have been possible to set aside these lands, and regulations for the layout of towns in each township were drawn up in 1790, the colonies could not afford the costs of surveying and protecting them. Many of the lots were given away by the young provincial governments, so there was no revenue to offset the cost of town plans. The failure to plan for the transition from construction camp to town had a lasting effect as the town’s purpose shifted from one of military defense to the seat of government for the nation. At the heart of Gordon’s thesis is that many current plan- ning struggles in the capital region can be traced back to the lack of vision in its early development: its social divisions, its sprawling growth, and the destruction of its innate natural beauty. When Ottawa was chosen to be the capital of Canada in 1857, the desire to build a capital worthy of the new nation began to take precedence over local planning concerns. However, the town missed its chance to develop a vision that expanded beyond Parliament Hill and local politicians refused to implement even the most carefully researched master plans, allowing industries and private interest groups almost free rein. By the time the Town Planning Institute of Canada was founded in 1919 and a series of federal commis- sions had begun to plan new boulevards and parkways, the damage had already been done: key sites that would have contributed to more harmonious land use planning were in private hands, vast swathes of forests had been destroyed, and there were longstanding conflicts between the town, township, provincial, and federal governments. Even such significant decisions as choosing a site for the war memorial and rebuilding Ottawa’s city hall after it had been destroyed by fire were hamstrung by the inability of the key players to collaborate or build consensus. It is astounding how the local governments could have ignored key planning issues that were facing most other municipalities in Canada and the United States in the late nineteenth century. While most new municipalities prioritized improving urban conditions, Ottawa, Hull, and Nepean and Gloucester townships resisted the implementa- tion of even the most basic municipal services. Since the federal government did not pay property taxes or contribute to municipal expenses until the postwar decades, Ottawa lagged behind other towns in building critical infrastruc- ture: its first water filtration plant was built in 1932, twenty- five years after Toronto had installed theirs. This lag, combined with the lack of even basic planning for health and safety, contributed to public health epidemics such as cholera and typhoid. 688769JPE XX X 10.1177/0739456X16688769Journal of Planning Education and ResearchReviews book-review 2017 Reviews Gordon, David L. A. 2015. Town and Crown: An Illustrated History of Canada’s Capital. Ottawa, Canada: Invenire. 442 pp. CAD$39.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-927465-26-4 Reviewed by: Ren Thomas, Dalhousie University DOI: 10.1177/0739456X16688769