The social geography of Toronto is changing so rapidly, I really can’t comment about Toronto today. I haven’t spent much time in the GTA in the last decade and sometimes I’m shocked by how much particular neighbourhoods have changed. However, a key thing about Toronto’s economic history is that so much of its industrialization was smokeless and driven by cheap electricity from Niagara Falls. In somewhat older cities, where industry was fueled by burning lots of coal, rich people had a greater incentive to avoid the east end.
The impression I get from this map is that poor neighbourhoods are spread out pretty evenly between the west and east sides of the city.
The Past Speaks 
The East sides of cities are generally poorer. I’ve wondered about this one. Toronto’s an exception. Why’s that now?
The social geography of Toronto is changing so rapidly, I really can’t comment about Toronto today. I haven’t spent much time in the GTA in the last decade and sometimes I’m shocked by how much particular neighbourhoods have changed. However, a key thing about Toronto’s economic history is that so much of its industrialization was smokeless and driven by cheap electricity from Niagara Falls. In somewhat older cities, where industry was fueled by burning lots of coal, rich people had a greater incentive to avoid the east end.
The impression I get from this map is that poor neighbourhoods are spread out pretty evenly between the west and east sides of the city.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/a-city-of-extremes-losing-the-middle-ground/article1838263/?from=1839936