The cover of "Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias" by author John Lorinc is shown in this undated handout photo. The Writer's Trust of Canada has named journalist John Lorinc the winner of this year's Balsillie Prize for Public Policy for his book on the future of city-building. The annual award, backed by former BlackBerry chief executive Jim Balsillie, recognizes the best non-fiction book shaping Canadian discourse about policy issues. Lorinc received the $60,000 honour at a private dinner in Toronto on Tuesday for "Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias," published by Coach House Books. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Writer's Trust of Canada, Coach House Books
TORONTO – The Writer’s Trust of Canada has named freelance journalist John Lorinc the winner of this year’s Balsillie Prize for Public Policy for his book on the future of city-building.
The annual award, backed by former BlackBerry chief executive Jim Balsillie, recognizes the best non-fiction book shaping Canadian discourse about policy issues.
Lorinc received the $60,000 honour at a private dinner in Toronto on Tuesday for “Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias,” published by Coach House Books.
The book unpacks the promise of tech-fuelled smart cities, examining cases from around the world.
In their citation, the jury said the Toronto writer “offers a framework for thinking about the future of urban living” in a pandemic-altered world that’s in the midst of a climate crisis.
The runners-up, who each receive $5,000, include: “The Last Doctor: Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying,” co-authored by Dr. Jean Marmoreo and Johanna Schneller, published by Viking Canada; Kent Roach’s “Canadian Policing: Why and How It Must Change,” published by Delve Books; “Reconciling Truths: Reimagining Public Inquiries in Canada,” by Kim Stanton, published by UBC Press; and Vaclav Smil’s “How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We’re Going,” published by Viking.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2022.
