The City of Toronto has released its new neighbourhood rankings, which puts Black Creek at the bottom of the list. An area best known for the intersection of Jane and Finch, it's not surprising to hear of the low position accorded to this neighbourhood -- particularly when one considers that Lawrence Park North received the highest ranking. Economic prosperity and livability are indelibly linked? No way!

The question one might ask, however, is whether or not rankings of this type do more harm than good. While it's crucial to identify neighbourhoods in need of additional community support (and this has been a "priority neighbourhood" for some time), the stigma associated with residing in Toronto's "least livable neighbourhood" is a burden in its own right, one that is just as likely to erode community pride as it is to aid the City in directing social assistance programs to the most deserving places.

Obviously if there's a neighbourhood ranking system in place, there will be a lowest score. And, in fairness, the City of Toronto's efforts to track the health of our various neighbourhoods is one way to address challenges that are faced by some areas that are absent in others. But perhaps there's a way to employ terminology that avoids the baggage that goes with being ranked at the bottom of the heap?

What do you think? Do neighbourhood rankings play a role in community pride?