For purist architects and cultural critics alike, Disney theme parks embody every abhorrent architectural tendency in American consumer society. Rather than rehearse this now-familiar lamentation, “The Architecture of Reassurance” suspends judgment, replicating Disneyland’s “hub and wienie” plan—plazas leading to a signature vertical landmark—in the galleries of the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Curated by cultural historian Karal Ann Marling, the show traces the evolution of “imagineering” from the original Disneyland in Anaheim to far-flung colonies in Marne-la-Vallée and Tokyo. June 17-Sept. 28; travels to Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Oct. 26-Jan. 18,1998, and later that year to Los Angeles and New York.

— Ernest Pascucci