Ontario

Toronto to Rip Up Existing Bike Lane

Mick Sweetman of George Brown College criticizes Toronto city council's decision to remove an existing bike lane heavily used by that college's students.

October 11, 2012 - rabble.ca

Toronto Confronts Challenges of Extreme Intensification

For Ken Greenberg, it's clear Toronto is "going through a metamorphosis of extraordinary proportions," comparable to the development of New York in the mid-20th century. He examines how the city must prepare for an unprecedented scale of development.

October 4, 2012 - The Globe and Mail

Suburban Canada Dreams of Density

As one of North America's largest suburbs, Mississauga is joining some of its neighbors in the Greater Toronto Area in planning an unprecedented effort to replace its suburban roots with something more urban.

August 23, 2012 - The Globe and Mail

What Ottawa Has to Teach Us about Great Urbanism

Hazel Borys concludes her popular photo series on lessons from Canadian urbanism with a look at Ottawa, whose charming historic character is illegal to reproduce today in its more auto-centric outskirts.

August 22, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Transformation of Toronto's Main Drag Gives City Reason to Celebrate

The wild success of a "pop-up urban intervention” transforming Toronto's Yonge Street has Christopher Hume and the city's residents excited about the ability of small moves to have a big impact.

August 21, 2012 - Toronto Star

Introducing Urban Renewal - the Board Game

Since it was so much fun when it occurred half a century ago, artist Flavio Trevisan has decided to create a way for you to play Moses (Robert, that is) with the fate of Toronto’s Regent Park neighborhood, in the comfort of your home.

August 16, 2012 - Architizer

Marching Orders Suggested for Toronto's New Chief Planner

As Toronto's new chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat made the media rounds last week, her deft comments left local urbanists drunk on the possible. As the city's boosters sober up, John Lorinc recommends two chief priorities that must be tackled.

August 8, 2012 - Spacing Toronto

Can Toronto's New Planning Head Succeed Where Others Have Failed?

This week it was announced that, after a lengthy search, Toronto had found a candidate willing to take on the challenge of guiding the city's planning efforts amid a hostile climate created by "car-loving" mayor Rob Ford.

August 1, 2012 - The Globe and Mail

Toronto's 'Info Pillars' Get Hacked

A group of "urban hacktivists" have been busy transforming Toronto's ubiquitous and ironically named "info pillars" (read: street billboards) into community platforms and art pieces, protesting their improper design and instillation.

July 24, 2012 - The Pop-Up City

Will Toronto Choose to Trash its Pioneering Waterfront Master Plan?

An award-winning master plan for Toronto's Lower Don Lands, completed only five years ago by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, may be gutted if the Ford administration has its way, reports Alex Ulam.

July 19, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Is Downtown Toronto a Suitable Place for Families?

In remarks that have caused an uproar in North America's fifth largest city, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday lodged his foot firmly in his mouth last week, telling city council and reporters that downtown Toronto is an unsuitable place to raise children.

July 17, 2012 - Toronto Star

A Stroll Through Toronto's Waterfront of the Future

Jane Armstrong tours Queen’s Quay with the two individuals leading the $110 million effort to transform a 1.5-kilometre stretch of Toronto's downtown waterfront into "a North American version of the Champs Élysées."

July 16, 2012 - OpenFile

Cities in Decline: Finding Something To Celebrate

News always comes in twos; there's the good news, and then there's the bad news. In the city of Windsor, Canada, the bad news has consistently been their ailing economy. Residents look for something to celebrate.

June 23, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Toronto Dials Back on Bikes

While cities across North America work diligently to expand their bicycle infrastructure, Toronto appears to be headed in the opposite direction, and local bike enthusiasts are taking to the streets to voice their opposition, reports Lloyd Alter.

June 15, 2012 - Treehugger

Lamenting Toronto's Missing Middle

Christopher Hume surveys Toronto's "mid-rise crisis" and asks why the city has made it nearly impossible to build "the urban residential form par excellence."

May 29, 2012 - Toronto Star

Thirty-Four Bold Ideas for Transforming Toronto

The Grid solicited ideas from some of Toronto's smartest people for how to make the city better, no matter what the cost or feasibility. David Topping and Katie Underwood deliver the inventive results.

May 24, 2012 - The Grid

Toronto Revives Transit Plan, Despite Mayoral Disapproval

Yonah Freemark reports on the implausible turn of events that has Toronto transit boosters back on the course they charted five years ago, pursuing the much-debated Transit City plan.

April 27, 2012 - the transport politic

What Toronto Needs From Its Next Chief Planner

As Toronto casts a net across North America in a search to replace recently retired planning chief Gary Wright, Christopher Hume expresses his hopes, and the likely depressing outcome, of the city's efforts.

April 23, 2012 - Toronto Star

Ford's Subway Scheme Stopped Dead In Its Tracks

Yesterday was a bad day for Toronto mayor Rob Ford as his quest to see a proposed streetcar for Sheppard Avenue East replaced with a subway to to Scarborough was dashed by the City Council. Kelly Grant has the details.

March 23, 2012 - The Globe and Mail

Latest Salvo in Toronto Transit Turmoil

The battle being waged by Toronto's first-term mayor Rob Ford over the future of transit in the city is getting uglier by the day, as the Toronto Transit Commission voted Tuesday to fire chief general manager Gary Webster.

February 23, 2012 - Toronto Star

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