Ontario
"Podiumism" and it's Discontents
Developer Brad Lamb is cranky about urban planners' insistence on building tall buildings on podiums that meet the street, then taper off in the Vancouver style to let in light and views.
Suburbs Left Out of Toronto Transit Plan
Critics in Toronto are blasting a new transit plan from Mayor Rob Ford that they say overlooks the city's suburban areas.
Toronto's Concrete City Hall, and its Concrete Furniture
Toronto's City Hall is a massive concrete structure. Oddly, so was all its furniture, which was included with the original design. 99% Invisible looks at this unconventional design choice, and the legacy of that furniture.
Attacking the Setbacks of Suburbia
Canada's suburbs don't have to be a problem, according to architect Drew Adams, who proposes a plan to densify them by developing unused space.
The Contrasting Urban Outlooks of Canada's Big City Mayors
In Canada, the mayors of two of the country's biggest cities are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to cities and urban issues.
Unstoppable Toronto
Toronto is growing up, up, up, with a very hot downtown condominium market, including a number of very small (500 sq. ft.) apartments for young professionals.
The Unfortunate and Persistent Reality of Sprawl in Toronto
Sprawl is seen as an unfortunate reality in Toronto, and one that some fear it's too late to unwrite.
End of an Era in Toronto
Toronto Star critic Christopher Hume predicts a lackluster 2011 for Toronto -- both in terms of architecture and urbanism.
Niagara Falls, New York: The Epitome of Bad Urban Planning
An extensive piece in Bloomsburg BusinessWeek uncovers the bad ideas and worse decisions that led to the downfall of Niagara Falls, New York. Step one? Replacing the historic downtown with "a bunch of modernist follies."
New Toronto Mayor Kills Transit Dreams
The newly installed mayor of Toronto has swiftly abandoned an $8.1 billion mass transit plan for the city.
Can Planning Rebuild "Ghettos of the Mind"?
Dehumanizing urban renewal-era public housing developments across North America are being replaced by mixed-use, mixed income neighborhoods with affordable housing. Yet in Regent Park, Toronto at least, many troubling social problems remain.
The Most Miserable City in Canada
Toronto takes the crown in a new study from the Canadian Centre for the Study of Living Standards, ranking lowest in happiness for the country.
New Toronto Mayor Backs Away From Anti-Streetcar Sentiment
Toronto's mayor-elect had campaigned on a platform that included plans to ditch the city's streetcar system. Now he seems to be backing away from that stance.
Brownfields Into Beaches
Alex Bozikovic hits the beach with his son at a new public space in Toronto: Sugar Beach, an urban park built on a former industrial site.
Mapping Toronto's Class Divide
Richard Florida plots the geography of class on a map of Toronto to show the deep economic divisions at work in an almost "completely post industrial," city.
Learning From and Reshaping the Urban Food System
With her Foodprint project, Nicola Twilley wondered what one could learn about a city by looking at it through the lens of food. In this piece on Urban Omnibus she shares what she's learned.
All-Ages Design in Toronto
Designing cities for all age groups means designing places where everyone from kids to seniors can feel safe walking, according to this column. Groups in Toronto are calling on mayoral candidates to get behind that idea.
Cycling in Toronto Leaves Much to Be Desired
Toronto Star architecture critic Christopher Hume blasts the city's lackluster bicycle planning efforts, calling them disjointed.
Turning Car Parking into Bike Parking
This post from Spacing Toronto gives a personal look at the conversion of a car parking space into a bicycle parking area -- and how quickly the facility filled up.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
