Lisa Rochon hosts a roundtable conversation to examine the reasons for the city's architectural mediocrity.
A panel of leading Toronto architects including Ken Greenberg, Don Schmitt, Bruce Kuwabara, Janet Rosenberg and Siamak Hariri outline the systemic and other factors they believe are responsible for Toronto's failure to foster quality urban design. These include a lack of a design champion, a fractured council with no executive branch, an inability for decision makers to think long term, and a planning tool kit that contains the wrong tools. The panel members relate their experiences working abroad, drawing comparisons between how the planning process operates in Toronto versus other world cities.
Thanks to Geoffrey Singer
FULL STORY: Can our city be beautiful in the next five years?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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