As the full extent of the instability of Toronto's elevated Gardiner Expressway, and the city's apparent cover-up of the information, becomes clear, the new chief planner has weighed in on what the priorities should be in addressing the problem.

The signs of the Gardiner's fialing health have been raining down on Toronto's streets for some time. After at least seven incidents of falling-concrete this year, and a recent Toronto Star investigation that showed "the crumbling highway is in a state far worse than city staff previously told the public," the city's new chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat has waded into the debate over the future of Toronto's main commuter artery, reports Robyn Doolittle.
With reports indicating that, "[w]ithout half a billion dollars in emergency repair work to the deck, nearly half of the elevated portions of the Gardiner could be structurally unsafe within a decade," Keesmaat said "she is opposed to spending massive sums on infrastructure focused on 'moving more cars,'” and instead, "believes tax dollars are better spent on improving public transit."
"Keesmaat, who has been in the job less than six months, said she wants to immediately resume an environmental assessment that was quietly shelved after Mayor Rob Ford’s election," notes Doolittle. "That study was supposed to provide a cost-benefit analysis of tearing down versus maintaining the structure."
Writing in Spacing Toronto, Ken Greenberg sees the deterioration of the expressway as an opportunity for the city to engage in a serious discussion about "a more sustainable balance of mobility options."
"At a certain point," he says, "the cost and difficulty of maintaining or in our case entirely rebuilding these structures raises the question of whether it makes sense to keep them. Rather than replacement, the decaying infrastructure can be modified or altered to become one that favours more environmentally sound means of getting around harmonizes with a more productive city form."
FULL STORY: Gardiner Expressway: Chief planner wants to resurrect cost/benefit study

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie