A paradoxical encomium of sorts for the benefits of ugly buildings to the experience of cities.
"Does the city need ugly buildings?" asks a column by Edward Keenan. "The shabby and unfashionable, the weirdo huts and half-abandoned malls and rundown plazas. Could it be they actually serve a valuable purpose in the life and evolution of the city?"
These seemingly counter-intuitive questions are raised by the "imminent demolition of a strip of stores near Yonge and Eglinton" in Toronto. The news of destruction of the strip mall has brought two strong reactions: those who believe the building is a blighted failure and those who relied on it for work or entertainment.
Keenan notes that Lloyd Alter has already written about the demise of the Yonge and Eglinton strip plaza, as has Amy Grief. Alter and Keenan concur that there is in fact a place for ugly buildings in cities, and for the eccentricity that tends to locate there, even while the rest of surrounding city gentrifies and takes on a corporate sheen.
Read the full story: In praise of ugly old buildings: Keenan
Study: Mixed-Use Neighborhoods Fail Affordability
A study published recently in the Journal of the American Planning Association finds that mixed-use neighborhoods in Toronto are only delivering benefits to those who can afford to pay a premium.
Redevelopment Plans and Gentrification Concerns for Toronto's Moss Park
Urban renewal of the 1960s built large amounts of public housing in the formerly industrial neighborhood of Moss Park in Toronto. Now, the neighborhood and its eponymous park have become home to some of the most impoverished people in the city.
Neighborhood's Unchecked Facelift Highlights Poor Planning
Poor planning is allowing uncontrolled and rapid gentrification to destroy Toronto's Liberty Village neighborhood, according to this article from The Toronto Star.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
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