Introducing a group of 16 avatars meant to represent the people who live, work, and play in downtown Toronto.
The planners behind the ongoing TOCore downtown planning process recently introduced a group of "avatars," created from demographic data about the city.
Introducing the #TOcore Avatars. Read their stories and share yours. Visit https://t.co/lLkzG5exuC #TOpoli pic.twitter.com/tLTqhReAbK
— CityPlanTO (@CityPlanTO) May 11, 2016
The TOCore website explains the reasoning behind the avatars:
Businesses create customer profiles all the time to ensure they are thinking about the needs of their customers, like when they are designing new products. This is the same thing, but we're taking our Avatars one step further and making them public.
The website lists 16 such avatars, covering such demographic categories as refugee, homeless, special needs, trans youth, and lots more.
The Regional Plan Association created a similar group of avatars for the purposes of creating the Fourth Regional Plan in 2014.
As for TOCore, the downtown planning effort launched a second phase in April 2016. More information can be found at the plan's website and with #TOCore.
FULL STORY: Downtown Stories: Planning for Many Perspectives
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.