The Rail Deck Park could end up being known forever as the #RailDeckPark the way the social media buzz built for this splashy project proposal this week.

"The City of Toronto plans to create an 8.5 hectare 'signature park,' named Rail Deck Park, that will cover the railway tracks between Bathurst Street and the Rogers Centre," reports Taylor Simmons.
Mayor John Tory made the announcement, but Toronto Planning Chief Jennifer Keesmaat took to social media to trumpet the announcement. The #RailDeckPark hashtag quickly gained steam.
Our growing, bursting downtown needs amenities, to be liveable. So today we introduce #RailDeckPark #TOcore pic.twitter.com/1wcyOSEBgk
— jennifer keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) August 3, 2016
"In a release, the city said the initiative 'is part of the City's TOcore project, a response to the rapid growth and intensification of Toronto's downtown that is placing pressure on physical and social infrastructure,'" according to the article.
Though the excitement surrounding the prospect of the #RailDeckPark is certain, a lot of the critical details of the project are much less so. According to Simmons, "Tory said there isn't a clear timeline or cost for the project as of yet."
FULL STORY: Massive downtown #RailDeckPark will cover railway tracks from Rogers Centre to Bathurst

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.

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

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie