Ontario
Do Digital Billboards Have Any Place in Public Space?
A city-hired consultant has recommended an expansion of the areas where digital billboards are allowed in Toronto. The sign industry claims the billboards contribute to “vibrancy” but critics argue they're an unwelcome intrusion into public space.
Toronto’s Vital Signs Wavering
Toronto’s 2013 Vital Signs Report cautions that while Canada’s largest city has a lot going for it, growing income disparity, high youth unemployment, and housing un-affordability threaten its future as one of the world’s most livable cities.
Why Toronto's Suburbs are the 'New City'
In the Toronto area, the region's suburbs have evolved in ways that make them fundamentally different from their outdated postwar image. Yet the ways we think and talk about the suburbs haven't kept up with this new reality.
Wanted: Funding Source for Transit Investment in Canada’s Largest City
Additional sales taxes, increased property taxes, and a tax on commercial parking spaces are just some of the 11 funding options being considered to pay for a long overdue transit expansion in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Re-Adapting the Tower in the Park(ing Lot)
As part of Toronto’s tower renewal effort, new zoning allows for the integration of commercial and community uses into post-war tower neighbourhoods while a loan program offers up capital for energy-efficient upgrades.
Seven Skyscraper Design Fails
This week, sun rays bouncing off the "Walkie-Talkie" skyscraper in London have caused cars to melt and forced the city to ban parking in the area. Here are 7 other skyscraper design fails that have led to mishaps and disasters for cities.
Townhouse Trend Takes Toronto
In the land of the blooming condo high-rise a different housing type is starting to sprout - the 'urban townhouse'. Tracy Hanes explains what makes such homes attractive to buyers, and looks at three popular townhouse projects.
With Temporary Parklets, Toronto Plays Long Game in Taking Back City's Streets
With the installation of new parklets along Church Street in Toronto's Gay Village, the city is embracing a rethink of how its public spaces are used. While the elimination of parking spots may be heresy to many, Christopher Hume welcomes the change.
Has Toronto Built Too Much Too Fast?
As Toronto's condo building boom has transformed the city, it's also helped to transform Canada's housing market. There are warning signs, however, that a surplus of housing in the city threatens to destabilize Canada's entire economy.
Dynamic New Landscapes Lead Toronto's Transformation
Toronto is undergoing a 'remarkable transformation', says Charles Birnbaum, and unlike most large scale redevelopment efforts, landscape architecture is leading the way. With abundant photos Birnbaum surveys the new works framing the city's growth.
Toronto's $50 Billion 'Big Move' Gets a Financing Plan
This week, the Toronto region's transportation agency floated a strategy for how to fund the wildly ambitious 25-year transportation plan know as the Big Move. A combination of new taxes and fees are expected to yield $2 billion per year.
Toronto Curates its Skyline With Tall Building Design Guidelines
An update to Toronto's Tall Building Design Guidelines seeks to address problems with the seven-year-old planning document, while strengthening the protections afforded historic properties, key sightlines, and local context.
Video Allegedly Shows Toronto Mayor Smoking Crack Cocaine
In what may be the saddest and most shocking turn yet in the saga of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, a video has reportedly surfaced that appears to show the Mayor smoking crack cocaine.
Canadian Officials See Long-Term Threat from Short-Term Urbanism
A series of tactical urbanist interventions inspired by a recent talk given by Mike Lydon, Principal of the Street Plans Collaborative, have raised the ire of the powers that be in the Canadian city of Hamilton.
Warm Weather Brings a Fight Over Sidewalk Space to Toronto
Outdoor seating is a sign of a vibrant city. But in Toronto, neighbor complaints and conflicting regulations conspire to constrain the construction and operation of such spaces along city sidewalks, explains Valerie Hauch.
Despite its Phenomenal Success, Waterfront Toronto Faces Uncertain Future
The revitalization of Toronto's waterfront has been a remarkable success, generating billions in economic development and thousands of jobs. As Waterfront Toronto's seed money runs out, why is the agency facing obstacles in raising more funds?
The Big Move: Will Toronto Seize its Future by Funding an Ambitious Transit Plan?
As the city's controversial mayor snickers at proposals for new funding sources for transit, Toronto is missing out on another opportunity to build a big-city mass transit system, says Marcus Gee. How much will it cost the city in the long run?
Can Intelligent Traffic Lights Ease Toronto's Gridlock?
Faced with paralyzing gridlock, North America's fourth-largest city is studying several potential solutions for easing congestion - including traffic lights that think for themselves.
Toronto's Outspoken Chief Planner Ruffles Feathers in Quest for Change
Jennifer Keesmaat is "on her way to becoming modern Toronto’s first celebrity bureaucrat," says Marcus Gee, who profiles the city's new chief planner. Can she succeed in her quest for change without offending those whose support she'll need?
In Toronto, Urban Amenities Lag Behind Condo Boom
Since it began in 1999, Toronto's condo boom has added 120,000 units to the city and, in the process, transformed its urban landscape. City leaders are just now beginning to address how to accommodate these new residents.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
