Spacing | Canadian Urbanism Uncovered

If We Have a Housing Shortage, Why Are We Buying Empty Condos?

By Erick Villagomez

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier David Eby recently announced a plan to purchase vacant condominium units and convert them into affordable housing through a proposed rent-to-own program. Details remain unclear. We do not know how many units will be acquired, expected discounts, how financing will be structured, or how the rent-to-own model will work. The announcement immediately sparked criticism. Some described it as a bailout for developers struggling to sell units in a cooling... Read more

Toronto Community

Porch Perspectives

Perry Walker discusses his documentary film project “From Where I’m Sitting"
By Kaede Ashizawa
Toronto Urban Design

OP-ED: The value of street furniture in Toronto

Jessie Ye and the Toronto Public Space Committee argue for better street furniture as the current contract expires
By Jessie Ye
Toronto Elections

Brad Bradford’s name blame game

The mayoral candidate's troubling wedge issue connects race, open drug use, and urban neglect
By John Lorinc
Vancouver Politics

UCS #105: Timing is Everything!

See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related Readings: Critics...
By Urban Cartoon Syndicate
National Architecture

Book Review: Louis Kahn – The Importance of a Drawing

“Although this book includes works from all phases of Kahn’s career, it is neither a “complete works” nor a monographic survey. To...
By Sean Ruthen
Vancouver Urban Design

The City and its Futures

We have plans for the future, but not always a path to get there. There are quick gains we could do today, but not always a vision to guide them. Somewhere between the long horizon and today's next step, the city gets shaped.
By Yuval Fogelson

Toronto Photos

The photographic techniques of Toronto’s City Photographers

Exploring another side of the "roadway" archives of Toronto's official photographers, Arthur Goss and Howard MacDonald
By Peter MacCallum
Vancouver Community

UCS #104: The Tourist Experience

See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related Readings: ‘Utter...
By Urban Cartoon Syndicate
Vancouver Urban Design

The City in the Present

One place, one time. A queue curving around the block for a croissant that went viral, a transit card mapping the pulse of a city in motion, a sun cutting a corridor of light down 42nd Street once a year. Physically present in a city.
By Yuval Fogelson
Toronto Politics

Howard Moscoe and the limits of municipal power

The legendary councillor, who died last month, will be commemorated by the city and the TTC, but even a fighter like him couldn't win every battle
By John Lorinc
Vancouver Urban Design

The Pasts of the City

Understanding the city’s past through the evidence it left behind: what was documented, what was drawn on maps, and what simply survived.
By Yuval Fogelson
Vancouver Spacing

UCS #103: Vancouver Villages Plan

See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related Readings: Villages...
By Urban Cartoon Syndicate

National Podcast

THE OVERHEAD: When Policy Pauses Public Ownership

Spacing and the Balanced Supply of Housing research node proudly present The Overhead: Understanding Canada’s Affordable Housing Crisis, a special podcast series.
By Spacing Radio
National Podcast

The Overhead: What We’ve Learned About Evictions

Spacing and the Balanced Supply of Housing research node proudly present The Overhead: Understanding Canada’s Affordable Housing Crisis, a special podcast series.
By Spacing Radio
Toronto Podcast

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 094, The Landlords

In this episode: rental construction, Bill 60, and tenants' rights.
By Spacing Radio

Toronto Podcast

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 93, Everything Eglinton

In this episode: celebrating the Crosstown, lessons learned, and Scarborough's Golden Mile.
By Spacing Radio
National Podcast

The Overhead: Rent Control and Rent Hikes

Spacing and the Balanced Supply of Housing research node proudly present The Overhead: Understanding Canada’s Affordable Housing Crisis, a special podcast series.
By Spacing Radio
Toronto Podcast

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 92, Resolutions for Toronto leadership

In this episode: the election starts now, the Doug Ford problem, and public toilets.
By Spacing Radio
National Podcast

The Overhead: Community land trusts gaining ground

Spacing and the Balanced Supply of Housing research node proudly present The Overhead: Understanding Canada’s Affordable Housing Crisis, a special podcast series.
By Spacing Radio
National Podcast

The Overhead: Decommodifying Housing

Spacing and the Balanced Supply of Housing research node proudly present The Overhead: Understanding Canada’s Affordable Housing Crisis, a special podcast series.
By Spacing Radio
National Podcast

The Overhead: Indigenous-led housing

Spacing and the Balanced Supply of Housing research node proudly present The Overhead: Understanding Canada’s Affordable Housing Crisis, a special podcast series.
By Spacing Radio
Toronto Podcast

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 90, Bless this urban mess

In This Episode: we talk incremental change, embrace urban chaos, and take a stroll down Toronto's laneways
By Spacing Radio
Toronto Podcast

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 089, Global ideas for local placemaking

In This Episode: what is placemaking and what can we learn from placemakers around the world?
By Spacing Radio
Toronto Podcast

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 088, Big City Mayor Takes on Canadian Housing

In This Episode: recent Vancouver history, Canada's new housing minister, and Scarborough cuisine
By Glyn Bowerman

More Podcasts

Toronto Waterfront

Jet Dreams on Toronto Island (Part 1)

Premier Doug Ford and the Toronto Port Authority, the federal agency that owns Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, have been extraordinarily secretive...
By Ian Darragh
Toronto Bikes

Modernizing e-bike rules

This article is co-authored with Muskan Fatima. E-bikes are good for our cities. They offer reliable transportation for people of all ages and abilities...
By Albert Koehl
Vancouver Features

I’m Voting for Neighbourhoods. Are You?

I believe that Vancouver is, first and foremost, a “City of Distinguished Neighbourhoods”, and that Vancouver neighbourhoods are poised to...
By scothein
Toronto Waterfront

Rees Park: The rug that can tie the post-FIFA waterfront together

The waterfront as an east-west canvas for events and animation in Toronto will show its potential like never before during the upcoming FIFA World Cup...
By Tim Kocur
Toronto Community

OP-ED: Invitation as Urban Policy

This spring, at Bloomberg CityLab in Madrid, social prescribing reached the agenda of the world’s largest cities summit for the first time. It was a...
By Kate Mulligan
Toronto Bikes

The truth about the University Avenue bike lanes

Over the past year, I have written multiple times about how misinformation and selective framing continue shaping Toronto’s transportation debates. In...
By Lanrick Bennett

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