Architecture
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When Local Planning Becomes Provincial Command: On Bill 13, Bill 15, and the End of Urban Democracy
In British Columbia, democracy is being redefined—not through elections or referendums, but through legislation with quiet names and sweeping...
By Erick Villagomez -
The Coriolis Effect, Part III: Reclaiming the Planner’s Toolkit
Parts I and Part II of The Coriolis Effect explored how market-aligned tools like the pro forma have subtly—but powerfully—steered urban planning in...
By Erick Villagomez -
The Last Survivor of a Historic Streetscape
On a recent Saturday evening, while travelling westbound toward Parkdale on the 504 King streetcar, I noticed something was missing from the familiar...
By Peter MacCallum -
Book Review – Set Pieces: Architecture for the Performing Arts in Fifteen Fragments
By Diamond Schmitt Architects (Birkhäuser, 2024) In a media and cultural landscape shaped by screens, it may seem counterintuitive that live performance...
By Erick Villagomez -
OP-ED: Feeling the thermal comfort
Nathan Phillips Square is one of Toronto’s most iconic landmarks – its open plaza and the modernist curves of City Hall are fixtures in the city’s visual...
By Dorsa Jalalian, Kristina Reinders, Rong Yu -
Downtown in Transition: An Interview with Sean Bailey
As downtowns adapt to shifting work patterns and rising public expectations, planners and designers are being challenged to think beyond traditional...
By Erick Villagomez -
2025 Global Placemaking Summit comes to Toronto
Registration is open! Hundreds of placemaking leaders from around the world will gather in Toronto from June 8-11, 2025 to take part in the Global...
By Matthew Blackett -
111 Places in Vancouver That You Must Not Miss
Authors: Dave Doroghy & Graeme Menzies (Emons Verlag, 2023) Where did Harry Houdini hang out – literally? What do those secret stones hidden in...
By Sean Ruthen -
I Love These Streets. Come Walk with Me
Photos by Kayla Isomura Looking at my house fills me with a quiet joy. She is painted in turquoise with a bright yellow door. Vines gives her a winsome...
By Emilie K Adin -
Rising High, Falling Short: Social and Economic Division
Key Metrics Summary Building: A 40-story residential building constructed of a reinforced concrete frame with a curtain wall facade on a site without...
By Erick Villagomez -
UCS #43: Concord Pacific at the Comedy Club
See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related Readings: “Last...
By Urban Cartoon Syndicate -
S101S: What Is a Development Pro Forma—and Why Should You Care?
A development pro forma is one of the most important (yet often overlooked) tools in real estate and urban planning. Think of it as the financial...
By Erick Villagomez