This week, NOW’s Mike Smith writes about TTC development: Other side of the tracks. He focuses on the idea of selling TTC land to developers, as a way of sprucing up its facilities.
In the case of Victoria Park, a planned $26 million rejuvenation of the station faà§ade will provide on-street access, widen pedestrian space, replace much concrete with glass, plant trees and — according to sketched — attract coffee drinking with purposeful strides
Smith also examines the negative by pointing that the development will bring a lot more people into the areas, which will change neighbourhoods and, in turn, affect pedestrian culture.
He expresses hope that TTC staff, planners and the public will be able to get together to iron these issues out:
Hopefully, the public will have a strong voice. In the case of Islington station, staff say the impending construction of an SNC-Lavalin office tower has accelerated the Six Points Interchange redevelopment, a plan controversial enough to have figured in the local election.
In contrast, there was extensive consultation on the Victoria Park development, largely because Councillor Davis pushed for the redesign.
“The TTC has said that public spaces matter to everyone, not just the wealthy,” she says.
Let’s hope there’s also space for public involvement, or the wealthy may still get first dibs.â€
A great article by Tabassum Siddiqui appeared in this week’s Eye Weekly. In Thinking About Tomorrow, Siddiqui writes about The Women Moving Forward program.
The Women Moving Forward program was initiated by the Jane-Finch centre’s program director, Wanda MacNevin, who had worked with teen mothers for over a decade and was interested in developing a new model to help young women become self-sufficient.
“This is a long-term program, not a short-term fix,” MacNevin explains. “More often, people are looking for a short-term plan to get off social assistance – they might take a temporary contract with no benefits, but then can’t get by, and it becomes a vicious cycle.”
The program works with low-income, unemployed single women aged 20 to 29. It was developed over two years through extensive research, focus groups with area mothers and social agencies, and an advisory committee made up of young women.
photo by CP/Steve White, from NOW
