Spacing Saturday: Citizen’s Agora, Presto 2.0 and Sustainable Christmas Trees

Spacing Saturday highlights posts from across Spacing’s blog network in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and the Atlantic region.

Alanah Heffez reports on the outcomes of the Citizen’s Agora project, held last weekend, and what it speaks to in terms of the challenges of regional planning.

With winter arriving in force all across Canada, Alanah Heffez gives a few simple tips on how to enjoy the season in the city.

What’s the most green way to have a christmas tree? Heather Yundt examines of what types of christmas trees are most sustainable (the fresh ones from Canada or the re-usable ones from China) and the business involved in dealing with them.

Spacing profiles the new Centretown Community Design Plan with illustrative visuals and an interview with George Dark of Urban Strategies, one of the planners behind the comprehensive new plan.

Emma Feltes recaps the results of the 4Funds initiative in which participants were given one hour and $100 to make their community better. The group in Halifax installed a community board to beautify a derelict building and facilitate sharing of ideas, reflections and musings.

The Atlantic Snapshots series continues to showcase striking photography of maritime urban settings. This week the series featured Saint John and St John’s.

On the transit file, Jonathan Goldsbie breaks down Rob Ford’s claim that Transit City was never voted on in council by showing the various stages through which it was approved, while John Lorinc explores the issue of how Ford’s subway plan would further widen the TTC operating budget problems.

As part of the Head Space series, Spacing interviewed Ernie Wallace, Executive Director of the Presto transit smart card system to talk about Presto 2.0.

Photograph by John Talbot