By Dylan Reid
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REID: Dissecting the pedestrian countdown
The most important thing to realize about the pedestrian countdown signal is that it is only relevant to people who start crossing after the...
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Book Review: Toronto Then and Now
Toronto Then and Now is an elegant, large-format coffee table book that highlights the past and present of some of Toronto’s most interesting...
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REID: Is there (sometimes) induced demand in housing?
A recent study divided U.S. cities into “expensive” and “expansive” categories when it comes to housing. The high cost of housing...
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Book Review – How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City
Walking was the primary way that people got around cities from the time cities first emerged until the 20th century. But, argues Joan DeJean in her book...
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The signal distance factor — safe crossing “deserts”
Pedestrians are often accused of putting themselves in danger by crossing wide, fast streets at locations where there is no traffic signal. But in many...
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The curious origin of the original low-floor streetcar
Toronto is in the (unexpectedly slow) process of getting new low-floor streetcars. The goal of these new cars is accessibility — they can be used by...
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Grow Op: Urbanism, Landscape & Contemporary Art
It’s spring in the city, and what better way to get in the mood for the new season in Toronto than checking out an exhibit that combines cities...
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Do you have to shovel your sidewalk?
In the City of Toronto, the city will clear some local sidewalks when it snows a certain amount, but other people are required to shovel their sidewalk...
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How about food bikes?
This spring, I was fortunate to be able to spend a few days in Paris. The city is in the midst of trying to reclaim the banks of the Seine river as public...
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Getting inspired by public space
It was great to see 200 talented young people in their twenties and thirties gathered together to talk about public space. Earlier this month, I was...
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Balancing vibrancy and accessibility: new rules for sidewalk patios
In the current issue of Spacing, I mention sidewalk patios as an example of the dual role of sidewalks, as both a place and a corridor. Patios can have a...
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Awe in the city
The study of awe — the kind of jaw-dropping experience that makes you recalibrate your understanding of the world — originated with natural phenomena...