Parks
-
REID: Some interesting public furniture in Russia
I recently returned from a trip to several cities in Russia, and wanted to share some interesting public space furniture ideas I encountered. Many Russian...
By Dylan Reid -
A modest proposal: An archeology park for downtown Toronto
Urban archaeology is a process that allows us to imagine the past in a very concrete way. And that imagining, even based on the smallest of artifacts...
By Michael McClelland -
LORINC: Rob Ford drove his reputation into the ground
On October 2, 2013 – exactly, as it happens, four years ago today – a certain Detective Constable Khoshbooi, of the Toronto Police Service, swore an...
By John Lorinc -
LORINC: When “Friends of” park groups aren’t so friendly to outsiders
My inbox has been filling up all summer and into this balmy fall with the righteous indignation of two well-heeled neighbourhood groups whose members...
By John Lorinc -
Design for reconciliation: The Indigenous Place Making Council reclaims public space for First Nations
“When Rita Joe first come to the city, she told me … the cement made her feet hurt.” The last line of George Ryga’s landmark 1969 play The Ecstasy...
By Sarah B. Hood -
Mapping the flood vulnerability of the Toronto Islands
The recent inundation of the Toronto Islands has been a shocking reminder of their vulnerability. This spring saw the worst flooding in years due to some...
By James Steenberg -
The story of the Toronto Island’s modern architecture
When the flood water on the Toronto Island eventually recedes it will reveal a damaged and possibly forever altered landscape. For the first time in...
By Chris Bateman -
LORINC: Why a Patrick Brown government will target Greenbelt and Metrolinx
At this stage of the game, it would be foolish to depict Raymond Cho’s by-election victory for the Tories last week as a harbinger of anything in...
By John Lorinc -
How to get it right with the Rail Deck Park
In the last few weeks, City officials made a preliminary announcement about a new “Railway Deck Park” for downtown Toronto. This much-needed initiative...
By Robert Wright -
This private patio is supposed to be public space
First let me say this: I love patios. The wind in your hair, the sun on your face, the hot waft of a garbage trunk barreling down the street. It’s all...
By Jake Tobin Garrett -
Toronto’s Summerville pool is a slice of the Mediterranean
It’s easy to overlook the Donald D. Summerville Olympic Pools. Despite its sturdy presence on Lake Shore Boulevard East, the futuristic elevated...
By Chris Bateman -
LORINC: The Rail Deck Park considered
About two years ago, deputy city manager John Livey, Toronto’s top planner, realized the strategy of creating pocket parks and little private plazas...
By John Lorinc