Urban Design
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PODCAST: Spacing Radio 079, Is Toronto strangled by rules?
Toronto is often accused of being over-regulated. It’s a fair criticism. For example, photographer and urbanist commentator Dan Seljak tells us how...
By Spacing Radio -
LORINC: The Gordian Knot that is Toronto Island
In a city that loves to make, but not execute, plans and then overthink, but not solve, problems, there’s surely no better illustration of this...
By John Lorinc -
LORINC: The public space miracle of the moveable chair (redux)
In 1979, when the renowned American sociologist William (Holly) Whyte published The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces — which is, let’s face it, a...
By John Lorinc -
Op-Ed: Can green infrastructure thrive in high-density urban development?
Carolyn Whitzman is a senior research associate with the Canadian Urban Institute and Roy Brooke is the Executive Director of the Natural Assets...
By Guest Columnists -
Book launch of expanded and updated edition of Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto
Spacing’s senior editor and co-founder Shawn Micallef has expanded and updated his 2010 book Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto. The...
By Spacing -
LORINC: It’s time to talk about the Committee of Adjustment
The building pictured above — a three storey walk-up with five units — is located at the end of the block where I live. I’ve always thought of it as...
By John Lorinc -
Youth Design Jam for Downsview
Over a weekend in late March, teams of high school students gathered a conference centre in Toronto’s new Canary District for Design Jam, where they were...
By Nathan Abraha -
PODCAST: Spacing Radio 076, Time’s running out for accessible Ontario
In 2005, Ontario passed the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which made accessibility for all public establishments a legal...
By Spacing Radio -
OP-ED: Rethinking the role of Toronto’s Chief Planner
When Toronto last searched for a new Chief Planner, in 2017, we encouraged the City to look at planning, and planners, through the lens of human rights...
By Alan Broadbent and Elizabeth McIsaac -
How We Can Make Toronto More Pleasant, 1971-Style
Publications periodically like asking local leaders and celebrities for their advice on how they would improve their city. One good example was a feature...
By Jamie Bradburn -
Anatomy of a bus shelter removal
During the week of December 2, 2023, the City of Toronto removed a TTC transit shelter at Dundas Street East and Sherbourne Street, in Moss Park. The...
By Daysha Loppie -
Re-naming Yonge-Dundas Square
It’s not often that I strenuously disagree with Spacing editor Dylan Reid, but when I read “To Rename Yonge-Dundas Square, Let’s Follow the Process,” I...
By Cheryl Thompson