Urban Design
-
GARDINER EAST: Using the rail corridor to crack the highway riddle
The Gardiner East Follies returns for yet another extended run at City Hall beginning on Tuesday morning, when city officials present three scenarios for...
By John Lorinc -
The mysterious case of the grave of Stella Vanzant
When little Stella Vanzant died of causes unknown some time in the early 1800s, her bereaved father interred the girl’s young body in a six by...
By Chris Bateman -
BACK TO SCHOOL: Why I use the city as a classroom
At this time of year, the signs abound. Colourful backpack displays have replaced the Slip-N-Slide demo at Walmart. And if you listened closely last week...
By Laurie Townshend -
What Philadelphia can teach Toronto about art, history, and public spaces
Among North American cities, few can boast the depth of history that’s on offer in Philadelphia. The compact downtown, plotted out by William Penn in the...
By John Lorinc -
Forgotten TTC architecture a reminder of nixed transit plans
Toronto is building the East Bayfront LRT. Well, sort of. This week, Metro News reported that the City of Toronto has set aside $2 million to “rough...
By Chris Bateman -
The two worlds of my Etobicoke
My childhood was spent surrounded by the Humber River and grocery stores. I live in Rexdale, where there’s not much to do and every reason to leave. For...
By Prajakta Dhopade -
Dead rail lines, lost streets, and more Toronto oddities
There’s a couple of new lofts at the southeast corner of Carlaw and Dundas. The courtyard between the two buildings curves elegantly south...
By Chris Bateman -
Unveiling the Bloor Viaduct’s Luminous Veil
At night, the Rosedale Ravine is dark. It’s so dark, in fact, that the Bloor Viaduct is just shapes overhead, cobwebby steel arches and thick square...
By Kat Eschner -
A dizzy history of revolving restaurants in Toronto
Nothing epitomizes space age urbanism quite like the revolving restaurant. Imagine sitting at the top of a modern skyscraper, the lights of the city...
By Chris Bateman -
A proud history of sidewalk superintendents in Toronto
Between 1931 and 1939, the construction at Rockefeller Center in New York City was a magnet for curious onlookers. America was mired in the depths of the...
By Chris Bateman -
Building the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension
The Toronto York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) is advancing towards completion in the Northwest end of the city. The project is now scheduled to open...
By Shoshanna Saxe -
First Canadian Place: 40 years on top in Toronto
First Canadian Place has been the tallest skyscraper in Canada for four decades now. At 298.1 metres from sidewalk to rooftop, the brilliant white tower...
By Chris Bateman