Urban Design
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Adjusting the Committee of Adjustment
Blair Scorgie is a Toronto-based Registered Professional Planner and Urban Designer. He is the Managing Principal of Scorgie Planning, and a Sessional...
By Blair Scorgie -
In praise of ugly park trash bins
As Astral’s wretched street furniture deal limps towards its inevitable conclusion, Toronto’s litter bins are back in the news, although...
By John Lorinc -
To the Dogs
As far as pet owners are concerned, the big news that broke in 2025 is that there are now four times more pets in Canada than children under the age of...
By mariastanborough -
The winter of a thousand Januarys
After years of relatively mild winters, the darkest season is once again bringing sustained cold and abundant snow to Canadian cities. And if spring...
By Josh Fullan -
UCS #85: From the Icepick to the Drillbit
See our Launch and Introduction about the launch of the © Urban Cartoon Syndicate and the announcement by CityHallWatch. *** Related Readings...
By Erick Villagomez -
LORINC: The post-snowstorm sidewalk obstacle course
Does the City of Toronto see its network of sidewalks as transportation infrastructure? Officially, the answer is yes. Transportation services, the...
By John Lorinc -
PODCAST: Spacing Radio 92, Resolutions for Toronto leadership
The October 2026 Toronto election may seem like a long way off, but intentions to run have already been declared and campaign plans are well underway. So...
By Spacing Radio -
LORINC: Uncomfortable conversations about road safety
The city’s Vision Zero team released its 2025 data yesterday and the trend lines are encouraging: overall, the number of traffic-related deaths — 39...
By John Lorinc -
21st Century Road Allowances
Yvonne was in her early 40s, with short brown hair and a solid build. She was taller than my 5’ 5” frame, but when I met her she was seated on the steps...
By mariastanborough -
Who’s behind the deep-pocketed private equity firm that’s bought into Therme?
Back in the summer, Therme went public with a somewhat perplexing development in its corporate life — a €1 billion merger of its two, somewhat related...
By John Lorinc -
LORINC: Waymo aims to get a driverless foot in Toronto’s door
In the past few days, Toronto’s chronically testy conservation about mobility glommed onto the disappointing launch of the Finch West LRT (Line 6)...
By John Lorinc -
The Language of Uplift
In 2023, the Vancouver City Council recently adopted a motion titled “Uplifting the Downtown Eastside and Building Inclusive Communities that Work for All...
By Erick Villagomez