Ontario

Mayor Intent on Cutting Transit, Libraries, Affordable Housing

Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford keeps insisting that the city has plenty of "gravy" -- in the form of municipal services -- that can be cut from the budget; however, according to Jack Diamond "there is no gravy train."

August 2, 2011 - Globe and Mail

Urban Art Brightens Dull Sections of Toronto

A variety of unsanctioned urban art projects are scattered throughout Toronto, bringing life and energy to otherwise underused spaces.

July 28, 2011 - The Toronto Star

Toronto's Budget-Cutting Targets Transit

Consultants hired by the City of Toronto are recommending dramatic cuts to public transit, including contracting out some routes and eliminating a late-night bus service popular with shift workers.

July 21, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

Private Sector the First Stop in Public Project Fundraising

When Toronto City Councilor Kristyn Wong-Tam wanted to raise money for a street redesign project, she went directly to the private sector. They raised the money and recently released the master plan for their proposed street project.

July 13, 2011 - Globe and Mail

Park Under Toronto Freeway to Transform City

Construction has begun on a new park beneath a Toronto freeway overpass. The Toronto Star's Christopher Hume says the park will change the city forever.

June 9, 2011 - The Toronto Star

Fixing "A Hole in the Urban Fabric"

That's how Christopher Hume describes the Toronto area that will soon be Underpass Park, a mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood for 6,000 people.

June 8, 2011 - The Toronto Star

Would You Like a Latte With That?

Toronto's new Presto smartcard for transit riders may soon allow you to pay for your parking and a coffee as well, according to Gary McNeil, president of GO Transit.

June 7, 2011 - The Toronto Star

Mobility Lacking in Toronto

Toronto's lack of focus on transportation planning and the absence of a national strategy for mobility is turning the city into a messy gridlock, according to this column.

June 2, 2011 - Globe and Mail

The Town That Hugged New Urbanism

Sharon McMillan explains how her town - Unionville, Ontario - gave New Urbanism "a great big hug" back in the 1970s, and has benefited ever since.

May 28, 2011 - New Urban Network

REVIEW: Ken Greenberg's Walking Home

Urban designer and architect Ken Greenberg writes "an eloquent, personal, compelling and persuasive argument for more enlightened city-building," says Michael Dudley in this review of Greenberg's new book [...]

May 26, 2011 - Michael Dudley

A City of Healthy and Unhealthy Neighborhoods

The dividing lines in the cities of today are not so much about neighborhoods, but rather the relative health of those neighborhoods, according to this piece from The Globe and Mail.

May 19, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

Toronto Tries Bike Sharing Again

After a first attempt fizzled in 2007, Toronto is launching a new bike sharing system.

May 6, 2011 - Urban Toronto

Beauty and the City

Architects and urbanists gathered in the city Jane Jacobs made her home to ask, "What makes a beautiful city?"

April 22, 2011 - Azure

Mississauga's "Priority Neighbourhoods" Targets Suburban Poverty

With poverty indicators rising in suburban areas, Mississauga is looking to emulate Toronto's controversial "priority neighbourhoods" strategy to improve access to services.

April 20, 2011 - Globe and Mail

How Will Toronto Pay for a $4 Billion Subway?

Toronto's recently elected Mayor Rob Ford has announced that Toronto will build a subway extension -- but nobody knows where the $4 billion needed to build it will come from.

April 3, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

The Architecture of Openness

Critic Christopher Hume says that "an architecture of openness" is overtaking Toronto, foregoing individual personality for a greater sense of community and connectivity.

March 31, 2011 - The Toronto Star

"Podiumism" and it's Discontents

Developer Brad Lamb is cranky about urban planners' insistence on building tall buildings on podiums that meet the street, then taper off in the Vancouver style to let in light and views.

March 26, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

Suburbs Left Out of Toronto Transit Plan

Critics in Toronto are blasting a new transit plan from Mayor Rob Ford that they say overlooks the city's suburban areas.

March 10, 2011 - The Toronto Star

Toronto's Concrete City Hall, and its Concrete Furniture

Toronto's City Hall is a massive concrete structure. Oddly, so was all its furniture, which was included with the original design. 99% Invisible looks at this unconventional design choice, and the legacy of that furniture.

March 5, 2011 - 99% Invisible

Attacking the Setbacks of Suburbia

Canada's suburbs don't have to be a problem, according to architect Drew Adams, who proposes a plan to densify them by developing unused space.

March 2, 2011 - The Toronto Star

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.