My piece on Toronto schools and what should happen to them: keep them public (and if they are sold, sell them smart). theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto…
These places have important public functions and government should figure out a way to maintain them 2/
News: the board’s real estate agency says they may have six or seven big sites for redevelopment. They floated this apparently theoretical proposal for 1 Danforth Ave. 3/
This is that site. One of the easiest targets, in a political sense, in the whole system, but the building is a masterpiece. 4/
The city agency @_CreateTO should take over this work. It will require creative and ambitious development to take care of these places. 5/
Finally: many of these buildings have been allowed to crumble for 20 years (cc @Fix_Our_Schools) But many of them are important. This situation requires expert architectural and heritage advice. instagram.com/p/CB1kKMfAuvQ/… 6/
Here is another plan TLC shared. It is for @YORKMEMO_TDSB. A complete demolition of the school and most of the civic building next door; community centre; and townhouses. Maximal loss of public space and heritage; small financial return; low density next to transit. 7/
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The First Parliament site is back in the Toronto news, so here’s a thread on be competing plans. 1/
Here’s the latest version that the province has flooded. The site to the north is currently a big box and car dealerships. The First Parliament site is to the south. 2/
The provincial plan (left), shows two buildings with larger footprints. The one to the west would have a library facing the park. City (right), smaller footprints. 3/
Here’s the city of Toronto, without anyone much noticing, banning tall buildings in most of its eastern downtown. Max heights mostly 30m or less. 1/ app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…#topoli
This very consequential policy was finished through public consultation that attracted fewer than 300 people, total. 2/
This is profoundly bad policy in terms of economic development, efficient use of infrastructure, housing supply, climate resilience. 3/
A New Urbanist development in Ontario: Replacing a farmers’ field to build homes for retirees who will drive everywhere. theglobeandmail.com/business/indus…
This looks like it will be marginally better than the usual sprawl. But even in this drawing you can see it’s on the edge of farmland. 2/
“People should be able to take care of their ordinary needs within walking distance,” says Andres Duany 3/
Crucial point about what's happening: big pools of capital are buying old (often decrepit) buildings and pushing hard for higher rents and new tenancies
This is totally different from *building* new housing, which is what developers often get called out for.
“Cities are places of opportunity and cohesion, and people want to live there. Yet our planning and politics make this far too difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic is the moment to change that.” My piece @globeandmail: theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl… 1/
Cities aren’t dead. More of us should live there. 2/
Our society has experienced dramatic demographic changes, and planning policy isn’t catching up. 3/