Suburban sprawl has defined much of the last half century of North American development. Suburban design and use have changed continuously throughout this period and are still evolving as suburban retrofit projects become ever more common.
Planning
Slow Trains Mean More Planes and Automobiles
When it comes to high-speed rail in Canada, there is only one statistic that matters: Canada is currently the only G8 country to not have a high-speed rail network. For a dominion founded on a transcontinental railway (an incredible feat of engineering) and featuring a famous passenger train on the […]
Farmland Should Trump Plans for Pickering Airport
Residents opposing the Pickering airport have come to expect the unexpected. In their 40-plus years of struggle against a development many feel prioritizes business interests over prime agricultural farmland, the story has unfolded in fits and starts. Long periods of inactivity on the part of the federal government are punctuated […]
Gear up with AJ: How to Be a Bike Advocate
If you’ve rediscovered the thrill of cycling during Bike Month, or if you’re already committed to your bike, you may find yourself wondering how to promote cycling in your city. Like most countercultures, bike culture is deeply linked to activism. The easiest (and most fun) way to promote cycling is […]
New Conference Brings Ecology into the Urban Environment
OCAD University’s Faculty of Design is hosting their first ever Urban Ecologies conference on June 20th and 21st. This conference will examine how ecological approaches to design are shaping the future of our cities, focusing on five intersecting themes: information visualization, systems thinking, regenerative urbanism, urban health and community engagement.
Nuclear Hot Spots Map Shows Cumulative Effects
Ontarians may have no idea of the volume of nuclear-related facilities in the Great Lakes basin, but a new map offers a clear picture. The Great Lakes Nuclear Hot Spots Map recently created by Great Lakes United and the International Institute of Concern for Public Health is a comprehensive depiction […]
Beautiful Cities
WINNIPEG STARTED as a city that had a huge sense of the possibilities. The first people that arrived there were trying to attract the railroad, so they built grand railroad stations. They built beautiful Carnegie libraries and splendid boulevards with elegant tress. There was a sense that beauty had to […]
Looking South to Canada: Detroit, Politics and Environmental Consequences
Urban form is crucial to environmental outcomes including habitat, climate change and air quality. In compact cities with commerce and residential neighborhoods in close proximity, travel is reduced and people are more likely to walk, cycle or use transit when they do travel within the city. In sprawling cities automobiles […]
Highrise: Out My Window
In the spirit of taking a bit of time to step outside of my busy routine, I checked out Kat Cizek’s multi-award-winning, interactive NFB documentary project: Highrise. Our editor Eric interviewed Kat for the latest A\J and podcaster Emily had a conversation with her. I wanted to see Kat’s view […]
Municipalities Fight Government on Transit Cuts
Anyone reading the news recently has likely heard of the ongoing battle for long-term funding solutions for public transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and beyond. While the relatively unknown provincial transit agency Metrolinx has drawn up plenty of lines on maps, there is currently no money […]
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