Dorian Moore, FAIA

#NYC I’ve always been intrigued by the existing median spaces along Broadway as public space.

Why would people want to sit there?

I’ve noticed in my travels to New York that they seem to always be in use.

#todayspublicspace #urbanobservations

Pedestrians now walk 15% faster and linger less in city public spaces, researchers find City life is often described as "fast-paced." A new study suggests that's more true than ever.

Walking and hanging in urban public spaces. A new study shows we are doing it less. Pedestrians now walk 15% faster and linger less in city public spaces, researchers find.
Why?
phys.org/news/2025-07...

In truly successful community-building, housing is codependent with local amenities. Housing without amenities within a reasonable walking or rolling distance is draining, physically and $. That’s how we get lifeless suburbia, and also, undervalued urban neighbourhoods.

Both/and, not either/or.

The power of trees. In the open landscape a parallel pathway of trees is known as an allee. Ive started to contemplate the impact of the urban equivalent on the pedestrian experience. A double row of trees provides enclosure, shade, and directionality; all requisite elements for a pleasurable walk.

Montreal wants to build dense, walkable neighbourhoods. Can it deliver? | CBC News Montreal is planning dense, walkable neighbourhoods to tackle the housing and climate crises, but the plans face delays, rising costs and resistance. Major projects like Bridge-Bonaventure aim to tran...

Montreal is thinking big about building new urban districts. Can from-scratch urban areas work? What are the attributes that will make them work?
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Market St,Toronto. Car-free, it transforms into vibrant dining & strolling space, supporting local restaurants & social interaction. Sloped design links street levels, creating a pedestrian place out of car dominated space. Streets can be more than car routes! #urbanismasawayoflife #imagesofTO

#imagesofTO

#fontsandthecity Toronto edition.

Love this font in the concourse of the Scotiabank Arena especially the stylized ‘N’, ‘S’, and ‘A’ ( which shares an underlying form with the N).

I’m always on the lookout for ‘new’ old fonts.

This one’s great!

#imagesofTO

TD (Toronto Dominion) Center.
While many focus on the horizontality of the open space here, I’m always more intrigued by the vertical striations of the building exteriors that pull the eye upward. It’s there that the visual interest of the architect is revealed.

#todayspublicspace

Visited #GraffitiAlley in Toronto yesterday. A must see. An enjoyable visual cacophony.

Tags, murals, characters, messages, layers upon layers. Some walls are political, others playful, all raw and creative.

It’s an ever-evolving outdoor gallery.

Creating place out of space.

Very cool.

Ekistics: the study of human settlement.
I found this book years ago in a used shop—dense with maps and insights. I revisit it often.
Understanding how and why settlement patterns form is essential context for urbanists shaping what comes next.
#urbandesign #citybuilding #todaysmap

The design of our public spaces impacts health. Access to public space and the ability to use it for purposes from contemplation to recreation is vital.

From fitness, physical and mental, to health and susceptibility to disease, Urban Design matters!

I am skeptical of these kinds of reports. As someone who lives on the border between Windsor and detroit, the reality of that seems dubious to me. There has to be more to it than just visiting the US on a Visa. I think this needs to be investigated a little bit further.

This #mediumscalemediumdensity residential building. It’s composed of various interesting “moments” and details.

This low-mid rise type(3-5 stories, 6-35 units, renovation or new), has been either #zonedoutofexistence OR suffered #deathbyproforma.

It’s time to revive this much needed type.

Main Street, Huntsville 🇨🇦 #todaysmainstreet
Evolving from cottage to condo country—locals say change is underway. There’s life and fabric here, but can it evolve beyond tourism? A real test of small-town urbanism, like so many main streets I’ve studied—big city avenue or tourist town strip.

The other day on my walk I noticed this charming little exterior space adjacent to the historic old town hall. Intimate, yet open, secluded yet accessible.
It’s one of those little urban moments that you can’t always plan for, but should always accommodate for.
#todayspublicspace #walkerville

Chillin’ outside of the Bruges Tower. A place for respite, a place for waiting.

The accommodation of seating at buildings, in shade, is one of those little details that make for a delightful urban find. A place to meet, a place to gaze. A place to take in the urban environs.

#urbanobservations

Simple principles can lead to outstanding urbanism.

Materials, scale, simplicity, colour, view, informality…all can lead to a rich urban environment.

Too often we try too hard to create visual interest with our buildings and streetscapes, to the detriment of the environs.

#urbanobservations

Based on Rewatchability. In order:
Civil War
Infinity War
Winter Soldier
Age of Ultron (much better on a second viewing)

Are public pools still a thing? I drove past a former one—now a substation—and started thinking. With the latest heatwave, their value is clear. But, many in NA have become splash pads, consolidated into large single sites, or residents-only, making access harder for many. #urbanobservations

Analog Design. #designdiversion
Passed an old electronics shop I’ve seen countless times—this time, I stopped. Turntables, radios, tape decks… relics of a tactile design era. In streamlining design, have we lost joy? Replaced richness with minimalism? Are we better off—or just more efficient?

Awesome. Edinburgh is such a great city! Enjoy!

Density…doubled! It’s not rocket surgery!

#duplexes #multifamily #semidetached #urbanobservations

As #MissingMiddle risks becoming a buzzword, let’s not forget its core: appropriately scaled, neighborhood-friendly housing. Dan Palorek’s diagram + a Windsor, Canada example show what has existed in many NA cities. It couldn’t be more clear. The challenge? Accepting simple, proven solutions.

#todaysmainstreet

What makes a good Main Street? This article looks at 10 exemplars, looking beyond the typical design issues of scale and aesthetic.

www.worldatlas.com/cities/10-rh...

249 years ago The United States were formed via a declaration of independence from Britain.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! #independenceday2025

Between #CanadaDay and #IndependenceDay, I reflect on Detroit & Windsor—two cities divided by a river, yet deeply connected. Not a border, but a seam. Shared pasts, linked futures. There’s so much to learn from each other—if we choose dialogue over distance. #bordercities #freedomfestival2025

Trains—my favorite way to travel. Railways reshaped speed, scale, and societies. Their impact is seen in maps, a key tool of rail’s rise since the 1800s.

A History of Railways in 100 Maps explores this story through freight, passenger, and cartography.

#todaysmap

thecritic.co.uk/the-lines-th...

I know. I keep watching over and over.

But hopefully not the way back from the bar.😒

Zumthor’s work is an interesting example of concrete that creates humane spaces, as opposed to cold spaces.