Spacing

ICYMI - what Toronto parks need. Mayor Chow needs to make picking a new head her top priority. It should be an international search. She needs to wrangle the Andy Byford of parks and make it a reason to reelect her. Be the strong mayor here.

A walking tour of public art in the West Don Lands - Spacing Toronto This walking tour is published in conjunction with Spacing issue 71, which is focused on the waterfront. See also Sarah Mundangepfupfu’s article about public art on the waterfront in the print issue. ...

Explore the public art in the first community-scale comprehensive master art plan in Canada, in the West Donlands. In conjunction with her article in our upcoming Waterfront issue, Sarah Mundangepfupfu presents a walking tour of this public art. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

Parks, in Toronto, could be better, many have said so before, many will say so again, Spacing says so here. #sok14 h/t @alexbozikovic.bsky.social

This is an important piece by Fadi Masoud. Toronto public space needs a deep reset. Yet change can be made now.

Toronto Parks Need a Reboot - Spacing Toronto Recent Auditor General reports exposed deep-rooted inefficiencies and systemic issues in Toronto’s Parks & Recreation (P&R) Division. Despite these challenges, P&R is staffed by many dedicated public ...

As Toronto's parks department searches for a new general manager of Parks while facing criticism from the Auditor General, landscape architect Fadi Masoud offers proposals for how to revitalize Toronto's green spaces. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

Thanks for the catch - corrected.

Marking Lake Ontario’s lost shoreline - Spacing Toronto This article is published in conjunction with Spacing issue 71, which focuses on Toronto’s waterfront. The issue will be available shortly at the Spacing Store and other fine bookstores, and in subscr...

In conjunction with our upcoming issue themed around the waterfront, Chris Bateman from Heritage Toronto traces the history of Toronto's shoreline. The shoreline when Toronto was founded will soon be marked by a series of historical plaques. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

Supporting cycling as a meaningful method of transport "means not just building lanes, but ... training the next generation of mechanics, technicians, and community educators."

#Canada needs to officially recognize bicycle mechanics as a national occupation

#CyclingCanada #BikeToWork

The fight for #BikeTO is more than just bike lanes.

"Here in Toronto, we’re riding on a fragile assumption: that the people fixing our bikes and a growing fleet of complex e-bikes will always be around, available, and properly trained. That assumption does not hold up to scrutiny."

REID: The pedestrian blood sacrifice - Spacing Toronto In the early 2000s, I moved into a new condo building in the Garment District south-west of Queen and Spadina. The area had been mostly an employment area for decades, but thanks to the innovative “Ki...

1. Ask City to install traffic light

2. Hear traffic engineer explain why it “isn’t warranted” (not enough people using it)

3. Someone (or someone ELSE) is killed there

4. Traffic light finally installed

What @dylanreid.bsky.social calls the “Pedestrian Blood Sacrifice” in @spacing.bsky.social.

Fixing the Gap - Spacing Toronto Last week, Bike Share Toronto reported a record-breaking 980,000 rides in June. The most ever in a single month. Toronto is inching closer to a one-million-ride milestone, and it’s clear: people want ...

Canada needs to recognize bike mechanics as a profession (as many other nations already do) in order to support the green economy, says @lanrickbennett.bsky.social thttps://spacing.ca/toronto/2025/08/05/fixing-the-gap/

"...in a period when it feels like we’re adrift in a universe where political might has crushed any semblance of rational policy discourse, Cycle Toronto et al vs the Attorney General of Ontario et al feels like a balm — a moment showing that a strong argument can still win the day." 💪

Civic promise What Angelenos need right now, more than ever, is a commitment to the spaces that we share with each other

Instead of abandoning the public realm — which is what it feels like LA has done! — our leaders need to prioritize the places we can find community and confluence, solidarity and solace. The same places that, with a little more foresight, can also become our best defense to tackle those crises

Bike Lanes: 2 - Ford Nation: 0 - Spacing Toronto In an intriguing aside a third of the way into Justice Paul Schabas’ extraordinary decision (issued yesterday) in Toronto’s bike lane war with Premier Doug Ford, he reveals how, about a month ago, he ...

"The decision marks a huge victory, that will, I hope, drive a stake through the heart of the Tories’ nakedly partisan effort to brand itself as the anti-gridlock party." - @johnlorinc.bsky.social on the provincial court ruling in the bike lanes case. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

Bike Lanes: 2 - Ford Nation: 0 - Spacing Toronto In an intriguing aside a third of the way into Justice Paul Schabas’ extraordinary decision (issued yesterday) in Toronto’s bike lane war with Premier Doug Ford, he reveals how, about a month ago, he ...

#topoli #onpoli New from me in @spacing: Some reflections on @cycletoronto.bsky.social’s huge legal victory in the bike lane war with Ford Nation. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

Our fall issue, which we're working on now, is in fact about film and Toronto!

"the most relaxing way is a drift", says @shawnmicallef.bsky.social . Walk randomly! Make the city a little messy through your unpredictable route.

Each one of our issues wraps up with @shawnmicallef.bsky.social's flaneur column, where he shares the joy of exploration on foot. Anyone can do so, and in the Toronto Star he shares 6 tips - both practical and inspiring - for walking Toronto (gift link). www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Our upcoming issue (now at the printer) has a two page spread on entertaining fake history plaques. How delightful that Heritage Toronto has in fact got into the spirit with one of their actual plaques!

Rip the bandage off rapidly, please - Spacing Toronto There’s a glaring irony about the city’s messily disintegrating priority bus lane plan, which landed at executive committee yesterday accompanied by a half-hearted compromise. Not only is this scheme ...

With the city's RapidTO bus lane plan on life-support, the city and council need to find a better way to get complex policies out the door, writes @johnlorinc.bsky.social spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

They Brought Back the Don - Spacing Toronto In the coming weeks, Waterfront Toronto crews will remove the final plug in the new Lower Don, thereby allowing the river to finally flow naturally towards the harbour through the $1.25 billion flood ...

#TBT “They brought back the Don” @spacing.bsky.social @johnlorinc.bsky.social spacing.ca/toronto/2024...

New Exhibition Flush with Public Washroom Ideas - Spacing Toronto Modular toilets inspired by mushrooms? A place to go where you can also grab an espresso? Multicolour toilets that become landmarks in your neighbourhood? We recently asked designers and creative peop...

The TO the Loo! Toronto Toilet Design Challenge exhibition from the Toronto Public Space Committe reveals innovative solutions for Toronto. @carachellew.bsky.social and Car Martin discuss the new exhibition flush with public washroom ideas. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

What, me worry? Yes you should, mayor - Spacing Toronto In a sit-down Q&A with The Globe and Mail‘s editorial board published over the weekend, Mayor Olivia Chow swatted aside concerns about whether city council’s half-baked six-plex decision might imperil...

Mayor Olivia Chow failed to deliver a crucial housing reform at City Council yet is playing a dangerous game with Ottawa, writes senior editor John Lorinc.

spacing.ca/toronto/2025... #TOpoli #CDNpoli #ONpoli @johnlorinc.bsky.social

Paris reopens River Seine to public swimming after century-long ban About 1,000 swimmers a day will be allowed to use three bathing sites after €1.4bn clean-up programme

Can we create more lake swimming opportunities in Toronto? Our upcoming issue of Spacing themed around the waterfront will explore some innovative ideas for creating new swimming spaces, even in the harbour.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

You can get this full experience by buying a copy of Spacing at a local bookstore - or even better, getting a subscription and having it delivered to your door! All magazine content is print-only, not available online - so it's exclusive to print readers.

Canoeing a runway - Spacing Toronto At four years old, doodling with a crayon was how John Notten discovered his love for art. Today, at 62, the Toronto-based artist has never lost that element of joy in his work. It’s a quality showcas...

Want to go canoeing on an airport runway? Downsview's "Runway Rivers" interactive art installation highlights a lost history ahead of a new transformation - by Nathan Abraha. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

Our @spacingstore.bsky.social will be at the conference selling copies of "Messy Cities" - if you're at the conference, keep an eye out for our booth!

You can find out more about Toronto's Leaside airport - the first commercial airport in Toronto! - in Jeremy's article on the current issue of Spacing (Issue 70, "Civic Memories").

A really fantastic read by Sabat Ismail in @spacing.bsky.social

Cc: @cycletoronto.bsky.social @uoftcities.bsky.social @bikesky.social #BikeTO

Not sure, but suspicion would be nothing has been changed due to general sclerosis on the file. One might even ask whether it's time for street cart vending to be allowed across the entire amalgamated city, where suitable locations exist ...