Planning for a New Toronto

Toronto Has Planning?
Link to City Website About Official Plan

"Toronto’s official plan is up for a mandated review in 2011, but it’s not yet clear whether the city plans to tweak the five-year-old document or pursue major changes....Some planning experts feel council should ditch the official plan and radically recast Toronto’s approach to growth. John Van Nostrand, founding principal with planning Alliance, says some of the world’s leading cities have abandoned “aspirational” OPs in favour of long-term strategic plans that identify major urban goals and lay out plans for achieving them."(Globe and Mail article from Feb 4:  What's Up With Toronto's Official Plan? )

What Toronto Looks Like From Space (BlogTO)

Ford's Critical 100 Year Decisions Toronto Star article by Paul Bedford, former City of Toronto Chief Planner "Is progressive city planning possible under Mayor Rob Ford and the current Toronto City Council?"..."After decades of inaction, Toronto urgently needs to get on with building transit of all types. Ford and the new council will be making 100-year decisions that will shape our future. Now is not the time to get cynical; the future success of Toronto and the region is far too important."

More Gridlock ?

Census Move Hurts Toronto Planning (CBC) talks about how federal moves to kill long form census affects local urban planning. There are numerous tools available to planners now, thanks to technology, like satellite images from space that give instant up to the minute maps with great detail. That should mean planning would benefit. BUT - the biggest obstacle to good, sensible planning is still PEOPLE.: Political partisanship, short term focus, turf wars, personality conflicts.

What is needed from this current Toronto City Council is VISION and COOPERATION. The things that individual councillors decide today will affect us for generations to come. Particularly in the area of TRANSIT, this is a watershed moment in the life of our city. We desperately need calm, cool and logical discussions and debates. At least locally,  the election campaign is over and the time for blame game rhetoric is over.

Let's hope City Council takes this message to heart when discussing long term planning. Because...

. Toronto Deserves Better from its political leaders.

DEVELOPMENTS:

* Update: Ryerson Wants Developer to Join Project Yonge-Dundas-Gerrard "...steering clear of an ambitious effort by the local councillor (Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam ) to create a high-minded plan for a rundown retail strip where fire destroyed a landmark heritage building last month."

* Update: Is Dundas West Ready for Eight Stories?  "Maple Leaf Lumber, at Dundas and Manning Avenue have applied to the City of Toronto to rezone the site, knock down the venerable building supply yard and put up a 98-unit, eight-storey condo tower, with eight four-storey townhouses on the back end where the lumber warehouse now stands. The building would have 62 underground parking spots. A preliminary report on the rezoning comes to Toronto and East York Community Council on Wednesday."

* Update: The Bloordale Pantry in Ward 18 at Lansdowne and Bloor at 1285 Bloor Street West used to be an establishment with a very long history that provided low cost meals for low income people and a place for them to gether an talk. It has now been successfully "GENTRIFIED"  Now when you go there, you'll see it is very upscale with trendy youth filling the place for creative dishes and yuppie talk. No more 'smelly old low income people' (see the link for the rabid comments about how most people think its a good thing those types have been forced out). Here is a BlogTO article about the place.

Gentrification and urban gentrification are terms referring to the socio-cultural displacement that results when wealthier people acquire property in low income and working class communities. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size decreases in the community, which sometimes results in the eviction of lower-income residents because of increased rents, house prices, and property taxes. This type of population change reduces industrial land use when it is redeveloped for commerce and housing. In addition, new businesses, catering to a more affluent base of consumers, tend to move into formerly blighted areas, further increasing the appeal to more affluent migrants and decreasing the accessibility to less wealthy natives. (Source: Wikipedia )

Question: Should urban city official planning take into account poor people, or is it all about creating a rich environment that caters only to those that have money?

* Update Feb 16: Rob Ford Pitches Private Financing Plan for Sheppard Subway Expansion "Mr. Ford’s staff submitted the proposal to the regional transportation authority, Metrolinx, on Tuesday as part of ongoing efforts to craft a successor to Transit City, the light-rail network Mr. Ford declared “over” the day he took office." Estimate: $3.6 billion versus the Sheppard Transit City LRT $1.1 billion

* Update: Feb 17 Councillors Approve Controversial Ravine Development "A plea by Bussin’s successor — Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon — to have the city oppose the development of a six-storey Kingston Rd. condo building — located on the Glen Davis Ravine — was shot down 6-5....Councillor Gord Perks, chair of the community council, said the city would get the “best outcome” on the issue if city legal and planning officials went to the OMB in support of the development — as they’d recommended — along with a list of 43 conditions that must be met to significantly improve the building....Councillor Janet Davis agreed with Perks, saying the property owner has a “right to develop the site and it is going to be developed.”

THE CONDOMIZATION OF TORONTO ?

* Update: Feb 17 Eye Weekly Hyping Condominiums in Toronto "Some 18,000 new condominium units were completed in the Greater Toronto Area last year, according to the market research firm Urbanation. Another 17,000 will pop up this year, and 20,000 will rise next year—meaning Toronto will have more condo units for sale than any other city on the continent"... Condominiums are most often marketted as the exclusive purview of the "Discriminating Few", for those with the right 'Lifestyle', glamorous and 'Exclusive'. In Mayor Rob Ford's Toronto business, they love that you can cram as many taxpayers vertically as possible.

Where Is Ward 18 Constituency Office?

New Councillors Face Obstacles Getting Up to Speed

Since City Council cut office budgets for councillors from $50,450 down to $30,000 I have noticed several innovative councikllors like Gord Perks and Josh Matlow looking into getting the okay to book space at Toronto Public Libraries as a way to be available to their constituents. No more centrally located, disabled access in ward constituency offices?

Look at Adam Giambrone's past expenses (public record) he paid about $800 a month for the Margueretta/College location.

What is Ana Bailao doing?
...

Online Tool to Follow Votes, Attendance, expenses:

Very nice to see: The public can look at the voting and attendence records of their councillors right HERE
(can also see campaign expenses)
...

Who Owns Constituency Files?

On another note, I've also heard and now see in the papers (CBC news) that they find literally empty offices with no records of issues dealt with by their predecessors.

I am sure that its not just Kristyn Wong-Tam who has found no help from former councillor Kyle Rae, or Mary Margaret McMahon who has gotten the cold shoulder from Sandra Bussin in the Beaches.

How many think NDPer Adam Giambrone left anything for Liberal Ana Bailao to find in her office?
*Update: rbmorra had tweeted to @Kristynwongtam This is rich when your EA (Kevin Beaulieu) did the same thing for the outgoing ward18 councillor (Adam Giambrone)
... Not sure if this is true as I think Kevin had to resign from being Adam's EA during the election. But I still suspect Adam pulled a Kyle Rae on Ana too.

Such materials should be designated as public records and protected!

UPDATE: COMMUNITY COUNCIL TO MEET JAN 18

Toronto and East York Community Council (includes ward18) will be meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 9:30 am at City Hall. This is where they consider and recommend on truly local issues like:
Parking, closing roads, liquor licences, special exemptions, rezoning, tree removals, etc etc

Whatever they do happens and some things are strongly recommended to city council and get passed.

*** For example, the hot button issue of Dundas Parking will be considered (Item T3.58)

They will also at this meeting decide on who will be on the varios BIA's (Like Spiro, the strip club owner,  for Bloordale Village)

Full details: agendas, committee membership, minutes, decisions can be found HERE

If you have something you want to suggest or bring up, this is the place to do it.

Truly effective democracies have local involvement between elections and not just during a campaign every 4 years.

Hey Ana Bailao - Take Note

Recurring Issues and Ramping Up for Change?

* PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: We should all be disturbed that being a pedestrian in Toronto can be a dangereous - and increasingly so - activity. SIXTEEN Pedestrians Hit Over Two Days - One of Them KILLED: http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101118/101118_hit?hub=CP24Home That pedestrian killed was a 50 year old woman at Dundas and Dupont ( http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/905077--pedestrian-struck-killed-near-dundas-and-dupont ). It angers me that every time the media report on this, the message seems to be blaming the pedestrian, not the rushing drivers that hit them. In a related Spacing story, the often quoted Sgt. Tim Burrow comments that the media are the ones that seem to blame pedestrians, not the police: http://spacingtoronto.ca/2010/11/19/sharing-responsibility-for-pedestrian-safety/ In a big city increasingly becoming car-centric and cyclist/pedestrian unfriendly, I fear things will get much worse. Despite having a 'Pedestrian Charter' and some inroads on building a sensible cucling structure, we now have to deal with the Ford agenda. Who will stand up for the people in ward 18, many of whom are like the rest of the city aging and slowing down ?

* METROLINX- ELECTRIC TRAINS ? Yes this is still an ongoing fight. It seems everyone does NOT want polutting diesel trains running through our ward (and others), yet it is still being rammed down our throats by the non-elected entity. http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/node/915#comment-2767 My fervent hope is that Ana doesn't take the expedient political manoeuver of saying - 'oh that's a provincial issue'... kind of hard when she is a Liberal and it is the Dalton McGuinty driven initiative at its core. I actually know of a resident who is considering moving away because of this. I suspect there are more. How exactly will Ana stand up for the people of ward 18 in this matter? (Better than the non-entity Tony Ruprecht, I hope)

* DAYCARE DILEMMA: Yes,. I know it's across the street from ward 18, but the city-run Dovercourt Child Care Centre just north of College Street gave notice it is quite suddenly closing in just 6 weeks. http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/895033--toronto-parents-angered-by-closing-of-city-run-daycare We all know that most families have two parents working to be able to afford living in the city, so this is an unacceptable hardship and a step backward for Toronto. In the past we've seen closings of daycars the other direction for ward 18 near High Park (unbelievable community complaints there were 'too many' daycares on the street). This needs to be dealt with FAST by incoming council. There is a great fear that the Rob Ford administration in its crusade against "the gravy train" will cut many city services... What will Ana Bailao do?

* VOICE OF RESIDENTS: Ana Bailao during the election campaign, like everyone else running, said that community-councillor relations and representing the voice of the ward to city hall (and not vice-versa) was a priority issue and promise. (Reconfirmed in today's Toronto Star article http://www.thestar.com/news/torontocouncil/article/895074--city-hall-rookies-2010-ana-bail-o ). Ana "plans to launch a community advisory board made up of residents who have a mix of ideas and a mix of experience, including local business people, planners and environmentalists". This was said in relation to local residents having a say in future development in ward 18 - but I hope she expands it to become an advisory panel on other issues, not just development. If there was one key thing that the people are looking for to be different in the ward, it is to be the exact opposite of Adam Giambrone when it comes to timely consultation with ALL the ward and allowing input to inform actions at council.

* Some recommendations for her 'Community Advisory Board": Frank de Jong (environmentalist); Please NOT Spiro Koumoudouros - Bloordale BIA and strip club owner (He is simply speculating on tons of properties in Bloor Lansdowne area); I don't klnow exactly who, but it would be nice to reach out to the NDPers... Kevin Beaulieu? ... at least, I hope all members live in the ward or have an active interest in it. What about Hema Vyas as someone who knows multiple cultural interests? And just what sort of mix of ideas is Ana looking for? Doug Carroll had some interesting things to say about city governance. There have also been many engaged people in the ward, like: Dyan Marie, Jack Fava, Sam Galati, Steve Barbosa, Kirk Russell, (and me)..... AND what about HIMY SYED who ran for mayor, is a Muslim, lives in the near area and is the most civic engaged person I have ever met with tons of knowledge and wisdom? How will she put such minds to work?

* DUNDAS PARKING RESTORATION: Again quoted in the above referenced Toronto Star article, Ana says that's the first thing she'll do on council. It shouldn't be hard, given Rob Ford's love affair with anything that involves individual motor vehicles. Yet, it is a double edged sword, since TRANSIT (TTC) is also an important issue for most of the ward. 41% of the work trips in ward 18 are by transit - an often reported statistic in profiles of the ward: http://torontoist.com/politics/ward18.php As well. pretty much all of the runnbers up in the election were in favour of 'Complete Streets' where we give equal weight to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, cars, transit, seniors, disabled, etc. How will Ana handle the TTC issues at council?

* POVERTY: In an article from the Hamilton Spectator about provincial (non) reponse to poverty issues, they said: " The City of Hamilton is tied with TORONTO for the highest poverty rate in Ontario, at 20 PER CENT of its population " Source: http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/277949--ten-things-queen-s-park-needs-to-know-about-hamilton-s-demographics Now whther that is accurate or not, we know that ONE THIRD of ward 18 residents live on less than $30,000 a year in our very expensive Toronto - and that many live below the poverty line on less than $12,000 a year. All you have to do to see the need is visit a Food Bank or see tha constant dire warnings that demand is outpacing supply. HUNGER, HOMELESSNESS, POVERTY, WORKING POOR do exist in ward 18, Ana. Despite the ongoing gentrification of our area and the rise of upscale yuppie-artsie boutiques and eateries, there is still those left behind. What will Ana do to respond to this?

* CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: So, I am wondering where Ana will locate her ward constituency office - if she has one. There is no requirement for councillors to do this, and in today's The Star article she says she "will hold weekly open office hours at community centres across the ward". Not a bad idea if she can do it and it is well publicized and equally rotating. I actually favour heving city-owned lodgings located in a central geographic area of the ward that is wheelchair/disabled accessible and close to public transit. (This stops politicians from favouring one part of the ward over another). But... rotating is good if equitably done.

Davenport Deserved Better - Did We Get It?
The NEW City Council meets December 6-7.
We shall see... If We Watch....

TRANSIT: AN ELECTION CORE ISSUE

"A DIZZYING ARRAY OF PROPOSALS" :

is how an excellent Inside Toronto editorial puts it: http://www.insidetorontovotes.ca/2010/09/editorial-putting-transit-debate-into-proper-perspective/

In the 40+ Mayoral debates (40 more to come?), and the ongoing media coverage of that top level position, as well as some of the local councillor races, TRANSIT/TTC is always a top issue.

In our ward 18, it boils down to just two local things, in my view:

1. SERVICE: The Better Way is not as better as it used to be, for one main cause:
Heavy traffic/gridlock: Despite incumbent councillor Giambrone's claims of "traffic calming" and providing residential streets that are safe for cyclists and pedestrians, we still see our roads as "freeways for people outside the ward" (as candidate Frank de Jong put it so well at the first debate). This ongoing situation not only pollutes our environment, it dramatically slows and interferes with public transit. Inconsistent service - short turning streetcars, construction delays messing with schedules and routes and generally poor customer service is what people experience. I saw somewhere that 46% of us rely on transit to get to and from work, a pretty high percentage that shows ward 18 needs good transit.

2. COST: Given that one third of our ward lives on incomes of less that $30,000 a year and that there are many low incomers with far less, the $3 per ride fee is an impediment for many. If we want to free up our roads, get people out of their cars, encourage healthy cycling and allow citizens to connect with the rest of Toronto - we need an AFFORDABLE TTC. (It is strange that the TTC has opened the door to reduced monthly TTC passes for students in only certain post-secondary education, yet does nothing for those on low income, disabled. Value and devalue citizens, I guess?)

The whole transit debate from the high level view - the city-wide and regional view - is something that the next Mayor, the full city council , the province and the federal government need to be involved in, not to mention expert urban planners and highly skilled transit gurus. Truly a 'dizzying array' or participants.

In another story in The Villager, it puts things in perspective: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/cityhall/article/877083--transit-city-remains-a-go Transit City is still a go; light rail along Sheppard by 2014; on Finch by 2019; along Eglinton by 2020; with a Scarborough Rapid Transit line by 2020. Things are proceeding, and all the noise we hear from mayoral candidates is just that. Nothing else approved or properly costed out.

In my view, candidates at local council levels should indicate their support generally of transit plans, but not be too specific. We need to remember that what is decided upon will be with us for decades and will involve a high cost, both in taxpayer dollars and construction disruption. Let's let the intelligent decisions evolve in the right forum. Subways or Light Rail? Underground freeways? Scrapping streetcars? This are big city-wide complicated issues that require rational debate after all the information is in. I get frustrated with the mayoral candidates who just throw numbers out without facts being checked. This is a bandwagon I don't want to jump on - and part of what makes it so hard for me to pick a mayor I would vote for.

IDEA: If we are really going to talk vision, how about researching and planning now for FREE TRANSIT within 25 years?

We need informed decisions, not desperate planning.... because...

DAVENPORT DESERVES BETTER !

* Update: TTC Chair Adam Giambrone back on YouTube video - this time its his TTC Chair video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1emO_zZTHAk

Report at: http://www.movingtransitforward.ca/ Lots of big plans without funding, it seems.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY : should be a main issue in this election.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/05/12/13919316.html

57 year old pedestrian hit by a van while crossing Dupont and Lansdowne.
He is the 24th pedestrian to be hurt this year and there have been fatalities as well.

Although Toronto has a Pedestrian Charter since 2002 (http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/walking/charter.htm) and has a Pedestrian Committee (http://www.toronto.ca/tpc/ ) it seems that the cycling groups have a stronger lobby at city hall and much of the decisions made about getting around in Toronto are centered on the car and transit.

Our city is growing much more dense: explosion of condominiums, multi-resident buildings compressed in areas with limited infrastructure - and we need to think about traffic gridlock as including innovations for ALL: pedestrians, cyclists, cars and public transit. A key element is also that we are an aging society and we need to think about our seniors and those with disabilities.