Designing downtowns to avoid lemons

(originally published in the Toronto Sun) If they put Lululemon in your downtown, would you visit? City planners and business associations are asking questions like that, namely what mix of shops and services will entice people downtown. I found it heartening to learn that my own city, in conjunction with the local business association, is [...]

Trying not to repeat T.O.’s lakefront mistakes

(originally published in the Toronto Sun) When us 905ers think about waterfront development, we consider downtown Toronto an example of what not to do (recent improvements notwithstanding). The criticisms centre on three things: Big buildings that block lakeviews; Some butt-ugly buildings that distract from the nicer ones; and Lack of continuous public access. The waterfront [...]