Saturday, October 31, 2009

City Fabric: Outlier

"Tailored performance clothing for cycling in the city"

New York-based OUTLIER is a brand aimed at the urban dweller concerned about classically tailored garments made with the best technical fabrics around. They focus on producing clothing that works from the bike to the boardroom.

Outlier strives to create that timeless look that will work well tomorrow and for seasons down the road.

Campus Walk: York University

The Ross Building's framed gateway which beyond it reveals a courtyard

The Ross Building is an example of what 1960s and 70s architecture looked like and has been criticized as looking like slabs of concrete piled on top of each other. It has a charm to it, doesn't it? Walking around campus, you will notice the several different architectural styles it employs based on the era the particular building was built.

After this enjoyable autumn stroll, expect me to elaborate on the University's architectural styles in the coming weeks.

I think I'm going to need a better camera.

Markham's Sustainability Fair

Last weekend I attended the Town of Markham's first ever Sustainability Fair.

This call was answered by the Town's residents, councillors and other notable municipal figures. Through their Green Print sustainable plan, Markham intends on becoming a municipal leader by encouraging social well-being, a flourishing culture, economic success and a healthy environment. More importantly, they stressed the need for residents to get involved to develop a long term plan for these healthy sustainable communities. Markham's overarching goal is for the individual resident to reach his or her's full potential living in the Town.

Being held on the International Day for Climate Change, Markham made explicit their concerns with the changing climate, and how its infrastructure can cope with these changes.

McGill University's
Dr. Avi Friedman (also one of *Wallpaper Magazine's 10 people “most likely to change the way we live”) spoke on sustainability and what can be done in Markham to enhance the Town's connectivity and contribute to the health of the residents. His theme - and what has been the theme of the week - is that collectively, we have lost our way. Friedmann got nostalgic and stressed the need to revert back to the old ways of living where markets would come to the people, living in bi-generational neighbouhoods, and town squares built for neighbours to congregate all contribute to our social network.

"Communities are about social networks - not housing." - Avi Friedman

This inspiring speech was what Markham needed to get started on creating a sustainability plan. Small group activities followed, allowing for Town staff and residents to collaborate and voice their concerns in a constructive manner on various topics (such as water conservation, social equity and so on). This was the first of several meetings to develop the Green Print so stay tuned!

Top 5 Comic Book Cities

AJ Top Five: Comic Book Cities from The Architects' Journal on Vimeo.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Making Sense of Place



Making Sense of Place is a documentary film and educational outreach project launched by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The first film, Phoenix: The Urban Desert examined explosive, dispersed growth in the booming Southwest metropolis and the practical and environmental issues that have accompanied. The second film, Cleveland: Confronting Decline in an American City, traces urban decay, and efforts at revitalization, in what was once America's 5th largest city.

Recently, Portland: Quest for the Livable City was released exploring innovation and conflict about growth and land use regulation in the self-proclaimed "City that Works" Portland, Oregon.

For you city joggers out there

Adaptation is the best footwear.


Guess you won't be needing those Louis Vuittons with the red bottoms anymore.

See what I mean here

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Tweet tweet!

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Urban Inspirations: Marwan Rechmaoui


"Beirut Caoutchouc" 2004 - 2008 - engraved rubber
3 x 825 x 675 cm


Sheldon Levy on The Agenda

"... As we build the university, we have a responsibility to our neighbourhood."


Ryerson University President, Sheldon Levy shares his energetic plans and discusses the University's relationship to the City and its surrounding community.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Best in Shoe* Nike Air Max 90s


Introduced in 1990, this model in the Air Max series were designed with a large visible Air unit and greater stability and cushioning than the previous models. Almost 20 years and hundreds of colourways later, the Nike Air Max is not only still highly sought-after, but a great way to get around your city with comfort.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, Its Prospects


Reading this bit by bit.

From Amazon.com

Lewis Mumford's massive historical study brings together a wide array of evidence--from the earliest group habitats to medieval towns to the modern centers of commerce (as well as dozens of black-and-white illustrations)--to show how the urban form has changed throughout human civilization. His tone is ultimately somewhat pessimistic: Mumford was deeply concerned with what he viewed as the dehumanizing aspects of the metropolitan trend, which he deemed "a world of professional illusionists and their credulous victims." (In another typically unrestrained criticism, he dubbed the Pentagon a Bronze Age monument to humanity's basest impulses, as well as an "effete and worthless baroque conceit.") Mumford hoped for a rediscovery of urban principles that emphasized humanity's organic relationship to its environment. The City in History remains a powerfully influential work, one that has shaped the agendas of urban planners, sociologists, and social critics since its publication in the 1960s.

The success of this book spawned 6 documentaries based on material from the book and prepared by Mumford himself. The various parts include: The City: Heaven and Hell, The City: Cars Or People, The City And Its Region, The Heart of the city, The City As Man’s Home and The City and the Future.

The Toll Debate continues...

"...this is Toronto, don't forget, and ideas like road tolls can mean only one thing – a 'war on the car.'"

As the congestion problem persists in the GTA, attention towards tolling Toronto roads has been addressed again. This solution has been seen as a success in other cities but will it work for Toronto streets?

The Star's Christopher Hume discusses...

Friday, October 23, 2009

PublicART: Watertable

Saw this in the Globe and Mail yesterday but didn't get around to posting it.

Photo: Ryan Enn Hughes for The Globe and Mail

Watertable is a new media sculpture that uses the architecture of the Gardiner Expressway to echo the natural condition of the site when it marked the water’s edge in the early days of the city’s history.

Winners of the 2005 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, Lisa Steele and Kim Tomczak developed Watertable as part of an International open competition held in 2007.

Watertable is a lighting and audio installation that will create the look and sound of moving water: undulating LED lights accompanied by the sound of lake waves will respond to current wind conditions at the site. This will be the first new media artwork in the City of Toronto’s permanent Public Art Collection.

Watertable was unvieled on October 21st, 2009 and not only creates a landmark underneath the cold ruins of the Gardiner, but also connects the city with the waterfront. It isn't in a very human-scale (see above photo) but for a space like this, if it wasn't larger than life, then the space would lose its atmospheric essence for even those in cars passing by.

For a site which has had the reputation to be relatively grey and dominated by the automobile, this is a step in the right direction for all the underutilized public space found beneath the Gardiner. Let's hope this trend continues.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Event: Sustainability Fair

Sustainability Fair
Saturday, October 24, 2009
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Markham Civic Centre, Great Hall
101 Town Centre Blvd



The Town of Markham is set to have its first-ever Sustainability Fair this Saturday October 24th. It's about time an event like this take place as the Town has gone through exponential growth in the last decade with the emerging Downtown Markham development and residential communities such as Bur Oak and Boxgrove. With this growth, the town looks toward managing its future and requires citizen input.

The Fair will feature interactive booths, discussions and activities which showcase and arouse interest in Markham's plans to becoming a more sustainable community - socially, economically, environmentally and culturally.

"What do YOU think Markham should look like in 10 years? 50 years? 100 years?" ask organizers. Participation from residents and concerned citizens will go towards developing a shared community vision, ensuring long term sustainability.

For more information click here.

TO Name the Lane


Taking a page from Vancouver and Calgary plans, Toronto is looking towards integrating lanes and alleyways into the fabric of the city.

Outlined in this article, there are several benefits of incorporating these peripheral spaces into the city including intensification, contributing to safety and security, and celebrating local history.


Urban Inspirations: Grace Grothaus


"Urban Organic I" 2004 - steel, leaves, acrylic, each panel 2'x2'x3" triptych

Planetizen App for iPhone & iPod Touch

Offering up to date news on urban planning, design and development, editorials and featured blogs, the Planetizen Application for the iPhone/iPod Touch is the App that contributes to connecting and exchanging planning ideas on-the-go.


Created by Urban Insight, the Planetizen App is capable to:

- Access the latest articles, op-eds and features of the day
- View source articles without opening a browser
- Access the latest job listings

Planetizen (www.planetizen.com) is the nation's most popular information exchange for the urban planning, design and development community.

On that note, the iPhone/iPod Touch has undoubtedly changed the way people operate and interact with their environment. Appropriately, Planetizen's Robert Goodspeed blogs about the iPhone's usefulness within the urban realm.

Janette Sadik-Khan speaks at the Canadian Urban Institute

New public plaza, formerly a parking lot (Photo: New York City Department of Transportation)

Going through my Spacing Radio podcasts during my commute to school, I heard an interesting and inspiring speech from Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City's Commissioner of Transportation. She was in Toronto earlier this year to speak about the transformation of her City's public space.

She outlines her progressive plan which contributes to the convenience and safety of citizens, while creating a sense of place. The plan aims at making a more people-focused New York - even if it means taking space away from cars.

Listen here.

More reading material found at the New York City DOT