Good News! The long awaited Confederation GO station is now complete, and service will start on October 27th. There will be 13 weekday trips and 15 weekend trips serving the station once open. All existing Niagara trains will stop at the station, and some trips will be extended from West Harbour

Fringe? On a building?! Yes! And it sways calmingly in the wind. . Designed to evoke a dancer’s shawl, in part by Indigenous Architecture firm Two Row, this is the new Indigenous Health Centre operated by Anishnawbe Health Toronto.

A former expressway. Now a place for an evening stroll. Nighttime on the Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul.

To recap: - community action; - a plan made; - industrial lands remediated; - a river moved; - an island made; - lands made green & nature returns; - Indigenous people named the island; - a bridge built & floated into place; - art & culture floats down the river. . ✨Some dream level stuff! ✨

I was there yesterday. There is also a'clicking noise component to it also, when there is a gentle breeze blowing as there was then. A building with a fringe on it! How wonderful!

Felt moved, joy & pride. All at the same time. The beautiful.. flotilla(?) of canoes travels along newly moved Don River. Part of A Lake Story by Melissa McGill put on by @thebentway.bsky.social. In the background is Ookwemin Minising, & the (morning misty) Toronto skyline behind it.

Fringe? On a building?! Yes! And it sways calmingly in the wind. . Designed to evoke a dancer’s shawl, in part by Indigenous Architecture firm Two Row, this is the new Indigenous Health Centre operated by Anishnawbe Health Toronto.

Genuine question: if the issue with speed cameras is a perception that they are (an easy to avoid) tax grab, then perhaps the solution is license suspensions instead of fines? Idk. A thought.

I have been driving for 20 years and never once got a speeding ticket. Speed cameras work, they save lives, you can very easily avoid fines by driving like a normal person. Most people know this, too. That's why they're popular.

#DYK that if a person cycling is struck by a driver travelling 50 km/h, their chance of survival is only 10%? Whether you’re a new or experienced driver, always drive carefully around vulnerable road users. 🚴 Find #RoadSafety tips at toronto.ca/WatchforBikes.

I’m 6’4”, 190lbs (193cm, 80kg). I’m big. . I comfortably drove the hatchback on the left. I wish the vehicle on the right didn’t exist.

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities – for bees! 🐝 Did you know more than 360 species of bees call Toronto home? These mighty pollinators need our help. Apply for a PollinateTO grant today: www.toronto.ca/services-pay...

Congratulations to all the 2025 TUDA winners. It was a wonderful event put on by Urban Design staff to recognize design excellence in the city. Browse the Jury Report for an inspiring collection of projects. www.toronto.ca/city-governm...

Big News! The Toronto Society of Architects is now doing architecture boat tours! I got to ride along for the first one this weekend. Details at torontosocietyofarchitects.ca/events/

Discussed the weekend with a barista this morning. Places we’ll be headed to: - Little Norway Park - Little Malta - Greektown - Koreatown. Toronto’s motto “Diversity Our Strength” came to mind… It really is great to have all these communities nearby.

St Thomas Elevated Park - transforming the railway bridge into public park and offering unique views, and pedestrian and cycling experience.

Protected construction detour lane for cyclists … nicely done!

Ugh! “Autonomous vehicles, which offer privacy and service consistency that ride-hail cannot, could turbocharge the number of cars on the road, making a mess of urban streets. (Waymo did not comment on the record for this story, and Zoox and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.)” - DZ

Downtown Toronto walking tour with the Society of South Asian Architects.

Sometimes you’re just walking home & run into @jasonthorne.bsky.social participating in a South Asian Society of Architects walking tour. Led by Urban Designers Nasim Adab & James Parakh, it focused on small scale public realm, as well as process. Lots of questions about local process.

The winners of the 35th Toronto Urban Design Awards have been announced.

The Toronto Urban Design Awards honoured community builders, Indigenous place makers, beautiful bridges, parks, & great buildings. I’m thrilled 90 Dunn House, which I led the Planning of, was honoured. Problem with a great event, w friends & colleagues, is to get home & realise I only took 1 photo!

City of Toronto to honour the 2025 Toronto Urban Design Awards winners News release: www.toronto.ca/news/city-of...

“As for it being a “tax grab,” it’s the easiest tax in the world to legally evade: don’t speed.” . I’m against maiming & killing. So personally I’m for speed cameras, safer street design, stricter vehicle design (e.g. hood height limits, weight limits), etc www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Channing Tatum gets it: "I mean, Toronto is dope.... when I worked here and got to live here, riding a bike around was like my favorite thing on the weekends. You just sort of mob around, everyone's on bikes, everyone's sorta you just go to restaurants and bars"

Joy in the city. Came upon this group of rollerbladers & boarders… & whatever the last guy is. I love my neighbourhood.

Harbord bike lane preview! Still a work in progress but it's looking sweet!

THREAD. I finally got to visit the Edith Farnsworth House by Mies Van der Rohe in Plano, Illinois today, and it was far more impressive than I had expected...

Joy in the city. Came upon this group of rollerbladers & boarders… & whatever the last guy is. I love my neighbourhood.

Toronto’s Avenues are more than just streets; they’re places planned for growth with transit, shops, services and housing working together. In this thread, we’ll explain what’s happening and how you can get involved.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is on, which means movies & movie makers, culture, media, tourism, & celebration! It also means King Street is open to pedestrians. And commutes are more challenging for some. Regardless, it was lovely to be among the energy this evening!

Great short video by TransLink explaining “the empty bus lane myth”

bikes 🤝 boats. Multi-modal. On my way to the gloriously car-free Toronto Islands.

Sometimes things line up perfectly! The moon sets on Aura.

E-bike charger along a bike path in Ottawa.

And currently under construction. A growing city is never finished.

Gimme sugar! I love that ships deliver holds full of sugar to Toronto on a regular basis. Feed our cravings.

Don’t drive! Paying for parking and gas is a killer If you can ride a bike to work (yes even in the winter) do it. Lean on public transit for part or all of your commute. Pack a lunch and snacks. Worked in grade school. Make coffee at work or bring a thermos. Welcome back to Toronto.

Best commute ever?! I discovered a today that it’s possible to live in Gatineau, Quebec & work in Ottawa, Ontario.. and take a zip line home across the river!

We praise “culturally responsive” design, even when we know almost nothing about the cultures it’s responding to. Lately, I’ve started to think of architectural criticism as its own type of diaspora. In @azuremagazine.bsky.social, one of my more intimate pieces: www.azuremagazine.com/article/hous...

This is an INSANE decision by the E.U. “By signing up to mutual recognition of vehicle standards with the U.S., the E.U. has waved the white flag on road safety. This is not a technical detail – it is a political choice that puts trade convenience ahead of saving lives.” This will kill people.

On VIA Rail train 54 to Ottawa! Heading to a wedding. Excited! Had some interesting conversations about this train trip with a friend who was totally oblivious to how national rail works. Surprised me. But I’ve learned that showing people transit & normalising it goes a long way to supporting it.

❤️ Bus stop poles in Sweden ❤️ . (Limited space? No problem. No bus shelter? Display on pole. Next bus timing accurate? Yes. Accessibility needs? Integrated. Where does this go? On the schedule. Too much tech? Nope. Kept simple.) . Put a ring on it.

8:11 p.m. Saturday regional westbound GO train pulling into Exhibition Station. The pit to the left is part of the Ontario line subway construction. Just had a moment of reflection; thinking of those times during the worst of the pandemic when some were saying transit would not return.

Temporary park! Part of a parking lot in Liberty Village will become a park. Decision made, but the park hasn’t been designed yet. While determining the details of the park, this intervention has been installed to signal & help imagine the coming change.

Wasaga Beach should not only be kept public and protected, it needs to be more accessible for visitors without cars. So many great Ontario getaways are difficult or impossible to get to by train or bus. seanmarshall.ca/2025/08/21/w...

New and improved Starter Pack. Now featuring 20% more urbanists! (I’ve been adding to the list over the last few days as I meet new people on here).

NEW ISSUE: Waterfront Rising - Issue 71 looks at the remarkable changes happening on Toronto's waterfront and potential ideas for its future. Editor @dylan_reid introduces the new issue. spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

Remember, whenever you hear that “speed wasn’t a factor” in a deadly crash, what they mean is that the car involved wasn’t technically speeding. At least “not by much.” It presumes that the speed limit wasn’t too high to begin with. When it comes to death from collisions, SPEED IS ALWAYS a factor.

On Weds, Aug 20, celebrate the publication of Messy Cities with editor Zahra Ebrahim and contributors Shari Kasman and Lorraine Johnson, as they discuss how messiness can make our cities more liveable, lively, and inclusive. @ TYPE Books Junction, 2887 Dundas St. W., event to start at 7:00 PM.