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Duly Quoted: Jennifer Keesmaat, Toronto’s New Chief Planner

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“Walking tells us something about who we are and what it is that we in fact value.”

—Jennifer Keesmaat, who will be serving as the new chief planner for the City of Toronto. Here she is giving a TED Talk this spring: 17 straight minutes on the virtues of, yes, walking. A surprising choice in the era of Rob Ford, perhaps—though one that may give hope to many who think we could benefit from a more urbanist approach to planning in Toronto.

Comments

  • http://twitter.com/torontomyway Toronto My Way

    Christopher Hume wrote a wonderful article entitled “In praise of the lost art of strolling,” http://www.thestar.com/News/Ideas/article/420945

    I commented on it in my article “Walk the walk” http://torontomyway.blogspot.ca/2010/01/walk-walk.html

    The more walkable Toronto is, the better for everyone
    http://torontomyway.blogspot.ca/2010/05/health-and-city.html
    http://torontomyway.blogspot.ca/2010/01/choking-on-congestion-talk_07.html

    I’ll certainly be following Jennifer Keesmaat on Twitter @jen_keesmaat and look forward to a better Toronto as a result of her efforts.

  • Mt

    An excellent speaker? Concerned with modes of transport other than car? Spoke for 17 minutes without making an offensive statement? I wish she was the mayor instead of the chief planner.

  • Anonymous

    I find it fascinating and questionable that Ford supporters (and I’m assuming Ford himself) keep hiring people that are at odds with his small time vision.

    • http://paul.kishimoto.name Paul Kishimoto

      Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find out who the City’s HR director and/or executive recruiter(s) are, and thank them profusely on behalf of the rest of us.

      • Anonymous

        LOL, love this!

  • http://twitter.com/City_Mayor Mare Ford

    I really need to staff up properly… I end up looking like such and ass when things fall through the cracks like this.

  • Anonymous

    Is Ford kicking himself yet?