Habitat: Environmentalists eye city’s investment policies
Divestment is “more urgent” in Toronto than NYC
Politics
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Why Toronto real-estate agents are sounding the alarm over the city’s budget
The latest statistics from TREB should worry councillors voting on the budget next week.
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What’s on the agenda for January-February City Council meeting?
Your need-to-know guide to this week’s council meeting.
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New Muslim fellowship connects civic-minded students with city councillors
The program, starting today, attracted criticism from right-wing pundits like Pamela Geller and Ezra Levant.
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Civic Tech: Shelter funding and Toronto’s manufactured crisis
How data became a political weapon in the debate over shelter space
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Sizing up amalgamation, 20 years on
As voters head to the polls for two big elections this year, what’s next for the “megacity”?
The Latest News
From City Hall
Toronto City Council Agenda Preview: March 2017
Here's your cheat sheet for City Council this week.
Municipal Budget 2017: The Special Council Meeting Liveblog
Photo by Himy Syed from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
Suggestions for Norm Kelly’s Future 6ix Dad Merch
Relief Line is your not-so-serious glance at the city we love.
Parker: Forget the Short Pants, it’s About Better Transit Policy
Don't get distracted by unproductive arguments.
The January/February 2017 Toronto City Council Liveblog, Day One (Contracting out Garbage, Redux)
All the analysis, context, and fact-checks you could want.
Toronto City Council Agenda Preview: January/February 2017
We read all the staff reports so you don't have to.
Mayors Work to Secure Housing Funding, But Is it Enough?
Toronto needs $1.7 billion for social housing capital repairs alone.
Wynne Says No to Tory’s Tolls, So What’s Next?
The options don't look good.
Toronto Takes (Baby) Steps Toward Making Recreational Drug Use Safer
Compared to some other cities, the current approach to drug safety at Toronto raves and concerts is far from progressive.
Opinion and
Analysis
Gambling with Billions
Mega-projects keep failing. So why does the mayor love them so?
Cool (Mostly Irrelevant) Apology, Pride Toronto
Pride's remorseful statement wasn't sent to those who needed to hear it most.
The Worst Part of Rob Ford Was His Policies, Not the Crack Video
If there's one thing to move on from, it's how he shaped the discourse at city hall.
Why We Should Talk About Mental Health More
Conversations about mental health can lead to meaningful cultural shifts, writes Lindsay Hill.
Why the Proposed Rail Deck Park Should Make Toronto Hopeful
The proposed Rail Deck Park could be our last big downtown park, and it's an opportunity we should seize.
Election 2014: We Needed Better Than This
Toronto's most vulnerable populations, and the quality of our public discourse, are not much better off today than they were under Rob Ford.
Lessons from Rob Ford’s City Hall
Toronto would be remiss to forget the past four years. A reflection on where to find inspiration in the Ford era, and what we need to do next.
Why We Must Talk About White Privilege
The idea that systemic racism has victims but no beneficiaries is a lie we must confront and destroy.
The Rise of Islamophobia in Toronto’s Election
School Board candidate Ausma Malik has been the target of Islamphobic slurs, and she's not the only one. We need to stand against these vile attacks.
Issues:
Transit
Our addiction to driving is costing lives, and more
The solution is not to scold drivers but to make structural solutions.
Extending the Yonge line will only make crowding worse
Line 1 is over capacity—adding more stops isn't the solution.
A Last Minute Ten, Nine, Eight … Point Transit Plan
The mayor's list of ideas to alleviate crowding offers little relief in the short term.
What’s on the agenda for January-February City Council meeting?
Your need-to-know guide to this week’s council meeting.
Can the TTC Gain More Riders?
Why ridership has plateaued and what can be done about it
What Toronto can learn from New York about transit
Policy coordination is all well and good, but NYC's example shows what happens when a city loses its say on transit.
The King Street Pilot: Sorting Fact from Fiction
As early criticism mounts, here's what the data tells us about how the King Street pilot project is going so far.
Here’s what regional and local commuting looks like
An update to last week's transit column about local and regional commuting distances and the importance of local transit.
The biggest transit need in southern Ontario is local, not regional
Local commuters aren't getting their fair share of transit attention in the province.
Issues:
Cycling
Our One Chance to Fix Yonge Street
The re-imagining of the city’s main artery must look to the future, not the past.
Our addiction to driving is costing lives, and more
The solution is not to scold drivers but to make structural solutions.
Bloor Street bike lanes and the business of road safety
Instead of attempting to balance parking, driving, greenery, and mercantile concerns, city councillors should prioritize safety above all.
Cyclists are frustrated with the slow roll-out of the City’s bike plan
Bike lanes are more vigilantly monitored, but the City is still soft-pedalling expansion of cycling infrastructure
The Province Still Refuses To Track Doorings or Even Consider Them Collisions
Cycling safety needs to be a higher priority for Ontario's Ministry of Transportation.
Inspire Toronto’s Next Vision for Bike Lanes
Copenhagen can teach Toronto a thing or two about cycling infrastructure.
Learn About Bloor Bike Lanes’ Past, Present, & Future
Panel discussion looking at the success of the pilot project.
How Finland Gets People Biking Through Winter
A city of 200,000 people in Finland has more bike lanes than Canada’s largest city.
Tracking Wintertime Bike Ridership on the Bloor Bike Lane
It's time to address the misconception that bike lanes are useless during the winter.
Issues:
TCHC
May Council Preview: Relief Lines, Budget Directions, Pride Motions, and Cricket
Here's some of the items you'll want to keep your eye on this week.
How the Provincial Budget Does and Doesn’t Screw Toronto
Good: youth will have their drugs covered. Very bad: there is little or no new funding for transit or social housing
City Council Preview: April 26-28, 2017
We read the agenda so you don't have to.
Toronto’s New Budget is Bad for Affordable Housing
The City is failing to fund measures that could improve housing quality and stability.
Why Regent Park’s Revitalization Needs $108 Million More to Keep Going
The Toronto Budget Committee has recommended funding new debt for the initiative to carry on.
Affordable Housing Incentives Encourage Development, But Still Fall Short
The City hopes to support more affordable housing with its Open Door program.
Voltron of Mayors Asks Feds for Affordable Housing Cash, Crosses Fingers in Hope
Who will be the legendary defender for Toronto's social housing needs?
Toronto Should Get Angry About How Council Has Failed to Address the City’s Social Housing Crisis
While politicians fight to look like budget hawks, the city's most vulnerable see their homes fall apart.
City Council Preview: July 2016
Featuring the long-awaited Scarborough subway throwdown.
Issues:
Policing
2016 Villain: Police Leadership
Nominated for: giving us many more moments that erode public trust.
Toronto Police Haven’t Earned the City’s Trust on Carding
The public trust in policing shouldn't be unconditional, and more progress needs to be made before a leap of faith.
What if Firefighters and Paramedics “Modernized” their Vehicles the Same Way as the Police?
What if we applied Police logic to firetrucks and ambulances?
A Toronto Man is Acquitted After Spending Six Years in Prison
Justice came way too late in the case of Nosakhare Ohenhen.
The Countdown Clock Law is Ridiculous, and so is the Police Pedestrian Blitz
The pedestrian countdown clock law shows what's wrong with Toronto's approach to road issues.
Near Jane and Finch, Toronto Police Ask the Public How They Can Modernize
How does a police culture change occur?
Toronto Police Get Stealthy New Cars
Toronto inches closer to RoboCop.
Skepticism Warranted When Police Say They Want Modernization
TPS tweets stat depicts Toronto as twice as violent as Chicago in 2012 and 2013.
Why the Toronto Star’s Landmark Carding Project Might Not Be Possible Today
The FOI that changed policing in Toronto would be difficult to do today with falling journalism revenues.
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Another Glass Box: The Stalinist “Bunker” Edition