Spacing Radio

Before Canada elects a new federal government, we thought we'd take a look at what the various parties are talking about, or neglecting to talk about, when it comes to Canadian cities and towns, and the urban agenda. And we've put a great panel together for you: Spacing Senior Editor John Lorinc, Toronto Star city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro, and TVO urban affairs reporter John Michael McGrath.

We begin this month by tuning in to the Special Committee on Governance, which was created to find ways to adjust to the changes imposed on Toronto City Council in the middle of last year's election. We catch up with journalist and Walkcast creator Tim Querengesser, as he explains the "MacKinnon Report" — a long list of recommendations commissioned by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party, which may mean belt-tightening for cities and towns in that province. Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane explains the Ontario Human Rights Commission's new policies regarding racial profiling in law enforcement, the collection of racial statistic in police stops, and even guidelines on artificial intelligence. And Don Eady, lawyer and partner at Palaire Roland Barristers, helps explain the recent legal decisions regarding Toronto's legal challenge against Bill 5 and the slashing of local wards.

Spacing and Evergreen proudly present The Future Fix: Solutions for Communities Across Canada, a special podcast series. In our first episode, we explore the unique relationship between the town of Innisfil, Ontario, and the controversial ride-hailing company Uber. Jason Reynar, the town's chief administrative officer, explains this relationship, and how it has changed transit choices for the people there. The Future Fix is a partnership between Spacing and Evergreen for the Community Solutions Network: a program of Future Cities Canada. As the program lead, Evergreen is working with Open North and partners to help communities of all sizes across Canada navigate the smart cities landscape. The Community Solutions Network is supported with funding provided by Infrastructure Canada.

Lanrick Bennett starts us off, talking about a pop-up pilot bike lane project on Toronto's Danforth Ave. Jared Kolb is stepping down as executive director at Cycle Toronto. After nine years, he tells us what he's learned about safe streets advocacy. Jamie Michaels tells us about his graphic novel "Christie Pits," all about a moment in Toronto history when everyday people stood up to racist hatred. And Spacing publisher Matthew Blackett sits down with urban designer Mikael Colville-Andersen — host of TVO's "The Life-Sized City" — about how Canadian urbanism measures up, globally.

To celebrate three years of the Spacing Radio, we have an in-depth conversation with urban designer Ken Greenberg. We talk about his new book "Toronto Reborn: Design Successes and Challenges," the growth of the modern city from its humble postwar roots, Sidewalk Labs, Doug Ford, and more...

This episode, we partnered with Park People to bring you highlights from their national Heart of the City conference: the first of it's kind in Canada. We speak to Rena Soutar, the first Reconciliation Planner for the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation about decolonizing parks planning. Skateboarder and documentary filmmaker David Boots takes us on a tour of Peace Park in Montreal. And Park People's own Jake Tobin Garrett tells us what was uncovered in the inaugural Canadian City Parks Report, which included 23 participating municipalities across the country.

In this episode, activist/organizer Dave Meslin talks about his book "Teardown: rebuilding democracy from the ground up." We join Thomas McKechnie, playwright and organizer with Foodsters United — a new union working for a fair deal for food delivery workers in precarious employment. We speak to Urban Strategies Inc. partner Joe Berridge about his book "Perfect City: an urban fixer's global search for magic in the modern metropolis." In conjunction with Spacing's upcoming Laneways issue, we speak to The Laneways Project's co-founder and executive director Michelle Senayah about how to activate these underused spaces.

This month we look at how major swings in provincial politics are affecting cities across Canada. We talk to journalist and Walkcast host Tim Querengesser about the recent Alberta election, and how it impacts the city agenda in Edmonton and Calgary. Spacing urban affairs columnist and York University geography professor Tricia Wood walks us through Doug Ford's most recent transit plan for Toronto and the surrounding region. And McGill law dean Robert Leckey tells us about the push back from Montreal and the surrounding suburbs against the proposed Bill 21 secularism laws.

In this episode, we dive into a few Big Ideas. First up is National Geographic explorer and geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison, who started a movement to have London, England declared a National Park City. And, I speak to Charter City Toronto steering committee members Doug Earl and former mayor John Sewell about how to gain recognized autonomy for the City in the constitution.

In this episode, we look at housing from a number of angles. Spacing Senior Editor John Lorinc and urban planner Cheryll Case give us the lay of the land, and a preview of their upcoming book, "House Divided." Planner and consultant Sean Galbraith tells us how City bureaucracy can lead to fewer affordable homes. And Councillor Gord Perks walks us through what "affordability" really means.

To celebrate Spacing‘s 15th anniversary, and the launch of “Toronto 2033: 10 short stories about the city’s future,” we speak to a variety of experts to try to imagine what the city will be like in the years ahead. We speak to futurist Trevor Haldenby and Toronto Environmental Alliance Campaigns Director Heather Marshall, who were both consultants on the short story compilation. And technologist/journalist Bianca Wylie tells us about Google's Sidewalk Labs plan for the waterfront, data privacy, and the trade offs between public and private community design. Visit toronto2033.com for the full multimedia experience.

To celebrate Spacing's 15th anniversary, and the launch of "Toronto 2033: 10 short stories about the city's future," we speak to the creative minds behind the book. Featuring editor Jim Munroe, and authors Zainab Amadahy, Elan Mastai, and Karl Schroeder. Visit toronto2033.com for the full multimedia experience.

In this episode, we talk to street nurse Cathy Crowe about the challenges facing street-involved Torontonians, as we dive into another winter. Architect and urbanist Brent Bellamy helps us make sense of the Winnipeg election. CodeRedTO co-founder Cameron MacLeod walks us through the advocacy group's latest transit report. And Spacing senior editor Dylan Reid and author Adam Bunch tell us about "50 Hidden Gems and Curiousities."

As Toronto gets ready to vote, we’ll be bringing you regular panel discussions with journalists and experts who will help you wade through what is maybe the most confusing race in the city’s history. In this, our final panel, we talk to Spacing publisher and editor-in-chief Matthew Blackett, and Spacing senior editor and weekly Toronto Star columnist Shawn Micallef.

As Toronto gets ready to vote, we’ll be bringing you regular panel discussions with journalists and experts who will help you wade through what is maybe the most confusing race in the city’s history. This week we have Denise Balkissoon, weekly columnist for the Globe & Mail, and John Michael McGrath, digital media producer and bi-weekly columnist for TVO.

As Toronto gets ready to vote, we’ll be bringing you regular panel discussions with journalists and experts who will help you wade through what is maybe the most confusing race in the city’s history. This week we have Spacing urban affairs columnist and York University geography professor Tricia Wood, and CBC city hall analyst and Humber professor Matt Elliott.

As Toronto gets ready to vote, we'll be bringing you regular panel discussions with journalists and experts who will help you wade through what is maybe the most confusing race in the city's history. This week we have Spacing Senior Editor John Lorinc, and Toronto Star city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro.

Toronto's election was thrown into chaos this summer by an surprise announcement from Premier Doug Ford. What's at stake, who are the stakeholders, and where do we stand as a city? We break from format, and take you through a timeline of Bill 5, speaking with city councillors and candidates to get to the root of what recent developments mean to Toronto's ongoing election.

We're gearing up for the October 11th Green Building Festival! We talk to celebrated architect Vivian Manasc about what makes a truly "green" building. WSP's senior facade specialist Scott Armstrong walk us through the process of giving a building a face lift. And artist/urban designer Daan Roosegaarde tells us about scale-able interventions with the urban environment that encourage a sense of stewardship. If you'd like to attend the Green Building Festival, register at gbf18.eventbrite.com. This podcast was produced in partnership with Sustainable Buildings Canada.

In this episode, we speak with Cycle Toronto's Liz Sutherland for a Vision Zero update, and what the new Ontario government means to cycling infrastructure in municipalities across the province. And architect Brian Kucharski gives us a tour a of a laneway house on Croft Street, and what recent approved guidelines for laneways mean to density in Toronto. Finally, former parking enforcement officer Kyle Ashley is taking his love of cycling to city hall, challenging incumbent Jaye Robinson who chairs the public works committee. At least we think so? Doug Ford's proposal to cut Toronto wards from 47 to 25 may change all that, and we talk about that too! Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or SoundCloud, or follow our RSS feed.