Lmst

Launch party last night for the new book “Messy Cities: Why We Can’t Plan Everything”

A large crowd is gathered in a well-lit space, facing a projection on the wall displaying colorful artwork. The audience is comprised of people of diverse backgrounds, engaged with the presentation. Decorative string lights hang from the ceiling.

A group of diverse individuals poses for a photo, with some sitting and others standing. They gather in front of a large screen displaying an urban scene. Several people hold drinks, and one woman is lying on the ground playfully.

A stack of books titled "Messy Cities: Why We Can't Plan Everything," edited by Dylan Reid, Zahra Ebrahim, Leslie Woo, and John Lorinc. The covers feature urban imagery and vibrant colors.

A picture of me holding an opened book turned to a page with a chapter titled "Planning for an Unplanned City" by Jason Thorne.

Don’t just take my word for it … this is from the World Health Organization. Happy #WorldBicycleDay!

An illustration promoting cycling safety, featuring a cyclist on a protected bike lane with a car alongside. The text emphasizes the need for more cycling lanes to protect cyclists. Includes logos for the World Health Organization and a campaign for road safety.

Ledges at the sides of garbage bins in Denmark allow you to “Giv din pant videre” (or “Pay your deposit forward”) by leaving your cans and bottles for pickers to pick up without having to reach into the garbage.

A cylindrical trash bin located near a body of water, designed for collecting bottles. It has a green sign in Danish that translates to "Donate your deposit," indicating that users can return their bottle deposits here. Several glass bottles are displayed in a holder.

A black trash bin with a yellow sign featuring a blue heart, promoting cleanliness in Copenhagen. A partially visible can is placed in the bin. The background includes a staircase and trees.

“Upcycled Housing” in Copenhagen. This is Resource Rows by builder NREP and architect Lendager. The bricks were cut into 1x1 metre panels, mostly from the demo of the nearby Carlsberg brewery buildings, and then reassembled to create the facade of the new housing.

Why panels? In older buildings, the mortar between the bricks is often stronger than the actual brick, making it difficult to separate the individual bricks from the mortar. So the builder cut and panelized the old facade.

A modern building featuring a unique facade with a patchwork of different brick colors and window designs. Bicycles are parked along the front, and traffic lights are visible on the street. The sky is partly cloudy.

A building facade with a unique patchwork of brick textures and colors features multiple windows. In the foreground, three bicycles are parked, two of which have baskets, against a concrete surface.

A modern building facade covered in greenery, featuring a mix of brick and wood materials. Large windows line the structure, and a path is visible in the foreground with plants and outdoor decoration elements like parasols.

A construction worker in a yellow jacket operates a concrete cutting saw on a brick wall. The scene depicts a demolition or renovation project, with debris and materials visible around the work area. District rooftops can be seen in the background.

Nice to be back in one of the world’s great public spaces … Superkilen (translates as “Giant Wedge”) in Copenhagen designed by Superflex, Bjarke Ingels Group and Topotek1.

Superflex used a process they called “extreme participation” to engage local residents about what they wanted in the park … and the result was the collection of 99 objects from 59 countries around the world, including neon signs from Russia and China, and a boxing ring from Thailand.

A vibrant urban scene featuring a large mural on a red wall, depicting colorful characters and designs. In the foreground, a black cargo bike is parked near a small tree. Children are playing nearby, with one sitting on the grass and another walking.

A pedestrian area featuring wavy, striped walkways. People are walking, including a child in pink pants. Lush trees and buildings are visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

An outdoor boxing ring with colorful ropes and a wooden platform, surrounded by graffiti on walls. Red-leafed trees are nearby, with apartment buildings in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

A row of circular swings is shown in a playground setting, with a person sitting on one swing. The ground is covered in red material, and there are trees and buildings in the background under a cloudy sky.

"Careful Infrastructures" public art installation by Lisa Hirmer on the #Toronto Waterfront … exploring the concept of "soft infrastructure" and how our thoughts and perspectives on a place also influence how we live there.

A metal sign on a pole over calm water, displaying the message: "A REMINDER THAT YOU TOO ARE ATMOSPHERE." The background features a clear blue sky with some clouds.

A small reminder from a local merchant ... the economic power of shopping local.

A promotional postcard for LEN, a local store in Hamilton, Ontario, encouraging shopping local. It highlights that only $13 from $100 spent at a chain store stays local, compared to $48 spent at a local store.

Winter Stations temporary art installations at Woodbine Beach, Toronto.

A beach scene featuring large colorful geometric climbing structures in various shapes, including a circle, triangle, square, and more. Two people are seen near the structures, with the lake in the background under a cloudy sky.

The image shows a sandy beach with three large, colorful geometric structures. A person is climbing on a yellow pyramid-shaped structure, while a red arch and a yellow circular structure are nearby. The beach is relatively quiet, with a few people in the background

Colorful geometric structures in red, blue, and yellow are arranged on a sandy beach. In the background, people walk along the shore with a view of the water and a tree-lined island under a partly cloudy sky.

Just formalizing the desire lines is not a bad way to build up your city’s pedestrian and active transportation network (Churchill Park, Hamilton).

A dirt path lined with trees leads towards a residential area. On the right, there are houses and parked cars, while a soccer field is visible in the background.

A gravel pathway lined with trees, where some leaves show signs of fall colors. On the right, a street with parked cars, and a grassy area is visible on the left.

@felkerb that’s a different building

Possibly one of the largest in situ heritage retentions underway in North America right now. The United Building by Davpart Inc and B+H Architects in Toronto. A new 54 storey mixed use building will rely on the first structural bay as part of the retention strategy to integrate the facade of the original 1928 office building and 1961 modernist expansion.

An image of a construction site featuring a partially renovated building with boarded windows and a crane above. A modern high-rise towers in the background under a clear blue sky. The foreground shows construction equipment and workers, alongside a construction barrier.

A rendering of a modern high-rise building merges with a historic brick structure, showcasing a mix of architectural styles. The lower section has large arched windows and decorative detailing, while the upper portion is sleek and contemporary. The environment is urban with a misty atmosphere.

When you no longer need a second car you can turn half your driveway into a vegetable garden.

A single-story brick house with a brown roof and two garage doors. One half of the driveway has been dug up to create a front garden that features a variety of plants and flowers, along with a wooden structure. Surrounding the house are trees and greenery, and overhead power lines are visible.

Today, the Planning & Housing Committee approved heritage designation for Toronto’s oldest bar, the 1849 Wheatsheaf Tavern.

A historic brick building with a sloped roof and large windows is situated at the corner of a street. Modern glass skyscrapers loom in the background, and electrical wires run overhead. A person walks past the entrance of the building, which features a sign.

Urban skating (#Toronto).

An illuminated ice skating rink is bustling with skaters at night, surrounded by modern buildings and snow-covered rocks. Colorful lights are reflected on the glass structures, enhancing the winter atmosphere.

Two individuals ice skating on a snowy surface in an urban area, surrounded by tall residential buildings and a few trees. The sky is overcast and gray.

A person is ice skating on a path in a snowy area surrounded by tall, brightly lit buildings at night. Trees with lights are visible, along with snow piles and orange cones. The city skyline creates a vibrant urban atmosphere.

A parking lot in Lisbon.

A lot lined with trees, featuring green grass growing through patterned pavement. In the background, a few parked cars are visible, with a blue sky overhead.

When architecture critic Rowan Moore said that “if you can tell a man by his shoes, you can tell a city by its pavements” ... he was paying a tremendous compliment to Lisbon.

Me standing on a patterned cobblestone sidewalk lined with bare trees. The scene is set in an urban area, with buildings and a road visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

A bustling public square with a patterned cobblestone pavement featuring wavy designs. There are people walking, sitting on benches, and some pigeons scattered around. In the background, buildings and trees are visible, along with a fountain.

A decorative cobblestone walkway with intricate patterns leads through a park-like area featuring bare trees and colorful flower beds. Historic buildings in muted colors are visible in the background, along with outdoor seating and a lamppost.

Rua Nova do Carvalho … better known as “Pink Street” … in Lisbon.

A narrow street features a colorful overhead decoration, with pink, orange, and brown elements. Below, there are outdoor tables and chairs beneath a black umbrella, with patrons seated.

A narrow, winding street features a vibrant pink pathway bordered by cobblestones, with historic buildings on either side. An archway leads to a different area, and construction scaffolding is visible on one building.

A vibrant pink pathway runs through an arched walkway, lined with buildings displaying colorful facades. People are walking along the street, and decorative murals adorn the arch above, creating a lively atmosphere.

The only thing better than a protected bike lane, is a protected bike lane with streetart and murals on the barriers.

A woman is sitting on a small skateboard while painting a colorful mural on a concrete barrier. She is wearing a straw hat and a black outfit. There are traffic cones and a bike lane visible in the background.

A colorful mural along a concrete barrier beside a road, featuring abstract shapes and patterns. The artwork is attributed to "Clear Eyes Collective" and is dated "22." In the background, there are green hills and blue skies with scattered clouds.

My favourite TTC subway entrance. The 1978 Mid-century Expressionist Dupont Station in #Toronto by Dunlop-Farrow Architects.

An escalator descends into a transit station enclosed by a glass and yellow framework. The scene is illuminated with artificial lighting, while snow is visible outside along with vehicles passing by.

A modern, glass-enclosed transit shelter illuminated at night, with an escalator visible inside. Snow covers the ground, and a bench and a green trash bin are placed outside the structure.

Going for a walk in #Toronto’s newest Heritage Conservation District … Kensington Market. A departure from typical heritage conservation planning, a key objective is to protect the neighbourhood’s “sense of anarchy, inclusivity, and a history of experimentation.”

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