Railing against the design practices of suburban developers and their narrow-minded, lowest-common denominator interpretation of what constitutes a “neighbourhood” has become a familiar refrain over the years. Most of us subscribe to the new urbanist creed and instinctively recoil against the endless rows of cookie-cutter houses with two car garages facing the street on serpentine cul-de-sacs, particularly when they pop up in downtown neighbourhoods like Toronto’s new Liberty Village development. Why build what amounts to an urban monoculture, with no mixed-use development and little variety between structures in a neighbourhood that is fast becoming the creative and artistic hub of the city?

It was just such a question that the esteemed Toronto architect Thomas Payne asked himself when he was presented with a vision-poor proposal for suburban-type housing development at the other end of town, on the lower Don lands east of Cherry St. While we were working with Tom on a project to be built in the nearby Distillery district, the talk turned to the larger development plans for the area, and he pulled out the rough proposal he’d been asked to do, pro bono, in response to the Markham-ish one. Taking an aerial photograph of Barcelona, he cleverly grafted on a section of that city’s 15th century downtown, and set about demonstrating how old-world planning could benefit new world development: the bull ring would become a transportation hub, the cathedral a modern theatre centre, and the four- and five-storey structures would house, shops, apartments, libraries and community centres. It was a braveau, inspired presentation, one that brimmed with wisdom, grandeur and possibility. We can only hope that those with the power to green light such iconoclastic thinking feel the same way.

Trinity Bellwood Park in Toronto’s western downtown neighbourhood is a 37-acre park constructed in the post-landfill remains of the Garrison Creek ravine. It is one of the city’s best-loved and used parks. Home to a soccer pitch, baseball field, hockey rink, tennis courts, and a recreation centre, the park hosts a significant amount of organized sports activity. In the summer months, the park is programmed cultural festivals, a contemporary dance series, an art exhibition and a large community lawn sale.

Most significantly, however, the park is heavily used on a casual basis by dog walkers, friends playing catch and cricket, parents with children, people picnicking, lovers, sledders, drumming circles, snow ballers, religious groups, late night strollers, cyclists, ultimate Frisbee players, joggers, and so forth. Any sunny weekend day - summer or winter - the park is busy. In the summer, the park is occupied peacefully all night long by dozens of locals - young and old - escaping the heat of the their homes.

The heavy use exerts a significant toll: garbage builds up quickly and the grounds require constant upkeep and replanting. City budget cuts have resulted in fewer garbage cans and fewer pick-ups resulting in even more garbage build up. Grounds care has also decreased.

This proposal would provide better-maintained park grounds and augment the park’s success with the addition of a desirable amenity. It proposes that the city convert an underused maintenance building into a café bar facility. The property would then be leased to a local operator. All rental income would go directly to the operating costs of the park. The facility would specialize in take-out coffee and refreshments for active park users and an indoor / outdoor seating area for those in repose.

DefenseFest 33 opened its doors on one of those incredibly bright March days when the snow on the ground throws back lumens sufficient to shrink your pupils to microdots. Despite the day's brightness, a bitterly cold wind scoured Front Street and the Metro Convention Centre.

From a distance, Hershie watched demonstration muster out front of the Eaton Centre, a few kilometers north, and march down to Front Street, along their permit-proscribed route. The turnout was good, especially given the weather: about 5,000 showed up with wooly scarves and placards that the wind kept threatening to tear loose from their grasp.

The veterans marched out front, under a banner, in full uniform. Next came the Quakers, who were of the same vintage as the veterans, but dressed like elderly English professors. Next came three different Communist factions, who circulated back and forth, trying to sell each other magazines. Finally, there came the rabble: Thomas's group of harlequin-dressed anarchists; high-school students with packsacks who industriously commed their browbeaten classmates who'd elected to stay at their desks; "civilians" who'd seen a notice and come out, and tried gamely to keep up with the chanting.

The chanting got louder as they neared the security cordon around the Convention Centre. The different groups all mingled as they massed on the opposite side of the barricades. The Quakers and the vets sang "Give Peace a Chance," while Thomas and his cohort prowled around, distributing materiel to various trusted individuals.
The students hollered abuse at the attendees who were trickling into the Convention Centre in expensive overcoats, florid with expense-account breakfasts and immaculately groomed.

Hershie's appearance silenced the crowd. He screamed in over the lake, banked vertically up the side of the CN Tower, and plummeted downward. The demonstrators set up a loud cheer as he skimmed the crowd, then fell silent and aghast as he touched down on the _opposite_ side of the barricade, with the convention-goers. A cop in riot-gear held the door for him and he stepped inside. A groan went up from the protestors, and swelled into a wordless, furious howl.

People who use their eyes to receive information about the world are called sighted. Sighted people are accustomed to viewing the world in visual terms. In many situations they will not be able to communicate orally and may resort to pointing or other gesturing. Subtle facial expressions may also be used to convey feelings in social situations.

Prepare the sighted person for his or her surroundings by speaking slowly in a normal tone of voice.

Questions directed at the sighted person help focus attention on verbal, rather then visual communication.