Love this. Not the most beautiful, but a simple, fun, & effective public installation for beating the heat! (Montreal, Parc La Fontaine)

Recently had to explain to a professional from outside Toronto, that the vast majority of downtown Toronto workers commute by bike, walking, or transit. Some drive, but they are the minority. Perhaps I should show them these bike share stations…

This part of Biidaasige Park officially opens tomorrow. It’s incredible. Lovely evening to be there.

Another angle. I avoid shopping online & proudly can say I have still never purchased anything from Amazon. Resource waste is partly why. So I am upset about this…

I believe in shopping local & in the right to repair. So when I needed a small part replaced for my bike, I asked local shops. None could get one. So I went directly to the source, which shipped…. This. Yes that little part is all that was in the box. I expected it in a small envelope. Such waste.

Imagine living in a laneway house opposite this.

Sometimes it’s just fun to go for a bike ride with a few friends.

Toronto has identified views. Here’s the map of Downtown. www.toronto.ca/wp-content/u...

Fiat 500e! Isn’t my son the the cutest?

Also loved this tiny ambulance! Never seen these before in Toronto!

Love the cycling DJ leading the @tosoarch.bsky.social contingent at the Toronto Pride 🌈 parade yesterday. Also love the representation of queer buildings & spaces. Nice to get a big wave from @jasonthorne.bsky.social marching with them! 👋🏽 “Let’s hear it for love”

Huge hometown crowd for a park screening of Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. People like free events in public spaces. I am real excited!

I’m back. It did get busier!

Visited the portion of Church Street just opened to pedestrians. Attended a 🌈 market in Barbara Hall Park. Enjoyed a coffee & treat, & bought some nice things. Best part was running into people I knew, while also making some new connections! An “open street bringing people together. Cute!

(The roses in bloom across the street were too lovely not to include…)

Before & after. A parking lot & former liquor store becomes multi-unit affordable housing. (Before from Google streetview; after are photos I took today).

I appreciate simple & clear wayfinding, particularly when it transcends language. This was added to support visitors for the FIFA World Cup in Toronto, but maybe it can inspire some longer term additions?

I passed this scene yesterday. The car on the left takes up similar space to the 2 cars on the right. I wonder how much more street parking would be available, if small cars were incentivised? Montreal & Paris charge more for parking large vehicles. Japan famously incentivises kei cars.

Cab-over design, & city-sized. This Iceman truck is real cute imho.

What’s the challenge here: . A) the laneway is too narrow, transit stop too close, buildings too close together, pedestrians in the way, etc? * OR * B) the truck is too big?

This bird died & landed by me. Likely hit a reflective window thinking it was sky. Sad. Toronto has Bird Friendly Guidelines that applies to new buildings through the Toronto Green Standard to avoid this. Ever see dots or patterns on windows? Birds see those, which helps avoid strikes like this.

I think you’re great, Montreal. But I don’t appreciate the ad campaign that blocks public views of the Roy Thomson Hall courtyard & water feature from the PATH (which leads to a subway station). This is usually clear glass & sunlit. (A photo from outside & a photo from inside).

(A tiny sample of the haul.. was hard to record this)

It’s a gorgeous day! So many people out on the sidewalks. Lovely! But to walk my haul of plants home, I am taking the laneways for the generous room they offer. Nice to see them transitioning to permeable surfaces. Photos of a permeable one (newly done & looks good) & an impermeable asphalt one.

The Toronto in Print @janeswalk.bsky.social was fascinating. Learned about Margaret Atwood’s start in typography, Rosemary Kibourn’s stained glass work, labour movement history (started with Hamilton print makers), the founding of @coachhousebooks.bsky.social , & met some fellow font nerds!

One thing I love about graffiti art, is how confident I am that it’s an artist’s work & not AI.

There’s some lovely newer missing middle housing in Ottawa. I like the weathering corten steel in this example.

How many times have you seen this? Me: 4

Worth a read. Check out who signed this! www.toronto.ca/wp-content/u...

Great show!