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picard102 said:

Toronto looking at ways to beautify city streets​

City staff looking into possibility of central beautification commissioner to maintain street standards​


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Done right, its a fine idea, as far as it goes.

I'm not unsupportive.

I would, however, note the following:

1) This idea is only as good as the person you install in the job, and the authority and budget you give them.

2) Toronto already has a Streetscape Design Manual, one that admittedly is not without shortcomings, but some of its ideas are quite good......... its just that City Staff, Developers, and Toronto Hydro, among others, regularly ignore them.

3) A lot of the capital side of the budget for things is outsources on multi-year contract, such as the Astral Transit shelter contract which also provides on-street City waste receptacles. Anyone put in place needs to be in position to influence the next contract, which isn't that far off from going out.

4) Thinks like the awful garbage cans in parks are the responsibility of Waste Management........so you need anyone in charge to be able to impose on that unit as well, or take that responsibility away from them.

5) Finally, good design needs to be matched by good upkeep, and that's in so many different operating piles

a) Streetlights- Hydro
b) Streetfurniture (default) Astral
c) Waste pick-up, Solid Waste Management
d) Lawn mowing (Parks, in Park, and contracted in out for boulevards, but under Transportation)
e) Bikeshare Docks - Bikeshare/Green P
f) Other Cycling infra - Cycling Unit

Add to that the involvement of BIAs

The 'minor parks improvements' budgets which are typically spent by supervisory staff

And then agencies like TTC as well.
 
Overall some form of organization reform is necessary- Toronto should at least be looking at other Canadian cities to understand how exactly they are able to maintain and enforce high quality street standards through their agencies.
 
A report to the next meeting of Executive Ctte outlines a very high level reallocation of the capital funds currently allocated to the Gardiner/DVP beginning in 2025 when the province is presumed to assume full ownership and responsibility for the latter.

The Report is here:


From the above:

1720532772472.png

1720532904102.png


That certainly could make a very positive difference in asset condition. Though the devil will be in the details.
 
christiesplits said:
After a year in office, Mayor Chow appears to be popular, with a 59% approval rating.

www.thestar.com

After one year in power, Mayor Olivia Chow rides high in latest opinion poll — except in two areas

A new opinion polls shows a solid majority of residents think she’s doing a good job running the city.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com
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No leftist apocalypse as some might have thought, but instead some fairly pragmatic governance from Chow (barring the whole Dundas debacle)- no surprise that she's doing well.

Beyond this, I'm curious if she will have the same amount of citybuilding vision that Miller had.
 
Looks like most of Etobicoke is without power now, and lots of pockets of the old city area.
There should be the usual calls for why did this happen again and the structural issues that have lead to it again.
 
Nominations open today for the Ward 15, Don Valley West council by-election. According to the Toronto Star, radio host and former mayoral candidate Anthony Furey is intending to run.

Election Day is on Monday, November 4.

www.thestar.com

Five candidates register on first day for Don Valley West byelection

Prospective candidates have until Sept.19 to register to run in the Ward 15 byelection on Nov. 4.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com
 
We took a nice picture with Chow and the kid at Big on Bloor yesterday. He told her he is learning to ride his bike and would like more bike lanes :) Actually, he didn't, I tried to coach him to do that, but he refused, so I did it while he licked his ice cream cone.
 
How does this happen? 18 Thirty Third St, Etobicoke just listed for $3,995,000.00 - completely empty, newly renovated (A.C and ensuite laundry installed), 6 x 2 bdrms, (you know there were families there) and 1 x 1bdrm. How did they get everyone out to renovate? The blurb says make the most then tear it down and build 2 detached homes! WTF?
 
Lisa1956 said:
How does this happen? 18 Thirty Third St, Etobicoke just listed for $3,995,000.00 - completely empty, newly renovated (A.C and ensuite laundry installed), 6 x 2 bdrms, (you know there were families there) and 1 x 1bdrm. How did they get everyone out to renovate? The blurb says make the most then tear it down and build 2 detached homes! WTF?
Click to expand...
Not sure what this has to do with the Mayor specifically.
 
It's really provincial law. You're allowed to evict tenants to do extensive renovations. There's provision for a right of first refusal to move back in after the renos, but people need to live somewhere, so mostly tenants will move on with their lives. And if they don't, you take some small portion of that $4M you're about to get from the sale to buy them out.
 
evandyk said:
I think the way she handled the budget and tax increase was pretty masterful. Everybody mostly knew Toronto needed higher taxes, and she just came in and did it with no drama.
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More on Chow's budgeting mastery...

www.thestar.com

Matt Elliott: A year ago Toronto’s budget was a dumpster fire. Now the city’s running a surprise surplus. What happened?

There are two main reasons why this week council will debate the first budget report since before the COVID-19 pandemic to offer relatively good news.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com

I wonder if the stormwater charge issue will have more salience this year?
 
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