A report to next week's Executive ctte, in theory, seeks to advance the idea of a 'Clean and Beautiful City'.
In reality its a report that recommends more reports, and substitutes process for accomplishment.
The recommendations are thus:
Develop process, review process, review current practice and review and 'enhance' (in a non-specific way)'.....is not action.
This is not that hard.
Clean:
- More garbage cans, emptied more often
- More street cleaning
- More clean-ups of ravines/orphan sites from litter/illegal/dumping etc.; and then investing in mitigating recurrence through strategic use of fencing, making a space appear cared for, and enforcement.
Beautiful:
- A requirement for beautification of median traffic islands whenever they come up for reconstruction.
- Expanding existing flower planting at existing beds, by mandating 3-seasons of flowers (spring, summer, fall)
- Expanding the number of flower beds in parks and public spaces by 25%
- Investing in attractive Gateways to Toronto
- Funding existing public realm projects and pushing them forward, notably John Street, Yonge-downtown, and Yonge North York.
- Mandated aggressive, systematic removal of slip lanes, and the creation of beautified public spaces with seating to replace them, whereever feasible.
- Finally, a City Landscape Architect, widely respected, to set down specifics choices for standard infrastructure from parks waste receptacles to street lights and then those standards, once adopted by Council become mandatory.
