We’ve all experienced it, and studies have shown that the motor vehicle traffic congesting our city costs Toronto enormously in terms of lost productivity, air quality, and personal health and safety. Nancy Smith Lea (@CompleteStsCA) of the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) believes that a policy of Complete Streets designed for the safety and comfort of all road […]

Some of the Bike Union’s current initiatives include: Keeping pressure on the city to implement the Bike Plan The Good Roads campaign, to help cyclists work with the City to keep our streets in good repair and clear of debris Leading a campaign providing cyclists with “thank you” cards to acknowledge drivers who remember to give them

“How we can best advocate for cyclists in 2010″ — Yvonne Bambrick, Toronto Cyclists UnionRead More »

Despite the fact that 52% of Toronto’s population consists of women from different backgrounds and histories, women still make up fewer than 25% of  municipal leaders and, on the whole, continue to experience disproportionately high rates of poverty and abuse. Imagine a city where women of all backgrounds are equally represented in elected office.  Imagine

“Building a Women-Friendly City” — Kristyn Wong-Tam, Toronto Women’s City AllianceRead More »

Toronto is a profoundly diverse city — among the most diverse in the world. But Jamaal Montasser of Engineers Without Borders asks, are we global citizens? Connecting Torontonians’ actions to their impacts overseas may not be that hard. One of the simplest things a consumer can do is choose which products they buy based on

“A Fair [Trade] City” — Jamaal Montasser, Engineers Without BordersRead More »

Thousands of lost and abandoned feral cats live in our alleyways, backyards, parking lots, and parks.  In 2007 alone, Toronto Animal Services killed 4130 cats. Groups like Toronto Cat Rescue, Annex Cat Rescue, Homeless Cat Rescue, and the makers of the documentary Cat City know how to fix it: a low-cost spay/neuter facility in a central location a bylaw compelling

“Toronto has a cat problem. We know how to Fix it” — David Regan, Fix TorontoRead More »

Dave Meslin of Better Ballots Dave Meslin’s (@meslin) vision for Toronto is a city with elections that are vibrant, diverse, relevant, and fair. Without a credible electoral process, Meslin argues that it’s extremely difficult to address any other issue. Elections should be a doorway to progress, not an obstacle. The Better Ballots initiative wants to look at

Voting Reform: Better Ballots & Fair Vote CanadaRead More »

Later this year, people in municipalities across Ontario will elect mayors, city councillors, and school board trustees for a new term of office. However, hundreds of thousands of permanent residents will be unable to choose their local representatives because they are not Canadian citizens. Our local politicians manage the services that affect us all in

“Extend local voting rights to permanent residents” — Desmond Cole, I Vote TorontoRead More »

Mark Kuznicki of ChangeCampTO Torontonians in 2010 have an opportunity to restore our sense of community and use new tools of communication to set the agenda for our politicians. Mark Kuznicki’s vision is a program of coordinated and community-generated events all across the City to re-engage our civic imaginations. ChangeCamp is launching a city-wide initiative to

Organizing on the Innernets: ChangeCampTO & RefreshEventsRead More »

Toronto’s poor are becoming increasingly marginalized in our expanding multicultural city. The condition of rental housing in Toronto’s suburbs and downtown social housing neighborhoods is shockingly bad, leaving many people living with cockroaches, holes in walls and ceilings, bad plumbing, and broken elevators, and without heat in the winter. Toronto ACORN wants this year’s election

“A better Toronto means better living conditions” — Edward Lantz, Toronto ACORNRead More »

Everyone deserves to have a good home, but our city is becoming increasing segregated. Poor neighbourhoods mean poor housing, which leads to poor health and premature death; rich neighbourhoods mean good housing and good health. There’s a simple, practical, and effective step that Toronto City Council can take to ensure a healthy and equitable city:

“Health, Equity, and Inclusionary Housing” — Michael Shapcott, Wellesley InstituteRead More »