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April 04, 2007 15:46 +0000 | Activism Public Space Street Furniture The Toronto Public Space Committee Why I'm Here 0

Toronto is planning on signing a 20year contract with an advertising company for the supply of our street furniture and they're letting you see the models... but just for today. Then they're gone.

The models will be at City Hall for the balance of the day ('till 8pm). Torontoist has photographs as well. Public input on the furniture that will shape the face of the city however is another story. From an email from the TPSC's street furniture campaign:

According to staff, the models will again go on display for one or two additional days here and there in the coming weeks, depending on public "demand." How will they determine public demand? By 1) the number of people who show up to the exhibit they haven't told the public about. And 2) the "feedback" they receive to the email address they haven't told the public about.

If you have a problem with this, we encourage you to send emails to those people in a position to open up this process: David Nagler, the Public Consultation Coordinator; Andy Koropeski, the Director of Transportation Services; Elyse Parker, the Clean and Beautiful City Secretariat; and Mayor Miller, whose determination to privatize Toronto's civic infrastructure has been the driving force behind this project. Their addresses, respectively, are: streetfurniture@toronto.ca, akoropes@toronto.ca, eparker@toronto.ca, mayor_miller@toronto.ca.

I encourage anyone reading this to stop in on the models today if you can, or at the very least check them out on Torontoist and then send your input to the people making these decisions. Personally, I'm not much of a fan of any of the models -- mostly because these companies have all shown that they can't be trusted.

Below is the official press release from the TPSC's street furniture campaign:

11.5 HOURS FOR 20 YEARS
Street furniture models on display Wednesday for one day only

In yet another show of contempt for residents of this City, Transportation Services and Clean and Beautiful City staff have opted to put the models of the City's proposed "street furniture" on display to the public for one day only; they are visible in the City Hall rotunda from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, April 4. "This is a contract into which the City would be locked for twenty years," said Jonathan Goldsbie, a campaigner with the Toronto Public Space Committee. "It is unconscionable that City staff could express such disdain towards the people in whose interests they are ostensibly working."

Staff say that they may add additional viewing days in the near future, if there is sufficient demand. How will demand be determined? Through attendance at the exhibition that is not being promoted to the public and through feedback received at an email address that is not being promoted to the public.

Members of the Toronto Public Space Committee will be on hand in the City Hall rotunda today to talk about the "street furniture," to provide the public with information on how to submit their comments, and to explain why this is just the latest fait accompli in a process marked by staff's and the Mayor's indifference towards the wishes and desires of the people of Toronto.

Edit: 2007.04.04 13:15:00

This just in: Jonathan (the TPSC street furniture coordinator) just got this email from the street furniture staff people:

Efforts have been ongoing with Facilities and Real Estate at Toronto City Hall to extend the viewing period of the street furniture models.

Confirmation has been received that street furniture models will be on display at City Hall (west side of rotunda) for a total of five days.

8:30am to 8:00pm (April 4, 2007)

8:30am to 4:30pm (April 5, 2007)

8:30am to 4:30pm (April 10, 2007)

8:30am to 4:30pm (April 11, 2007)

8:30am to 4:30pm (April 12, 2007)

Thank you for expressing interest. More information is available at toronto.ca/streetfurniture.

March 31, 2007 16:48 +0000 | Activism Homelessness 1

This was a bloody-brilliant idea and they're popping up all over the city.

If anyone has any ideas as to who's behind them, lemme know eh?

March 16, 2007 20:32 +0000 | Activism Advertising Published 0

Rami's hard work has paid off in the form of some real publicity with The Toronto Star:

"At least half the billboards in Toronto are illegal," he says. "In the entertainment district, almost all of them. It's visual pollution. We have to fight it."

Tabello's website, illegalsigns.ca, lists about 270 allegedly outlaw billboards. He calls them "bad boys" and estimates there are between 1,500 and 2,000 around the city.

"Far too big, too high, too close"
Bill Taylor, The Toronto Star, 2007.03.16

It's a detailed and informative article with some nice quotes from all sides involved. check it out if you have the time.

In related news, the asshats at ClearChannel want to sue the Toronto Public Space Committee (of which I'm an active member). IllegalSigns.ca has the details.

March 05, 2007 17:39 +0000 | Activism Climate Change Environment 1

I received this from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance this morning and intend on being there with my camera. If you can make it, please come out.

There will be a Toronto Rally for Kyoto on Sunday, March 11th at 12 noon at Nathan Phillips Square in support of Canada fulfilling its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol to cut greenhouse gases. The rally is organized by Canadians for Kyoto, and is sponsored by a wide variety of groups including the World Wildlife Fund, the Ontario Federation of Labour, and Educators for Peace and Justice. Similar rallies are also planned for London, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge on the same day.

Canadians for Kyoto urge everyone to come out with friends and family to show their concern about climate change and to call for Canada to fulfill its international obligations and take positive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Canadians for Kyoto website is canadiansforkyoto.com.

People are encouraged to make their own signs for the Rally. If anyone would like to volunteer to assist with organizing and publicizing the rally they should go to canadiansforkyoto.com/volunteers.html. This page is also where you can find posters for the Rally.

Please pass this message on to your friends.

Thank you.

February 21, 2007 13:50 +0000 | Activism CCTV Public Space Published The Toronto Public Space Committee 8

This time, I had way more than 2seconds of play too :-)

The CCTV cameras are going up whether we like it or not, and CityTV wanted to do a story on it and interview me. Unfortunately the TPSC position isn't mentioned at all in the text-copy, but my interview is in the video.

CityTV has the story here.

February 09, 2006 05:52 +0000 | Activism Public Space The Toronto Public Space Committee Why I'm Here 1

I had a really busy night tonight but since I've not had much sleep in the past few days (not that I don't enjoy spending time with so many friends, I just don't think my system can support such a social life for extended intervals) I won't be going into great detail as to what my night included.

Basically tonight was very much in the column of Why I'm Here. It started with a presentation from FoodShare where I got to pick their brains about why they aren't pushing for green houses on green roofs. My attendance for the presentation was cut short however by the fact that The Toronto Public Space Committee was holding a general meeting in the same building one floor down.

So, just as the FoodShare presentation was finishing, I took off down the stairs and into the council chambers in Metro Hall. There were about 40 people there tonight, section heads from almost every faction of the committee attended and shared information with the lot of us in an effort to try to get everyone who was interested in doing something talking to the right people.

Subjects covered included things like billboards, the Ontario provincial energy plan, the upcoming municipal election, the city's Street Furniture Harmonisation bid, Art Attack and Ad Trucks. There was even a request from the couple behind newmindspace for volunteers to help with a secret project this Valentines day... (I signed up)

Unlike previous group meetings I'd attended, those who spoke actually had intelligent things to say. People appeared organised and dedicated, spoke with thought and purpose. It was clear that this group wants to get shit done.

After the general meeting we retreated to a little pub for fooding and conversation. I mingled with a few tables, giving out my email address to people who asked. One of the more memorable moments was when we had an interesting conversation about a culture-jamming idea for educating the public regarding where their food comes from. In the space of 5 minutes and 3 brains, we developed a whole action plan for marketing, dissemination, and projected costs. It was awesome.

The TPSC is free to join and they always need new people. They're the ones who actually do the legwork to prevent crap like those super-sized garbage cans from being erected everwhere. If you're interested in taking part, the website is full of information -- or just get a hold of me and I'll hook you up.

I'll be getting involved with Art Attack, the upcoming municipal election and possibly more urban design issues as they become available. Exciting times ;-)