Featured Guest
You’ll find this guest among our growing roll of Urban Champions.
Adam Lubinsky
Principal, WXY Studio
Janna Levitt
Co-founder, LGA Architectural Partners
Franc D’Ambrosio
Principal, Architect, D’AMBROSIO architecture + urbanism
Alex Bozikovic
Architecture Critic, The Globe and Mail
5 Key
Takeaways
A roundup of the most compelling ideas, themes and quotes from this candid conversation|
1. Rethinking building design
During the chat, panelists listed some of the elements of the built form that will need to be reconsidered using a new “COVID lens”:
- The size of office spaces may need to be reduced due to the now proven effectiveness of remote working.
- The size and format of residential units may need to be reconsidered in order to accommodate living and work.
- Residential lobby sizes and gathering places may need to be reevaluated to accommodate for physical distancing.
- The nature of social spaces in office complexes may need a rethink in light of social distancing requirements during outbreaks
2. A time for innovation with “tactical urbanism” – low-cost, temporary changes to the built environment
Pilot projects have always been a clever way to ease change, and right now, cities are just one big pilot project. Concepts that have not gained any traction in the past, are now being expedited to solve problems in the immediate. Some of these innovations may very well stick – and cities will be better for it.
3. Mass transit needs a big re-think
The role transit systems play in a city is, of course, critical. But the business model is going to have to undergo a thorough reevaluation – both in terms of how systems are paid for, and how they are designed. The topic of multi-centre cities was also debated, both among the panelists and in the chat feed by participants. One panelist suggested there was value in exploring the popular concept of “15 minute or 20 minute cities” in order to reduce the number of vehicle trips and to spur small, local businesses.
4. Density and the demonization of cities
This pandemic has sparked a renewed discourse on the very nature of cities and the potential to reignite the cultural meme that insists cities are places where disease transmission is rampant. But “most North American cities are not actually very dense at all,” as one panelist noted. Some Asian cities, with exponentially greater density, have managed to actually curb the outbreak. Designers and architects, in partnership with health scientists, will be charged with the task of broad intensification in a post-COVID world.
5. Public realm and the commons
COVID-19 has illustrated, very plainly, that there’s a dearth of public spaces at a community scale. Many cities across North America have given up or sold off their publicly owned lands. The urban planning and design profession must promote the reclamation of the commons – by demanding the integration of public spaces into developments and creatively working with the untapped resource of a city’s streets and roadways – which up until now, have been reserved exclusively to the domain of the private automobile.
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What role do planning and design play in a pandemic? Ann Forsyth, Harvard School of Urban Design and Architecture
Will COVID-19 spell the end of urban density? Don’t bet on it. Stefan Novakovic, Azure Magazine
Covid-19 could cause a permanent shift towards home-working. Alex Hearn, The Guardian
The post-pandemic city: Expert on how the coronavirus will impact future cities Phys.Org
Full Panel
Transcript
Note to readers: This video session was transcribed using auto-transcribing software. Manual editing was undertaken in an effort to improve readability and clarity. Questions or concerns with the transcription can be directed to events@canurb.org with “transcription” in the subject line.
Full Audience
Chatroom Transcript
Note to reader: Chat comments have been edited for ease of readability. The text has not been edited for spelling or grammar. For questions or concerns, please contact events@canurb.org with “Chat Comments” in the subject line.
16:03:20 From Lisa Cavicchia: Feel free also to use the chat function to ask questions, make comments, etc.
16:06:12 From Ronni Rosenberg to All panelists: At Sheridan College, we have dozens of students required to log internship hours. Might they participate in some way
16:12:26 From Abdallah Darwish to All panelists: hope you all safe Adam, what software you are using for virtual activities
16:12:35 From Janet Lo: RBC is re-training and re-deploying their staff to work on credit to help business clients stay afloat.
16:13:39 From Adam Lubinsky to All panelists: Emily and Lisa, Let me know if I should respond directly too attendees. One question asked what platform we are using internally and externally. Internally we are using MS Teams and externally Zoom
16:15:18 From Adam Lubinsky: Abdallah, Thanks for your wishes. Internally we are using MS Teams and externally Zoom.
16:15:52 From Sasha Tsenkova to All panelists: Cities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Higher density, transit oriented developments, mixed used environments did not really fare well. What does this mean for the future planning and design of cities? Sasha Tsenkova
16:17:43 From kendall christiansen to All panelists: will local retail be lost forever, or will it rebound as a reaction to on-line shopping
16:17:49 From Scott Butler: Do you feel that this pandemic presents a meaningful opportunity for society to reclaim/reprioritize the public realm (i.e. redemocratize streets, value parks/libraries)?
16:18:29 From Jenna Dutton to All panelists: For all: should large policy projects be put on hold (in your opinion) or continue with innovative digital means? There is possibility that engagement might not be as meaningful as priorities are (understandably) elsewhere etc.
16:18:40 From Dena Farsad to All panelists: What does this pandemic mean for intensification goals?
16:20:27 From Marion Cabral: ^Agreed with Scott. I’m curious to see if there is appetite from developers, urbanists, designers etc. to rethink the public and private realm, and if see behaviours changing where the public seeks more (small) private spaces opposed to large, public spaces.
16:20:50 From John Jung to All panelists: What will be the true legacy of COVID19 on our urban design strategies after its over? Will we need to be cognizant of social distancing designs in the future? Human centric design, etc
16:23:31 From John Jung to All panelists: One of the interesting revelations is the importance of the enabling infrastructure of broadband as an essential utility, yet we have paid lip service to it for over two decades, especially for our rural communities. Will this now change?
16:24:13 From Douglas Leighton: The discussion so far has (understandably) been about personal and business impacts. Looking ahead – what about potential to direct massive Federal infrastructure funding into urban projects that will help economic recovery, deal with housing issues and reposition / retool cities for the new economy?
16:25:53 From Sonja Vangjeli to All panelists: Very good point on design of public spaces (esp. ROWs) in North America. The proportion of vehicular vs. pedestrian/cycle space is very imbalanced, and not the same everywhere in the world.
16:26:09 From Susan Pekilis to All panelists: Will more people want to use private cars to avoid mass transit?
16:26:17 From Lisa Mactaggart to All panelists: I would love to see the “street diet” experiment.
16:26:19 From Andres Assmus to All panelists: 1. What is your point of view regarding Side Walk Labs distraction (debate)? Don’t you think that Canada has the culture to shift Urban Planning as we know?
2. Do we know that Urban Planning is very weak in Cities where the disease is affecting the most? Example: Guayaquil, Ecuador and more than 100 in the world. What type of Tech/Tools can we apply to change this?
16:26:24 From Anne Huizinga to All panelists: do you see this as a challenge for additional mass transit/density moving forward?
16:27:48 From Louis Conway: How can we continue to move forward with responding to climate change during this pandemic?
16:27:54 From Grant Duckworth to All panelists: Building on the question raised by Douglas, how do you see (repurposed) urban development projects (ie., Vancouver Plan, Broadway Plan) contributing to Canada’s long economic recovery?
16:28:38 From Evgeny Voutchkov to All panelists: As urban designer I cannot disagree with the fact that North American sidewalks are rather narrow (compared to Europe), but I can imagine how the opposite camp might reason that perhaps the ample public realm spaces in Europe had led to such a wide spread of infections in European cities.
16:30:15 From Nasim Bozorgmehr to All panelists: I think one of other impacts of the this pandemic on Architecture would be on amenity areas. For example a need for a by-law provision requiring minimum space in the condominums for storage of on-line shopping parcels. Our building is brand-new but I see the concierge is struggling storing and distributing the Amazon parcels. They are using the lobby space to store parcels for residents to pick up as the storage room is too small.
16:30:28 From Janet Lo: as a layperson, who lives in the core of Toronto, I am displeased with having 70 to 90 storey buildings and inadequate public space; where large swaths of the City is protected for single detached housing or low rise housing.
16:31:01 From Michelle Charkow to All panelists: Another key aspect of ensuring public health and safety is proper hand washing. Will this pandemic finally be the kick that municipalities need to provide proper public washroom facilities in the public realm, specifically in more dense areas of cities?
16:31:57 From Ronald Macfarlane to All panelists: if internet shopping and meal delivery take hold as the new way to do things, how will this impact our multi-use walkable streetscapes
16:33:18 From Jeff Lang-Weir: I’m interested in the discussion about a multi-centred approach in a GTA context. As somewhere that’s becoming so reliant on work in Toronto and bedrooms outside the city, is that something we expect to change going forward?
16:33:25 From Karen Wirsig: How do you make mult-centred cities affordable for workers to live close to their jobs?
16:34:07 From Scott Butler: “Multicentred” planning when adopted in 2nd-tier urban centres is a recipe for sprawl and gutting the core.
16:35:31 From Sierra Buehler to All panelists: I think we need to learn how to change/redesign hospitals and public structures to better support a future response
16:35:34 From Magdalena Milosz to All panelists: I recently read somewhere that “closing” or “shutting down” streets to drivers is really “opening” them up to everyone else.
16:35:44 From Sierra Buehler: I think we need to learn how to change/redesign hospitals and public structures to better support a future response
16:35:56 From Magdalena Milosz: I recently read somewhere that “closing” or “shutting down” streets to drivers is really “opening” them up to everyone else.
16:36:21 From Janet Lo: cost of King Street pilot needs to be considered…. requires significant resources to implement.
16:36:31 From Amy Calder to All panelists: Although this talk may be focused on the public realm and physical environments, I don’t think we should discredit the real connections that people have digitally and the potential of digital technologies to support community building. This isn’t necessarily a “synthetic life” for all audience members
16:36:48 From Shwaan Hutton to All panelists: Alex, your Globe column yesterday commended Mayor Tory for prioritizing the provision of quick, ‘affordable’ housing through a modular approach. A lot of the questions we’re asking ourselves during this time about how urbanism should change are currently being researched by Sidewalk Labs: modular housing, flex living space, an emphasis on public space in our communities, the relationship between technology and cities and even smaller details like delivery logistics. The media has been focusing on the data safety element of their concept, which is only a small part of what they’re researching. Do you think this is a good opportunity for governments to piggyback on and learn from the innovative research/pilots Sidewalk Labs is already doing?
16:36:52 From Milton Friesen to All panelists: I like the idea of being opportunistic for good / experimental ideas and how those could be blended back into whatever post-COVID looks like.
16:37:00 From Amy Calder: Although this talk may be focused on the public realm and physical environments, I don’t think we should discredit the real connections that people have digitally and the potential of digital technologies to support community building. This isn’t necessarily a “synthetic life” for all audience members.
16:37:09 From Jeff Lang-Weir: Scott, what do you mean by “2nd-tier” urban centres? In a region like the GTA, that sounds like Hamilton and Mississauga. In both of those series, a decision to stick with only one urban centre would result in a definitive sprawl-focused direction.
16:37:24 From Paul Arkilander: @Magdalena, I love that way of reframing it
16:37:28 From Janet Lo: would be great if buildings could be set back where downtown right of ways are constrained in allowing delivery zones, parklets, and bike lanes… so sidewalks can be adequately wide
16:37:45 From Amy Calder: crisis like COVID are forcing us to reconsider how we engage in and celebrate community both in person and online
16:37:51 From Milton Friesen to All panelists: I think the challenge will be to honour public trust in that process. Sometimes opportunism gets away with things but if people feel like they were manipulated into it, that can have a negative backlash in the long term.
16:38:32 From Janet Lo: I wonder if Montreal’s retail will fare better than Toronto’s…
16:38:46 From clare miflin: One easy way to make the sidewalks wider in NYC is take the bags of trash off them and accomodate containerized waste in the parking lane!
16:39:03 From Susan Pekilis: Although more bike lanes and public space would be wonderful, are we more likely to push a lot of people into private cars rather than mass transit?
16:39:54 From Deborah Jensen to All panelists: Franc touched on it earlier. What about the suburban context? What do we do with these neighbourhoods moving forward?
16:40:07 From Janet Lo: Masks and ability to open windows on transit vehicles…
16:40:08 From Shauna Kuiper to All panelists: How will the reluctance of public transit impact future/longer term transit planning?
16:40:29 From Abigail Slater: Will people be reluctant to use or will public transit have to change to recognize new realities around transmission of disease?
16:40:35 From Janet Lo: The biggest question for daily mobility is what will happen to schools and pick up /drop off for kids.
16:40:54 From Abigail Slater: Again…the most vulnerable are hit by any reductions in transit
16:41:18 From Abigail Slater: Are bikes accessible to all communities?
16:41:34 From Sierra Buehler: And do we need to invest in transit now so its more attractive when things come back to normal
16:42:28 From Janet Lo: Could it be possible to have improved customer standards to reduce crowding on the busiest transit routes, and to then have on-demand transit for the poorly used routes, so we can deploy resources to busy routes to reduce crowding.
16:42:38 From Mojan Jianfar: RE: the design and architecture of our spaces: Many of the North American examples I’ve seen of people using streets for unique ways to come together while keeping some distance, tend to be in areas that are favour low rise residential and not necessarily in dense areas where people are living in high rises. However, looking at the design and spacing of apartments in Italy, Spain and France shows that ensuring there are balconies, building court yards or more closely spaced mid-rise buildings is leading to more unique interactions for people *across/or above the streetscape*. Balcony musicals, balcony operas, balcony exercise workouts… This could be an interesting push in architecture and design of our living spaces that can support more human interactions with our neighbourhoods that we may be lacking in our current high-rise design.,
16:43:25 From Abigail Slater: lol
16:43:48 From Abigail Slater: masks when out…
16:44:00 From Alan McNair to All panelists: With the present policy focus on more compact and complete communities in Ontario, we have a serious obligation to create better public open spaces, “Places with Spaces for People”, which can work better for people in their daily lives. I don’t think our present planning regime has done a very good job of this. The challenge now is to also figure out how to design these spaces so that people can use them in the context of the present (and future) pandemic environment.
16:44:06 From Abigail Slater: It is actually a case for more transit rather than cutting back.
16:44:32 From Olusola Olufemi to All panelists: Reduction in the number of people in the bus, train coaches, removing every other seat perhaps?, using face masks; generally reconfiguring the number of people in the public transit at a particular point in time. It’s ridiculous how the Go-train ( easy transmission of bacteria or virus) is crowded/congested especially during peak times
16:44:44 From Lisa Mactaggart to All panelists: I think that we need to properly fund maintenance on public transit. If the vehicles don’t appear clean, then I am uncomfortable using them.
16:44:49 From Jeff Lang-Weir: The recent Ontario Liberal leadership race recently included calls from a candidate for a province-wide basic income and from another candidate for free transit. Neither seemed like inevitabilities before this. Do you think the need for government intervention here to ensure people have access to key needs changes the way those kinds of ideas are talked about going forward?
16:45:11 From Milton Friesen: I think the challenge will be to honour public trust in that process. Sometimes opportunism gets away with things but if people feel like they were manipulated into it, that can have a negative backlash in the long term.
16:45:36 From Michal Kuzniar: TTC concerns of overcrowding amid Covid has identified 9 busy routes on March 31st, asking commuters to shift commute times. This shows that we need funding on these routes to improve frequency or build better transit.
16:45:48 From Gil Penalosa to All panelists: Today we have big roads, few cars, ideal time to create citywide corridors, maybe 4 E-W and 8 N-S. Just take away a lane of car storage (parking) and make a safe grid for all ages and abilities. Now for essential workers, and over the next 3 months for the transition. Who knows, if lots of people using by July, it could be permanent. How to get our extremely timid mayor, council and staff to try new options? It seems like they are eager to return to how we were 3 months ago, wasting an opportunity to change, be better, more people friendly city. Any suggestions?
16:46:22 From Amy Norris to All panelists: I think a lot of people are noticing how nice the city is without the intense traffic congestion. if we can find ways to improve transit people will be able to understand the advantages in ways they couldn’t before.
16:46:25 From Evgeny Voutchkov to All panelists: How about we focus our thinking on how to improve people’s natural resilience to illness? Healthy eating, clean air, fresh and locally produced food (urban farming?) non-GMO food, restrictions on fertilizers and antibiotics in agriculture and farming. Because the truth is people’s immune systems are getting weaker and more prone to virus infections.
16:46:31 From Abigail Slater: Perhaps as we all learn to work from home and employers allow more flex time…we will be able to stagger trasit
16:46:35 From Abigail Slater: transit
16:46:39 From Jacqueline Rhee to All panelists: In Seoul, the cost of gas for your private car is near $4/L while the cost to access transit is close to $2 per trip anywhere – they do use fair zones for really distant travel, but even the most expensive trip is less than TTC
16:46:48 From Janet Lo to All panelists: think we need to shine a light on counterfeit capitalism/corporate welfare – e.g. Airbnb and impacts on housing affordability and bail outs… not to corporations that evade tax… but to those who need it – workers, small business.
16:47:40 From Janet Lo to All panelists: We wont have enough money unless we start printing it to fund all the transit, all the new infrastructure, and all the needs for helping people who can’t pay rent.
16:47:46 From Brodie Johnson: I think there’s going to be some serious questions about currently planned transit projects. A lot of money is being shelled out at all levels of government to combat the crisis that I question what transit projects are at risk of being cut due to prioritizing an even more finite pool of resources now.
16:48:20 From Abigail Slater: to prevent urban sprawl, we cannot let the cities die and the need to rebuild all those small businesses that make communities vibrant…need to be reinforced and supported.
16:48:56 From Aren Castro to All panelists: Transit conversations are extremely important, what are the opinions on how green space, or lack of, play into a future network defined by the post-coronavirus policies?
16:49:21 From Janet Lo to All panelists: Agreed. Prioritization is critical for getting investments that achieve city building goals.
16:49:54 From Lisa Cavicchia: LOVING the discussion in the chat!
16:49:54 From Janet Lo to All panelists: Ontario only spent about 10% of infrastructure investments to align with smart growth…
16:50:11 From Janet Lo to All panelists: The rest was for more rural areas…. paving cottage roads etc..
16:50:25 From Sara Udow to All panelists: There are increasing conversations about the need for affordable and supportive housing right now (Alex just wrote an article about this). With those who have experience building affordable housing/writing about it, what are the opportunities right now? Perhaps in the yellow belt in Toronto?
16:50:38 From Janet Lo to All panelists: Didn’t go to intensifying transit nodes or main streets or bike lanes etc..
16:50:49 From Michal Kuzniar: Does not work for those jobs on set schedules whether they are in manufacturing, service industry, where flex time may not be an option
16:50:53 From Amy Norris to All panelists: I think the reaction against our density is appropriate, not against densification itself, but in the form it has taken (at least speaking from the context of TORONTO).
16:51:43. From Janet Lo to All panelists: Drones are spraying people to disinfect them.. (sorry a bit dark)
16:51:46 From Kristina Leach to All panelists: How might zoning change to accommodate more local manufacturing as people sought to help with supply chain issues, particularly around PPE, but realized there was little capacity for that?
16:51:48 From Gil Penalosa: Today we have big roads, few cars, ideal time to create citywide corridors, maybe 4 E-W and 8 N-S. Just take away a lane of car storage (parking) and make a safe grid for all ages and abilities. Now for essential workers, and over the next 3 months for the transition. Who knows, if lots of people using by July, it could be permanent. How to get our extremely timid mayor, council and staff to try new options? It seems like they are eager to return to how we were 3 months ago, wasting an opportunity to change, be better, more people friendly city. Any suggestions?
16:51:56 From John Jung to All panelists: We need to focus on both key disruptors of climate change and pandemics. Will the planning and urban design profession undertake a new look at “Good Density”. What will that look like in terms of solving the challenges of climate change and pandemic impacts in the future?
16:51:56 From Abigail Slater: True not for everyone, but the more it is allowed, the less the pressure…one would hope anyway…and
16:51:56 From Dena Farsad to All panelists: Could you recommend some resources (journal or magazine articles, podcasts etc) on the how/why density/intensification is not the issue in light of the pandemic (I’d like to share with students). Thank you
16:52:01 From Denisse Cerda to All panelists: we need to create incentives for regeneration and renovation of strategic areas, so more mixed building can be build up and provide services
16:52:04 From LA Girvan: Both Toronto and NYC have a significant number of residents in high rise public housing, many with higher risk from serious health impacts from a pandemic. I worry the pandemic will further stigmatize both the residents and the communities. How can COVID-19 turn open up how we put this essential housing infrastructure at the centre of new ‘centres’/ 15 minute cities?
16:53:12 From Abigail Slater: GREAT discussion!
16:53:30 From Amy Calder: Now that things are hyper-local, we may not see a huge resurgence of sprawl. These areas are inherently inaccessible to the necessities of life like food shops, parkland, etc. For instance, as cities close off access to parking lots at large parks, anyone who needs to drive to access these spaces is disadvantaged and cut off from major green spaces. The rationale is to cut down crowds and encourage social distancing, but the effect is that denser communities with access to green space will be better served and isolated sprawling primarily residential areas will not.
16:53:37 From Thomas Dishlevoy: Has the pandemic exposed the fact that we may have an overabundance of infrastructure to serve our essential needs? Look at all of Janna’s now un-needed meeting room chairs, or the vehicle lanes that Franc mentioned. Mixed use development may take on a whole new meaning, with a lot less realestate used on a part time basis only (our 9-5 offices for example).
16:53:53 From Mohsin Kamal to All panelists: Well we already seeing NIMBYism translate during this pandemic with local neighbourhoods resisting the relocation of homeless shelters and COVID19 health assessment centres
16:53:55 From Mark Sterling to All panelists: Absolutely safer to go to the corner store!
16:53:58 From Janet Lo to All panelists: I personally think we need to sacrifice “coverage” in public transit, to save the main routes to have it less crowded and thereby more attractive to riders, to increase ridership and manage congestion.
16:54:23 From Mark Sterling to All panelists: Why put them on hold?
16:54:37 From Janet Lo to All panelists: On-demand transit can be used to deal with “coverage” for public transit service…
16:55:00 From Milton Friesen: On the transit and spacing side, we need to be careful not to bake single solution/mode ideas into the infrastructure, including spacing on subway cars. Adaptive capacity is critical – this mode during a pandemic, this one during mass evacuation, and this one for average days, etc. There are ways to determine which aspects of the system contribute to it reaching a state of criticality, the point at which the system becomes brittle, liable to significant (and perhaps unwanted) change.
16:55:00 From Sierra Buehler: Need to invest in public infrastructure now more than ever, to push us out of a possible recession
16:55:04 From Gil Penalosa: The positive tests for COVID19 in Peel, Vaughan, York is same or a bit higher than Toronto per 1000 people. Not an issue of density, huge mistake, even by very good NY governor. In NYC, also highest positive is not highest density.
16:55:27 From Abigail Slater: localism, food sovereignty, return of certain supply chain necessities (medical for example) …maybe the return of urban factories /urban farms,,.
16:55:38 From Eniber Cabrera: Affordability of housing and transit will be still one of the key reasons why cities will remain as the centre of growth. the GTA needs to implement more policies to allow more “missing middle”
16:56:11 From Mohsin Kamal to All panelists: Great point about the need for overlapping digital infrastructure with social infrastructure
16:56:12 From joanne sawatzky to All panelists: Great conversation. Glad to be able to listen in and the impact on people living in cities now. Looking forward to what this will entail for future design.
16:56:45 From Abigail Slater: YES…return to independent stores.
16:57:07 From Birgit Siber: Further to Janet Lo’s comment, Toronto has been inexplicably slow to invest in the creation of adequate new urban park space in our densifying downtown core. Those who live and work in the core need greater access to local urban parks and wild areas. These areas could be strung together to support pedestrians and bike lanes as well as biophilic corridors.
16:57:20 From Nicole Zambri to All panelists: I think the opposite might happen. If more people are able to work from home, we may crave better community building. We may want to be closer to amenities and walk to them to take a break or have something more stimulating. The burbs might be too boring to escape from work life at home.
16:57:29 From Caron von Zeil: Will there be a record of tonight’s conversation afterwards? Been listening so intently, but didn’t make notes and there were quite a few I wish I had.
16:57:34 From Michal Kuzniar: Google trends have shown more researches for growing your own food. This may give urban agriculture a kick star. In the case of NYC, hopefully a healthcare system similar to Canadas.
16:57:49 From Milton Friesen: On the digital side, let’s be careful to differentiate between virtual as OK for short term and bridging seasons but insufficient on building the kind of capacity that geography, proximity, and human in-person interactions generate. Remember the old email / cell studies that show we still communicate most with people we are most often close to (or have been for an extended period of time in the past).
16:57:50 From LATOYA WILSON to All panelists: We definitely need to look into saving our arts and parks. Many parks and museums are closing temporarily and many may not sustain
16:58:01 From Abigail Slater: @milton Friesen…you are an optimist
16:58:03 From Sue Hallatt to All panelists: yes – we’ll be posting this on Canurb.org on the Citytalks page.
16:58:03 From Lisa Cavicchia: We are recording this session and will do a little write up too
16:58:17 From Caron von Zeil: Thanks
16:58:21 From Sara Udow to All panelists: Love the discussion about arts and culture. But those in the arts are amongst the worst hit. As a cultural planner, thinking about opportunities for artists and cultural producers right now…
16:58:31 From John Jung: Thanks CUI. Well done
16:58:34 From Mojan Jianfar: Thanks for organizing Mary and CUI; thanks to the panelists and attendees for the lively discussion!
16:58:45 From Oriana Nanoa to All panelists: Thank you!
16:58:45 From Lorne Cappe to All panelists: Fabulous discussion, thanks!
16:58:47 From Janet Lo to All panelists: I really wish urban designer and planners would get developers to set bac buildings for better public realm space…
16:58:47 From Thomas Dishlevoy: Is the pandemic steering us towards a nightmarish dystopia, or saving us from our current one?
16:58:52 From Jo-Anne Rzadki: Thanks great discussion via panel and chat!
16:58:56 From Thomas Keenan to All panelists: Yes, thanks for organizing and do more of them please!
16:59:01 From Aren Castro to All panelists: Awesome news that this will be recorded!
16:59:09 From Janet Lo to All panelists: Instead, we have to remove planting after the fact in the street furnishing zone… at who’s expense…
16:59:20 From Ryan Walker: Thank you CUI and panelists. I really enjoyed this.
16:59:23 From Peter Turner to All panelists: thank you, CUI.
16:59:31 From Lisa Mactaggart to All panelists: Thank you panelists. Great discussion.
16:59:42 From Shannon Baker to All panelists: Would love to see different professionals involved in these discussions. We need to hear the voice of a *Landscape Architect* when talking about public realm!
16:59:45 From Alan McNair to All panelists: Excellent!
16:59:49 From Mina Hanna to All panelists: Thank you for this great discussion!
16:59:54 From Janet Lo to All panelists: Weirdly – not much is new…. needing complete communities with urban growth centres connected by good quality transit.
17:00:00 From Anni Buelles to All panelists: Thank you, great discussion!
17:00:04 From Sara Udow to All panelists: Thank you for organizing!
17:00:06 From Abigail Slater: I meant @michal is the optimist re NY healthcare!
17:00:11 From Yvette Jancso: Thank you for a great discussion!
17:00:12 From LATOYA WILSON to All panelists: I look forward to continue this conversation. I live in Jersey, but would love to partner with Canada,.
17:00:22 From Marco Zanetti to All panelists: We will need to move from the good philosophy to practicable practices..
17:00:25 From LA Girvan: Thanks for the conversation, CUI!
17:00:25 From Michal Kuzniar: We won’t all suddenly be working from home. We need flexibility and freedom to go outside of the house. Mental Health is another topic of discussion as people are having difficulty being at home, uncertain about their finances, and who are not able to occupy their time with work, hobbies, or online learning.
17:00:25 From Catherine Nasmith: One of the pluses has been being able to hear the birds
17:00:30 From Peter Turner: Thank you, CUI.
17:00:30 From Mario mammone to All panelists: In Quebec, buying local movement is growing, the return of smaller grocery stores, will be returning ! and community gardens in the urban life! Yes leadership role in city planning ….In the 90’s I worked in Japan, met with Toyota homes, 25 years later they will build a whole city! lets work smart!
17:00:31 From Pam Cooper to All panelists: thank you!
17:00:35 From Abigail Slater: THANK YOU Mary & CUI
17:00:38 From Teresa Kerr to All panelists: Great discussion…thank you!
17:00:39 From Jordan Lambie: Thanks CUI!
17:00:43 From Denisse Cerda to All panelists: Many thanks to all! Here, in the south of Chile, we need references to take the appropriate measures, especially in terms of urban planning (we almost don’t have it)
17:00:43 From Augusto Mathias to All panelists: Thanks CUI
17:00:43 From Sierra Buehler: Thanks
17:00:43 From Mary K McIntyre to All panelists: Great discussion — thanks, everyone!
17:00:44 From Kristina Leach to All panelists: thank you!! great discussion
17:00:45 From v n: 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
17:00:46 From Jason Niles to All panelists: Thank you/Merci !
17:00:47 From Mohsin Kamal to All panelists: Great talk, thanks for a cycling advocate!
17:00:48 From Dianne Himbeault: Thank you
17:00:48 From Amy Calder: thanks
17:00:49 From Vivian Gomes to All panelists: Thank YOU! Amazing discussion!
17:00:51 From Abdallah Darwish to All panelists: Thanks
17:00:53 From Nahid Ahmadi to All panelists: Thanks! This is great !
17:00:54 From Monika Rau to All panelists: THANK YOU! This was awesome!
17:00:54 From Mark Emery to All panelists: Thanks everyone!
17:00:54 From richard LIBRACH to All panelists: thanks to all panelists
17:00:55 From LATOYA WILSON to All panelists: Thanks
17:00:55 From Megan Wallingford to All panelists: Thank you for an excellent conversation!
17:00:55 From David Premi to All panelists: Great discussion!
17:00:55 From Cynthia Woods: Thank you very much!
17:00:57 From Olusola Olufemi to All panelists: Thank you
17:00:58 From Sanchari Quader to All panelists: Thanks to all panelists!
17:00:59 From Hesam Rostami to All panelists: Thanks everyone!
17:01:00 From Ronald Macfarlane to All panelists: thanks
17:01:01 From Allan Kean to All panelists: Thanks CUI and Panelists!
17:01:01 From Isabelle Janton to All panelists: Thank you
17:01:01 From Brittany Livingston: Thank you!!! Fantastic panel!!
17:01:02 From Amina Lalor to All panelists: Great discussion – thanks!
17:01:02 From Caron von Zeil: Thank you!
17:01:03 From Aren Castro to All panelists: 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
17:01:04 From James McCallan to All panelists: Thanks, looking forward to the next talk.
17:01:04 From Kathy Suggitt: Thanks! Great discussion
17:01:06 From Sonja Vangjeli to All panelists: This was great! Thanks.
17:01:07 From Marion Cabral: thanks!!
17:01:07 From Jane Farrow to All panelists: Thanks CUI and panelists. Very thoguhtful
