On a sunny day there is a bright reflection coming from the blank wall across the street from my Kitsilano home. The expanse of matte-grey cinder bricks feels like wasted space.

The blankness of the wall is especially notable, given that other parts of my community have become striking canvases for public art. Much of the new colour comes courtesy of the Vancouver Mural Festival, which matches street and aerosol artists with privately owned buildings (and their businesses). In addition, the Festival celebrates public art with free tours and other events. This year’s Mural Fest (August 8-11) also includes a ticketed concert.

VMF Mural by Ilya Viryachev & James Knight. Photo by *lingling*

While the Mural Festival may have become the most prominent such event, there’s also a lot of other public art driven by businesses or business improvement associations trying to enliven their shopping areas. The City’s Integrated Graffiti Management Program has supported this sort of community-based art for a number of years now (although it needs to be noted: the City supports sanctioned art while requiring unsanctioned graffiti to be removed – so questions of ‘what is legitimate art?’ and ‘who gets to decide?’ serve as embedded tensions here, as in other cities).

My first exposure to mural art was as a child in Vancouver Island driving through Chemainus. I didn’t think about it much at the time, but over 30 years later I can still remember the bouquets of colour springing from the walls of this little town on Vancouver Island. Chemainus bills itself as “the city of murals.” Following the recession in the early 1980s, they adopted a progressive approach to placemaking – and looked to street art as a way to attract tourism and instill civic pride.

The Hong Hing Waterfront Store. Mural by by Paul Marcano Photo by Jasperdo. Chemainus BC

Another notable experience came on a trip to Berlin. It was 1997 and the city was undergoing massive, post-reunification renewal. It was a period of rapid growth, and there was an exuberance and tension in the city that was searching for different types of expression. The Kreutzberg neighbourhood where I was staying was one of a number that was slated for “revitalization” – and became a place for both legal and unauthorized wall art. Street artists proceeded to paint every possible surface with images and messages both edgy and dramatic.

Building Street Art – Bülowstraße, Berlin – Photo by Eye DJ

Today, Berlin is one of the global hotbeds of street art (check out some of the fine examples documented on the Street Art Berlin website). While graffiti in the city is technically illegal there are several spaces where artists can pursue their craft in a sanctioned fashion – purchasing permits from local businesses to paint on a particular piece of wall. Creating an official process like this may take some of the clandestine edge off the art, but it doesn’t seem to detract from what is in reality a very dynamic scene. Of course, there are murals too – and the city is home to a number of examples of art commissioned pieces.

Another city with a strong public art scene is New York. A lot of New York’s iconic graffiti scene developed organically, and came to define the urban landscape in the 1980s. Nowadays, the stealthy work of small crews of artists has also been supplemented by groups actively and overtly promoting public art.

One such initiative is the L.I.S.A. Project (the acronym stands for: Little Italy Street Art) started in 2012 by Wayne Rada, and now a registered non-profit. Recognizing the potential community development angle inherent in street art, Rada and his group started promoting murals as a way to revitalize the Little Italy neighbourhood. The project proved so successful that it spread to other neighbourhoods. Today, the group produces and promotes a number of art pieces each year throughout the city in SoHo, Lower East Side, East Village, Chinatown and Chelsea. Meanwhile, back in Little Italy, their on-going work has helped to create Manhattan’s “first and only mural district”.

Other cities and places, like Boston, Toronto, Venice Beach, and smaller communities like Lynn, Massachusetts, have experimented with other types of sanctioned space. Graffiti alley in Toronto is a marvelous corridor of street art. Signs hung on the wall say something magic: artists welcome. No permit is required.

Graffiti Alley, Toronto – Photo by John Piercy

When cities opt to legitimate graffiti or street art (which is a laudable goal!), a clear and accessible process is important. Artists need to know what to expect, what the approvals process is, whether funding is available, and how long their work will be shown. There ought to be a fairly broad latitude for political or personal artistic expression, but where there are boundaries it should be reasonably clear as to what is acceptable – and civic officials should expect this to be tested.
But does all street art need to be sanctioned? The work of notables like Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Roadsworth – to name just a few – are now the subject of movies, gallery exhibitions and even theft. How many of their pieces would have been given a stamp of approval in the municipal office? Here, ‘graffiti as folk art’ seems compromised by the idea of a permit process.

To make matters more interesting, the legal definitions of graffiti are somewhat at odds with the sorts of distinctions that many people will draw between “good” street art and tagging. For example, in Vancouver, the Graffiti Bylaw defines graffiti as “one or more letters, symbols or marks, howsoever made, on any structure or thing but does not include … a letter, symbol or mark for which the owner or tenant of the real property on which the letter, symbol or mark appears has given prior, written authorization.” And that basically means everything is graffiti – and subject to a removal order – unless you get permission.

In my view, good street art – whether a commissioned mural, sanctioned piece, or even something edgier and clandestine – has the potential to enliven blank walls and other forms of urban canvas. That’s not a blank cheque on aerosol art, but it is intended to speak to the possibilities inherent in the art form.

Don’t believe me? Go check out the great work of the upcoming mural fest, or take a tour of some of the previous years work.

And hey, while we’re at it, do you have a blank wall?

Anke Hurt is a recent graduate of the Langara Community Planning Program, a resident of Vancouver, and a big fan of the city’s burgeoning street art scene. 

The Vancouver Mural Fest runs now through August 11, 2018. Find out all the details at vanmuralfest.ca. 

Cover photo of Jeff Henriquez’s Brooklyn mural by Jada Stevens. And hey… we know who took the photos that we used for this article, but some of the artists remain unknown. If you have any details on the folks responsible for the works we’ve featured here, please drop us a note so we can attribute the pieces appropriately.

Studies have shown that time spent outside is beneficial to mental and physical well being – in a number of different ways. In adults, depression rates decrease with outdoor physical activity and prolonged exposure to vitamin D. Children who live a more active lifestyle, as compared to a sedentary one, consistently test higher in reading comprehension and math skills. Additionally, outdoor play exposes children to sunlight, fresh air, and natural elements, which in turn benefits the immune system, contributes to healthy bone development, and encourages a lifetime of physical activity. And these are just a few of the reported benefits!

In the summer, Vancouver offers an abundance of opportunity to reap the health benefits of being outside. As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, Vancouverites emerge from our winter hibernation and begin to enjoy the numerous beaches, mountains, plazas, patios, walkable neighbourhoods, and world class parks that our city has to offer.

Yet in the winter, opportunities to enjoy the health benefits of being outdoors are often constrained by our need to be shielded from the elements. Cold, wet winters tend to drive people indoors, which has the add-on effect of removing us from a lot of the opportunities for outdoor social interaction that we get during the summer months. Outdoor physical activity also declines — and this, in combination with other factors (like the lack of sun), increases the likelihood of seasonal affective disorder and the winter blues. Of course, none of this is helped by the fact that many of our public spaces seem poorly designed for the rainy months.

Aware of the impact of winter on public life, designers, advocates and community groups have all recommended strategies to activate public spaces to encourage people to get outside on rainy days. In Vancouver, popular mid-winter activities like the Lumiere Festival the Christmas Market, and the Polar Bear Swim exist entirely outdoors, but only for a brief period of time. But what about deliberately designing permanently weather-proofed outdoor spaces to encourage continual physical and mental well being during the winter months? Among other examples that can be found from around the world, two recent ones from Toronto and New York City offer some ideas on how to design weather-proofed public spaces for the benefit of all.

Photo: The Bentway, Toronto. (Photo by The Bentway)

The Bentway, Toronto

Recently opened to the public in January 2018, the Bentway is a covered public trail and corridor space underneath the Gardiner Expressway. Spanning six Toronto neighbourhoods, a total of 70,000 residents live within proximity of this active recreational area. The design by Ken Greenberg and Public Work specifically considers families with children and seniors, and emphasizes winter activities in its programming. Since opening, the main attraction has been the ice skating trail, a figure-eight shaped sheet of ice which is host to ice breaking workshops and skate parties.

In addition to the rink, visitors also find warming stations, a dog play area, rotating public art and light installations, and a fitness area shielded by the nearly 5 story high, cathedral-like concrete form of the overhead expressway. In the summer, the skate trail will convert into a walking and rollerblading space with room for public markets, film screenings, an urban amphitheatre, and community gatherings.

Visited by roughly 20,000 in its first two days of operation, The Bentway has proven that Torontonians have a desire to escape their hibernation and to be physically active, outside, in the winter months

While we have one skate park and one playground located under bridges – the Bentway example highlights other possibilities for these covered areas. It raises a good question: how might we use other “under bridge” areas in Vancouver?.

Pier 2 Park – New York City – Photo Julienne Schaer

Pier 2, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York

In an effort to foster an active lifestyle among a diverse population, NYC has been investing in the year-round programming of community parks. The Brooklyn Bridge Park, opened in 2010, is an 85-acre post-industrial space on the Brooklyn side of the East River.

Pier 2, one of six five-acre piers within the park, is dedicated to year-round active recreation. Protected from rain and snow by the roof of a former warehouse, visitors to the park can make uses of five fully accessible and covered basketball courts, fitness equipment, children’s play areas with seating for parents, handball and bocce courts, and shuffleboard. A roller rink, complete with live DJ, is equipped for in-line skating, roller derby, and roller hockey.

In addition to these activities, the park hosts winter walking tours, with subjects ranging from history to horticulture. Outdoor public BBQs, picnic tables and lounge areas are available year round, with a spectacular view of Brooklyn Bridge and downtown Manhattan.

The adaptive re-use of these old industrial buildings – and even just the presence of a canopy – makes all the difference here. Another example of something we might also consider in Vancouver.

Designing urban public spaces that invites a diverse group of people to spend time outdoors year round can improve inclusiveness, limit social isolation, and foster a greater sense of emotional and physical wellbeing through the benefits of active recreation.

With a little imagination, Vancouverites could reap the rewards of deliberately designed outdoor recreational spaces that shield from rain while offering engaging places for children to play, seniors to gather, and communities to come together.

Do you have examples of good rain-friendly public spaces that you’d care to share? Drop us a line and let us know. And while you’re at it, stay-tuned for more on our upcoming Life Between Umbrellas Design Ideas Competition.

Jada Stevens lives downtown and can be found enjoying Vancouver’s public spaces year round. Among her favourite spots are the beaches and trails of Stanley Park, and the many fantastic people-viewing vistas of Robson Square.

Lead Photo: Wylie Poon

In January, a Council motion was introduced by Councillors Elizabeth Ball and Melissa DeGenova which called for focussed attention on the City’s pedestrian curb ramp program. This is the portion of the City’s budget that funds curb cuts and related improvements for older or sub-standard sidewalks and intersections. The motion, in particular, calls on staff to figure out ways to fund and complete needed improvements to the “approximately 6,000 locations throughout the City where they are still required.”

On one hand, it’s a commendable request, because making our walking infrastructure safer and more accessible for all residents is key to supporting a range of the City’s goals around health, sustainability and transportation.

Of course, the motion also implies some decisions around funding priorities – because 6,000 intersections (assuming they are of equal necessity) will cost a fair bit. So this means some significant funding will be required (in this case the motion points to the City’s 2019 capital budget… along – it is suggested – with “additional funding that could be leveraged from the Federal and Provincial governments, non-profit foundations, and corporate and community partners.”)

Setting the question of dollars aside, we feel the motion, with its call for a greater focus on pedestrian infrastructure, has merit. We also feel that it could be strengthened by being broader in its application. Yes, curb cuts are needed… but there’s actually an array of other pedestrian-focused improvements that are also equally important – so let’s not focus on just one. In fact, we think the motion could be expanded so that it directs staff to develop a Pedestrian Strategy similar to the sort that has guided civic policy and infrastructure investment in a number of cities.

We wrote a letter to Council on the matter back in January. The motion is being considered this coming February 21. Here’s an excerpt of what we said.

… Vancouver is overdue for the sort of comprehensive Pedestrian Strategy and investment plan that has successfully guided similar important investments in the cycling network. Currently, the City has a Pedestrian Safety Study that has focused on some critical hotspots in pedestrian areas; however, more is needed.

To that end, this motion suggests the potential identification of the nature and costs associated with one type of important pedestrian improvement (namely, curb cuts). This could also be an important way to advance city-wide discussion, policy framing, and investment in an array of pedestrian infrastructure improvements, including:

• Installation of missing sidewalks
• Key areas for curb bulges and raised crosswalks
• Sidewalk repair/edge grinding
• Clearer separation of shared pedestrian and bike paths
• Pedestrian safety improvements
• Other key types of pedestrian infrastructure (including seating, water fountains, etc.)

These and other pedestrian-focused considerations could then be rolled into the sort of Pedestrian or Walking Strategy that you find in cities such as Copenhagen, Berlin, Bristol, Calgary and Toronto. In each of these examples, a higher-level Transportation Policy has resulted in a more detailed policy document and action plan that aims to promote the overall walkability of the city. We feel that the City is part way there with Transportation 2040, and that its now time to take things to this next level.

We therefore offer our support for the recommendations of the motion that seek to daylight the overall situation and costs associated with curb cuts; however, we feel the motion should be broadened to encourage a more comprehensive identification of issues and opportunities for the pedestrian environment.

UPDATE: On February 21, 2018, Council deliberated on this motion. It passed unanimously, with no amendments. So, for the moment, no Pedestrian or Walking strategy. Whole the motion is a step ahead, we will continue to advocate for a more comprehensive approach that responds to the full array of pedestrian issues that require attention.

Skating at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto

Nathan Phillips Square, located at the forefront of Toronto’s iconic City Hall building, is a popular place for residents and visitors alike. It’s where the city’s recent New Year’s festivities took place and it also plays host to concerts and other civic activities throughout the year. There’s even a lovely (if often lonely) speaker’s corner located on the SW corner, inspired by the one in London’s Hyde Park, that was installed in the late 1980s.

But in winter time, the big draw is the outdoor skating rink. Kids have field trips to the place, office workers pop over for a few quick turns before work or on lunch break… and late at night it’s not uncommon for a game of shinny to break out.

The day after I landed in Toronto, my nine year-old godson and I felt that it was appropriate for him to take a day off school so we could check it out. Neither of us skate very well but it was great fun nonetheless, even if the really young kids were doing circles around us. We had a good run at things… and used the outing as an excuse for an unholy meal of hot chocolate and poutine afterwards.

Cities, skating and the wintertime of gendered space.

Later that night I was thinking about the popularity of the outdoor rinks at Nathan Phillips and home, in Vancouver, at Robson Square. Both these, and the many other outdoor rinks that you find in places where people entertain themselves with the coldness of winter, have been part of public consciousness for some time. Indeed, the rinks are important enough that they occupy some of our most central, most important public spaces of northern cities.

(In many respects the presence of ice skates also stands as part of our Canadian identity. Hockey may be our national game, but the primary tool of hockey – the skates that people whiz around on – allow the cultural component to travel even further.)

A few months ago I had the chance to hear Adam Gopnik deliver one of his five-part series of Massey lectures out at UBC. The theme of the quintet was winter (“Five windows on the season“) and Gopnik’s lectures focused in particular on the changing perceptions that people have had to ‘the bleak season.’ And, rather unexpectedly at the time, the UBC portion I attended zeroed in on the rise of winter sports such as skating.

Urban skating, according to Gopnik, came to the fore in the middle of the 19th century with the introduction of the one piece skate. (Prior to that, whenever you went skating you had to manually strap blade to boot). And with this change “skating became less laborious than it had ever been; more people skated.” But it was also, says Gopnik, “a social change.”

The mid-1800s, after all, saw markedly different gender roles for men and women – which often manifested themselves in the actual spaces that each were supposed to occupy. This ‘doctrine of separate spheres’ meant that certain components of the public realm were seen as more or less off limits to women of proper virtue, where conversely the private sphere (in particular the domestic space of the home) was seen as being more appropriately feminine.

Into this environment came ice-skating, which, says Gopnik “… was one of the few things urban people could do in public as an acceptable form of flirtation and sexual display.” It was recreation, but it immediately recognized – and accepted – as being much more than that.

Indeed, ice-skating seemed to be one of the things that confronted the notion of segregated spaces for men and women. It shifted the terrain and appears to actually mark a point of transition in how public space was used by people of both genders.

When Central Park was built by Olmsted and Vaux in 1861 there were two separate areas for skating – one in front of what’s now the Dairy and a ladies’ pond over on the west side, not too far from where the Dakota is now. The ladies’ pond was meant for ladies – it was in operation for about ten years and then was closed and later drained because not enough people wanted to skate there. The idea of there being a separate female pond was so against the purpose of skating that it was left virtually unused. The Great Rink, on the other hand, became a place where, hard as it is to believe, as many as thirty thousand people were said to come on a Saturday afternoon to skate or to watch.

I wondered if any of this dynamic was apparent in Vancouver… and for that matter, what the history of skating in this city looked like.

Skating in the new city.

Given Vancouver’s relative newness, it’s not surprising that the history of the sport is at least as old as the city itself. A skating rink was in operation in 1887, a year after the City was incorporated. And for much of the city’s history the winters would often get cold enough that people could skate on either Lost Lagoon or Trout Lake – something that hasn’t happened for some years.

But as for the gender aspect, it’s hard to tell. The oldest image of skating is likely this one – from the early 1890s. It shows a group of rather stately men skating and standing about on Trout Lake.

Men Skating on Trout Lake, Cedar Cottage, 189–?, Item #M-3-11.3

There’s less than a handful of photographs from the 19th century, all of which predominantly (though not exclusively) feature men. Not a great sample to work with. But then, nine years hence, a picture from 1900 shows this elegant couple arm in arm – also at Trout Lake:

Man and Woman Skating on Trout Lake, 1900, Item #: SGN 870

Now, just for fun, a leap further into the 20th century. Fast forward four decades and you can see the marked change in fashions and frivolity. Here’s another shot from Trout Lake in 1929 taken for the Star newspaper (notice all the trees are gone!). A row of men and women, all holding hands, skates towards the camera.

Skaters on Trout Lake, 1929, Item #:CVA 99-1900

And here’s a snap of four fashionable young ladies taken for the same paper. Perhaps it captures a bit of the essence of public display and flirtation that Gopnik writes about. If nothing else, I think the gentleman behind them is hoping to catch their eye.

Skaters at Trout Lake, 1929, Item #: CVA 99-1902

And here’s another picture from the same year down at Lost Lagoon. It may not be 30,000 people, but that’s quite the crowd skating about.

Skating, Lost Lagoon, 1929, Item #: CVA 99-1976

My cursory research – if you can call it that – didn’t turn up anything conclusive on the question of separate spheres and skating in Vancouver… but it’s an interesting enough issue that I’ll do some more digging on my next trip to the Archives or Museum.

It did, however, raise another question. Is public recreational (and non-hockey-related) skating still as popular as it used to be? Gopnik’s essays speak to a decline in the sport, but in Vancouver it’s also hard to tell since it seems like many of the spaces that were once used for outdoor rinks aren’t anymore… if for no other reason than the fact that it’s not been cold enough.

What do you think? If you’ve got some skating stories from Vancouver (or elsewhere) please post them here.

One of the reasons I enjoy my periodic visits out east so much is because it gives me a chance to take a look at some of the new public space happenings in Canada’s biggest city. I always take a notebook and camera with me and, as is my habit, I used this visit to undertake a bit of public realm documentation while wandering the streets and neighbourhoods. Over the next week or so I’ll be posting some of the things that caught my eye. Here’s the first instalment.

An Airport Rail Link. 

I saw this story the night I arrived… and shortly after forking over several bills grab a taxi into town. The Province of Ontario has announced that it will fund the creation of a train connection between Lester Pearson airport and Union Station in Downtown Toronto. Currently, travellers out of Pearson are required to drive, take a cab (like I did) or catch a bus ride on one of the worst public transit connections to be had.

Here’s a Canadian Press rendering of one of the new trains:

This isn’t the first time a rail has been proposed. (Most recently, David Collenette, while Transport Minister under the Chrétien government, made a similar announcement that stalled when the federal Liberals were booted from office). That being said, the current discussion seems to have some traction. Contracts are already being awarded, and at least part of the motivation is a desire to complete the rail link in time for the arrival of the Pan-Am Games in 2015.

This push, in turn, has launched some opposition to the plan… as the timeline would, according to the government, necessitate the use of ‘clean’ diesel trains versus cleaner electric ones. And while the Province has said that they will upgrade the trains to electric down the road, they’ve been cagey on specifics. This, in turn, has led to some push-back from the communities that are adjacent the new rail line… and from residents who are worried about air quality problems that might emerge.

On the other side of that argument experts are predicting the elimination of 1.5 million car-trips to the airport in the train’s first full year of operation.

Bike Racks at the edge of a residential street.

From one transport mode to another… I was walking up Strachan Street (pronounced ‘strawn’) near the Liberty Village neighbourhood and noticed this:

It was the first time that I recall seeing bike-racks on the street-side edge of a grass boulevard. And though you might not be able to see it in this picture, the bike racks are distributed almost as uniformly as parking spaces.

Stachan is classified as a collector in the City of Toronto’s street classification system – which means that, while not an exclusively a residential street, it has that sort of ‘feel’ (and similarly supports a smaller volume of traffic). The roll-out of bike racks in this fashion is good news for cyclists as these are often the sorts of streets where one is forced to lock their bike to a dodgy street sign or something less-than-ideal.

The placement is interesting too. Often times in streets like this, the racks are on the other (pedestrian) side of the boulevard… which increases the likelihood that cyclists will ride onto the sidewalk to get to them.

Street Ads and Wayfinding.

Speaking of pedestrians, check out the new advertising structures – er, “Information Pillars” – that have sprouted up on Toronto streets.

Although the City of Toronto website suggests that “visitors toToronto will now have quick access to information about the city with info pillars,” it seems more likely they will be smacked by the awesome bottlenecking effect that these giants create. The one in the picture takes up about 50% of the sidewalk as you enter into one of the busiest parts of Queen Street West.

And the helpful information? About 85% of the space available for messaging is devoted to advertising. In fact you can’t actually even tell that there’s a wayfinding component associated with the pillars unless you stand facing the structure from the side (and take up additional sidewalk space in the process).

It’s not hard to feel sceptical about the new pillars. Indeed, the main benefit – as Dylan Reid points out in a post on the Spacing Toronto blog – would seem to be that the “design makes the advertising more clearly visible to both pedestrians and drivers, and puts it in a larger, more standard size” (i.e. similar to the format used in other advertising structures). Reid goes on to suggest that this means both Astral Media (the media firm that holdsToronto’s street furniture contract) and the City would likely make more money off advertising. I’m not sure if that’s true or not (I don’t have the figures), but at the very least, given the prominence of the ads, it does raise a sizeable question about the City ofToronto’s messaging priorities.

A few positive notes on this item. First, an update from earlier today: the City’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, responding to concern about the Info Pillars, has “asked staff to review the feasibility of changing the unpopular pillars’ design.” Second, our good friends in the Toronto Public Space Initiative have been doing some great advocacy work around this issue. You can read their thoughts on the Info Pillars here.

A bicyclist’s beer.

My final instalment today carries on with the mobility theme.

Holiday’s being what they are my visit to Ontario presented a good opportunity to try some of the new products from the local microbrews. Per the norm, this meant I arranged a bit of a beer tasting with friends, raiding the LCBO (Provincial Liquor) stores for the their new craft brew selections and then settling down for a night of animated conversation (mingled with the odd tasting note to keep it ‘official’).

Here’s one that proved to be a pleasant surprise: Brick Brewing Company’s Waterloo Radlermass. It’s actually more of a shandy, as it mixes lager and lemon soda (which, not fully reading the label, I didn’t actually notice until I took my first sip!)

More than the summery taste – which was a nice antidote to the bitter chill that whipped around outside – was the little story on the side. I hadn’t had a Radlermass before, but I learned from the label (and later from the German Beer Institute website that the drink is known as “the Cyclists’ Thirst Quencher.” Very nice indeed! Apparently, not many breweries outside of Europe produce this stuff (though I suppose it would be easy enough to order in a decent pub).

I’m glad to have had the introduction. This, along with another new-ish beer called Big Wheel (by Toronto’s Amsterdam Brew Co) suggest that Ontario craft breweries have recognized – via a little friendly branding – the natural linkage between a good bike ride and a nice glass of ale or lager. For once I don’t feel uncomfortable being part of a target market.

Anyway, here’s the Radlermass ‘creation myth’ as printed on the Waterloo label:

After World War 1, bicycle riding became popular in Germany. A local innkeeper opened his own watering hole and arranged for a bike trail through a forest fromMunichto his alpine meadow, only to find some 13,000 cyclists had descended upon his establishment and almost depleted his fine beer. Quick thinking led him to mix a stock of lemon soda with his remaining beer and he called it Radlermass (Radler means cyclist in German, Mass means a litre of beer), which became a wonderful refreshing summer drink.”

A bike trail and a good pub serving microbrews – kind of gets you thinking ahead a few months doesn’t it? Oh Seawall, what further possibilities you have.

Now, on the heels of the same populist approach that has driven them to gut the City’s ability to generate tax revenue wherever possible, they’ve started looking at ways to fill an enormous (and growing) gap in revenue.

It didn’t take them long to fix on corporate branding. Just today, according the Globe and Mail, D-Ford has suggested that “the city should be selling naming rights to just about everything but city hall.” His brother, the Mayor, likes the idea too.

This idea is problematic for a lot of reasons. For one, naming rights and branding of this sort seldom bring in the sort of revenue streams that are really needed. They’re a modest supplement at best – and represent a much much bigger win for the advertiser (not the best example, but think of how many times “Rogers Arena” has been printed or mentioned over the Cup run alone).

More importantly, the sale of naming rights and the branding of public space compromises the spaces themselves – and the people that use them. Shellacking public spaces in a layer of corporate advertising, or selling off naming rights to the highest bidder makes these spaces feel less public. It privatizes them. At times, it can even make the space seem down right exclusionary.

A city’s parks, plazas, community centres and libraries ought to be places where people can avoid the incessant shill-job that surrounds us at so many other junctures in our daily life. These spaces – and many others – are public assets and are part of the commonwealth of the city. They ought, by and large, to remain free from the noisy layering of big advertising symbols with their constant entreaties to buy something. (And to be clear, I’m not talking issue with the small a-frame sign from the adjacent mom-and-pop cafe).

There are exceptions to this, of course. Times Square in New York, Dundas Square in Toronto. But they’re designed to be exceptions: an obesity of signifiers (pouting lips and perfume bottles, shiny electronics and skinny jeans) all soaring 100 feet into the air. These spaces are outliers, artifacts, larger than life – a set of spaces covered with big ads and an over-the-top narrative of excess.

Times Square has a story to tell, for sure. It has its place — outside the norm. This approach should not be the m.o. for public space.