Spacing Radio

Reliable access to the internet is an essential service in any community. But there are barriers to bridging the "digital divide," especially in northern and Indigenous communities. Beyond the technical challenges, every community must choose what sort of broadband service model will serve people the best.

In the aftermath of the Trinity Bellwoods Park encampment evictions, which saw a massive police presence, private security, and protests, we reached Sanctuary Toronto outreach worker Lorraine Lam, who was there with encampment residents, for an eyewitness account of what went on. And we speak to Humber Professor and Indigenous writer Kerry Potts about her piece in Coach House Books' new essay coll...

This episode is all about plans: big and small, successful and dashed. First, Toronto Star city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro takes us through the story of Rail Deck Park from its ambitious announcement to the recent Local Planning Appeal Tribunal decision that seems to have put an end to the City's hopes to build a new downtown park over the rail corridor. Then Glyn goes on a brief rant about p...

Before the pandemic, the Toronto Transit Commission was actively looking for ways to grow its ridership. Now, after taking a hit in numbers during the pandemic, it's important to think about ways to recover, as we slowly vaccinate the city. TTC Commissioner and Councillor Shelley Carroll speaks about a study she proposed to look at changing rider concerns, as well as the impact of ride-hailing ser...

Throughout this series, a common complaint from Canadian mayors is cities lack the money they need, and the authority to spend it on local priorities. Do cities need more money, more power to raise it (and spend it), or is it possible to establish cost-sharing partnerships between governments that feel like a win for everyone? Brian Kelcey our expert guest: an urban politics and policy consultant...

Spacing and Evergreen proudly present The Future Fix: Solutions for Communities Across Canada, a special podcast series. This is a special, French-language edition. Spacing et Evergreen présentent ensemble une nouvelle série de podcast, Face au futur : des solutions pour les communautés du Canada, d’une côte à l’autre.  CET ÉPISODE: Une transition énergétique intelligente Les défis environnementau...

To celebrate Spacing's latest book, Packaged Toronto: a collection of the city's historic design, we go deep into the history of early, industrial Toronto, and the graphic design of the era. Spacing Publisher and Creative Director Matthew Blackett talks about the inspiration for book he co-authored, and his experience putting it together. Recently retired Chief Curator for Toronto History Museums...

The Indigenous population in urban areas is growing fast. What are cities doing to provide for these populations, to build cities that reflect these communities, and to address the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? Would greater autonomy for cities help achieve these goals? To find out, we speak to three Canadian mayors. Mayor Brian Bowman is the mayor of Winnipeg, where...

Food security is a challenge everywhere, but especially for northern communities. The climate can make growing food difficult, and the distance and expense to ship food can mean long waits and exorbitant prices. In Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, the Arctic Research Foundation, in consultation with local elders, has established a farm and research station, built out of two shipping containers, called Naurvik...

The pandemic has been an existential threat to restaurants, cafés, and bars in cities across Canada. It's also been a financial blow to many, threatening their food security. In this episode, we look at the impact on the the business, ethics, and community of food in the city. Wine expert Krysta Oben talks about starting a new business, just as the pandemic struck. Writer, editor, and CBC Food Gui...

We began 2020 with a bit of optimism — how could we know? We had an episode about the public realm and its importance, and spoke to urban researcher/writer Cara Chellew about re-starting the Toronto Public Space Committee. Well, public space became a crucial issue throughout this pandemic and battle for civil rights, and we asked Cara what her Public Realm Resolutions are for 2021. Staying with th...

Dealing with COVID-19 has been a challenge for every level of government. And, in a country where government jurisdictions are often clearly delineated, and defended, the pandemic response has required a certain level of federal, provincial, and municipal harmony. How have municipalities navigated these complex relationships in the midst of a global crisis? In this episode, we speak to TVO columni...

In this episode, we look at the housing and homelessness crisis that has escalated into a full-blown disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dania Majid, staff lawyer with Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, tells us about people fighting to keep their homes, and the push for an eviction moratorium. And street nurse Cathy Crowe, and harm reduction worker Zoë Dodd, give us some insight into the cha...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an existential threat to local businesses all over the country. In an effort to help these shops keep their doors open, governments, organizations, and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) have had to get creative. In this episode, Canadian Urban Institute Senior Planner Ariana Holt talks about the Bring Back Main Street campaign. We go to Belleville, Ontario, where the...

Canadian cities often struggle with their lack of autonomy. Their status as "creatures of the province" can be a source of frustration: higher orders of government can undermine local leadership, and cities themselves sometimes lack the ability to realize their goals. In this episode, Massey College Principal Nathalie Des Rosiers lays out the issues with cities' low constitutional status. Victoria...

It's been too long since we had a classic Toronto transit episode. And, with the City and province grappling with the pandemic, and the threat of a second wave, there's a lot to discuss. We talk with Tricia Wood, professor of geography at York University and Spacing columnist, and Matt Elliott Toronto Star city columnist and author of the City Hall Watcher newsletter. How has COVID affected the TT...

Spacing and Evergreen proudly present The Future Fix: Solutions for Communities Across Canada, a special podcast series. This is a special, French-language edition. Spacing et Evergreen présentent ensemble une nouvelle série de podcast, Face au futur : des solutions pour les communautés du Canada, d’une côte à l’autre.  CET ÉPISODE: Internet devient un droit fondamental   Si internet a toujours ét...

It's been a rough summer for everyone, but people have found ways to get outside and make the most of it. In this episode, we speak to 8 80 Cities' Managing Director Lanrick Bennett Jr. about the ActiveTO bike lanes and CafeTO patio spaces on Danforth Avenue in Toronto: a response to the need for alternative transportation routes and socially-distant business during COVID. And we talk to Park Peop...

We hear a lot about Open Data these days. Researchers demand it, governments continue to promise more of it, and everyday people use it to innovate and advocate for their communities. But what are we really talking about when we say "Open Data," and can it be harnessed to address urgent community needs like housing, public health, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? Tracey Lauriault, associate prof...

In this episode, Natasha Henry, president of the Ontario Black History Society, tells us about the importance of August 1st: Canada's Emancipation Day. And Edmonton City Councillor Andrew Knack tells us about a motion to cut a planned police budget increase by $11 million, and the establishment of a community-led safety and wellbeing task force to address systemic racism and the future of policing...

For our second season, we wanted to begin with a challenge that faces many cities, large and small, that has been given a higher sense of urgency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That challenge is the need for safe streets and active transportation routes for pedestrians and cyclists. To create these spaces, you need to be able to communicate the problem, and pinpoint where an intervention can provid...

The world is taking a hard look at their police forces, the violence they use, the deaths that result, and the systemic and anti-Black racism that even people like Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders admits exists within the service. In this episode, we speak to Cheryl Thompson, assistant professor at Ryerson University's School of Creative Industries and frequent Spacing contributor, about the way...

There have been two full, virtual City Council meetings since the COVID-19 outbreak in Toronto. Those meeting saw near-unanimous votes about building affordable and social housing, expanding the active transportation network across the city, and preparing for a post-lockdown Toronto. In this episode, we speak to city councillors Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park) and Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre)...

In a time of snitch lines, and shuttered park space, we dive into what we're prioritizing in this pandemic, and what, and especially who, is ignored. We talk to Spacing co-founder and Toronto Star columnist Shawn Micallef about what happens to the public realm, now we're in lockdown. Former Toronto Police Services Board Chair Alok Mukherjee, co-author of "Excessive Force: Toronto's fight to reform...

In this episode, we try to gain some perspective on the Covid-19 virus from the safety of our own appartments. We talk to Toronto City Councillor Josh Matlow about his experience in self-isolation, as well as tips from working at home and the importance or wearing pants. Spacing senior editor John Lorinc talks about what this epidemic can teach us about a city's resilience, and where we need to im...