Ryerson City Building Institute · a solution to this threat to local vibrancy in the fall of 2018....

Ryerson City Building

Institute2018-2019 Biannual Report

Ryerson City Building Institute | Biannual Report 2018-2019 | Page 1

About UsThe Ryerson City Building Institute combines leading-edge research with broad public engagement to advance progressive city building in the GTHA and beyond.

We envision a future in which all cities are prosperous, equitable, environmentally sustainable and resilient. In collaboration with the Ryerson community and external partners, we produce public policy research and share insights addressing diverse urban challenges to promote healthy neighbourhoods, cities and regions, starting with the GTHA. We are recognized for our accessible approach to knowledge mobilization, our multi-disci-plinary perspective, and for providing leadership and dialogue that motivates action on important issues.

In This Report

This report covers our activites from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019, and was prepared for the Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation, Ryerson University.

Our objective is to provide timely research and analysis of current urban issues that seeks to drive forward new thinking in policy and development. We also seek to connect Ryerson University to broader urban dialogues through academic and engagement initiatives involving faculty and students, and demonstrate Ryerson’s unique thought leadership in city building. In 2018 and 2019,

as we celebrated five years of operation, we met these objectives with a broad program of integrated activities, which you will read about in these pages.

In the first half of 2020, we have continued work aligned with our issue areas (see page 8). However the Ryerson City Building Institute is undergoing a period of organi-zational review and for this reason cannot project next year’s activity plan or proposed budget.

ContentsAbout Us .........................................1Activities and Impacts ......................2 Research ...................................2 Academic Collaboration.............3 Engagement ..............................42018-2019 By the Numbers ............7CBIdeas: Blog and Social Media .....7Issues Focus 2018-2019 .................8Stakeholders .................................10Panels and Appointments ..............11Financial Statement .......................13


Activities and Impacts

Inspiring Change with Action-Oriented Research

CBI is recognized for its public policy research focused on solutions, produced by expert in-house staff and in collaboration with Ryerson faculty and students. Our publications and research activities receive strong uptake by media, government, industry and urban development sectors.

2018-2019 CBI Research (see next page for projects with faculty):

PLUS Getting Intense: A policy paper on rethinking planning for an intensification-first approach.

Rethinking the Tower: A case study review of widespread innovations in development, construction and financing to help achieve greater housing attainability in the GTHA.

Finding the Missing Middle in the GTHA: A thought experiment in which we found room enough for 174,000 housing opportunities in Mississauga via urban intensification.

TAXED OUT:A look at the impacts of rising commercial property taxes on business and culture in Toronto. We presented the results in a public gallery exhibition and hosted events calling for a solution to this threat to local vibrancy in the fall of 2018. See page 5 for full details.

Toronto’s Great Streets: An accessible guide to urban mobility and neighbourhood revitalization through effective street redesign.


Showcasing Ryerson Insights through Academic Collaboration

In 2018-2019, we emphasized our efforts in connecting academic expertise within the university to broader public policy and city-building issues, through events, reports, storytelling and other special projects.

Ryerson CBI showcased Ryerson thought leadership in many ways, notably by including faculty members in all of our public presentations and continuing our “Ryerson City Builders” blog series of academic profiles.

In addition, we established an Academic Council composed of members from diverse academic departments. Its members help to guide our research agenda and provide input on a wide range of issues. See Stakeholders section for more information.

Our work involves three program platforms: research, engagement, and collaboration with Ryerson faculty and students.

2018-2019 Projects with Faculty

Completed » *Can Ryerson Benefit from a Better Yonge

Street?: Report and video about public realm improvements and university campuses prepared with research led by Dr. Zhixi Zhuang, with Jessica Brodeur and Graeme Kennedy, School of Urban and Regional Planning. Content direction by Ryerson CBI.

» On-Demand Transit Data Analysis: A CBI-driven synopsis and promotion of research into Canada’s first on-demand transit pilot. Original research performed by Shadi Djavadian, Bilal Farooq and Irum Sanaullah, Department of Civil Engineering.

» *Turning Laneways into Public Places Toolkit: A faculty-led project resulting in a practical toolkit for laneway revitalization by Dr. Shelagh McCartney and Courtney Kaupp, School of Urban and Regional Planning. Produced in partnership with The Laneway Project.

» Course collaboration on mixed-use development: Ryerson CBI participated in the course “Emerging Trends & Design Strategies for Mixed-Use Development,” delivered to students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning. Collaborative elements included curriculum development, a public presentation at Urbanspace Gallery that included expert external review of student work, and storytelling on the Ryerson CBI blog.

Initiated — in progress » Pedalling Forward with a Priority Cycling Grid:

Research report led by Dr. Anne Harris, School of Public and Occupational Health, with funding from the Metcalf Foundation.

» *Unlocking Housing Solutions: Research report led by Dr. Steven Webber, Assistant Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning. Also funded by Ontario Home Builders Association.

*Produced with research funding from Ryerson CBI

Student PlacementsWe were pleased to work with these Ryerson students in 2018-2019:

Shay Alford, Research AssistantPatrice Mitchell, Project AssistantArielle Zamdvaiz, Project Assistant


Convening City Builders to Foster a Movement

Our events and presentations aim to engage people in making cities better. In 2018-2019, we seized many opportunities to convene city builders and share meaningful ideas.

Ryerson CBI Meetups

Toronto’s Streets at a Crossroads

Our signature events, meetups are hosted free for hundreds at the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre with Steve Paikin as moderator.

On September 5, 2018, we presented “Toronto’s Streets at a Crossroads,” examining and calling for immediate action to end Toronto’s road safety crisis.

Panelists: Polly Trottenberg, N.Y.C. Department of Transportation; Gil Penalosa, 8 80 Cities; Barbara Gray, Transportation Services, City of Toronto; Liliana Quintero, City of Vancouver; Mike Layton, Toronto City Council; Dr. Anne Harris, School of Occupational and Public Health, Ryerson University; Dr. Raktim Mitra, School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University; and Nancy Smith Lea, Toronto Centre for Active Transportation.


TAXED OUT

Our First Gallery Exhibition

In this project, CBI conducted extensive research into the complex issue of commercial property tax policy and the impacts it is having on our main streets. To present our findings, we designed our first public gallery exhibi-tion, TAXED OUT.

To put together the exhibition, we curated all content, commissioning custom photography by Vik Pahwa and visual concept presentation by Spacing. The exhibition ran in the Urbanspace Gallery at 401 Richmond from September to December, 2018, and was open during Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. We were also pleased to present:

» An opening reception featuring a panel discussion with Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto City Council); LoriAnn Girvan (Artscape); Mark Garner (Downtown Yonge BIA); Peter Tomlinson (tax expert, University of Toronto); and Rob Sysak (West Queen West BIA)

» A special reception for Toronto BIAs in partnership with TABIA and Toronto Region Board of Trade

» A remount at City Hall for BIA Week 2019 » A “digital edition” capturing all the visuals and

research data from the exhibition, available for download on our website

Garnering interest from top officials from municipalities,

the provincial government and the Toronto business community, TAXED OUT helped to further an import-ant conversation about changing the course of current taxation policy.


Events Continued...

Urban Innovation Cafe Series

In 2019, we launched a new event series featuring coffee and conversation with industry leaders, public professionals and academics. The first three events in the series hosted over 300 participants in:

» Innovations in Housing Affordability » Hacking Surface Transit in Toronto » Taken for a Ride: Hailing On-Demand Transit for Good

Toronto, Interrupted

A conversation with Ken Greenberg and moderated pan-el with special guests about political changes in spring 2019 threatening the continued progress of Toronto.

Jane’s Walk: Forever Yonge

Imagining the proposed people-centric redesign of Toronto’s iconic Yonge Street.

Mixing It Up in Toronto

A showcase and discussion of Ryerson students’ bold ideas for future mixed-use development in the GTA.

*For a full list of presenters, moderators and event sponsors in 2018-2019, see the Stakeholders section.

CBIdeas: Blog and Social Media

In the past two years, we have cemented our reputation as an active member of the city-building community, sparking and sustaining conversations with key audiences.

Views You Can UseWe publish on the topic of public affairs on our blog. Our most popular of 70 posts in 2018-2019 were:

» Small Town Transit Levels-Up with Bus-Hailing App » Improving Surface Transit in Toronto: Expert Hacks » On Bill 108 and the Housing Supply Action Plan » Value of Time Savings in the King Street Transit Pilot » The Downside of the (Subway) Upload » Rethinking Our Way to Home Affordability » Catching Up with Growth Plan Changes » The Street Redesigns on Council’s Agenda » Free Transit, or Some Better Ideas » Road Safety a Matter of Political Will » What’s Next for Old City Hall » Governance Strategies to Achieve Transit-Oriented

Development

2018-2019 By the Numbers

>100xIn the news

20+ Broadcast appearances

20+ Panel and conference presentations

5,600+Followers

8Public events, with

1,800+Registered attendees

11Formal policy papers, submissions and deputations on vital city-building issues

12,000+Number of times CBI publications were downloaded from September 2018 to

December 2019

Ryerson University faculty member Zhixi Zhuang addressing the participants of our Forever Yonge Jane’s Walk, May 2018.


Issues Focus 2018-2019

Towards Housing Solutions for a Sustainable Region

As in previous years, a great deal of our activities in 2018-2019 focused on housing—policy, planning and implementation. In a region fraught with housing afford-ability challenges, negative environmental impacts from inefficient development, and rapid growth, our message centred on not just increasing supply, but the right supply in the right locations.

First we released a policy paper on intensification-first planning (Getting Intense), followed by a report that demonstrated the benefits of urban densification using Mississauga as a case study (Finding the Missing Middle in the GTHA), and then another report on innovations in housing to improve affordability (Rethinking the Tower). We also presented “Innovations in Housing Affordability,” a public event featuring forward-thinking developers and designers, provided formal submissions

on the provincial government’s new Housing Supply Action Plan, and spoke out in favour of the regulation of short-term rentals and related legislation. Cherise Burda provided the foreword to House Divided, a new book by Coach House Books, and our many blog posts, op-eds and quotes in the media related to housing raised awareness. Near the end of 2019, we prepared to release Density Done Right, a citizens’ guide to urban intensifica-tion and its city-building benefits, funded by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.

As long-time advocates for transit-oriented development and urban intensification, we hope to change the hearts and minds of people across the GGH and put an end to the resource-inefficient regional pattern of development that we call “Tall and Sprawl.”

Hitting Reverse on Car-Oriented Street Design

Our goal with the Toronto’s Great Streets report was to showcase the benefits delivered by recently completed street redesigns in Toronto, and make a case for acceler-ation of safe street redesign across the city. There was, and still is, a sense of urgency to this—Toronto adopted Vision Zero in 2017, but since then, an alarming number of pedestrians and cyclists have died on Toronto streets. The city’s road safety crisis was the subject of our large-scale event in September 2018, “Toronto’s Streets at a Crossroads.” This event generated meaningful dialogue and valuable media attention, to shine a light on the issue and possible solutions, as demonstrated by other cities.

Next, we launched a new study with Ryerson faculty member Dr. Anne Harris, funded by the Metcalf Foun-dation, that will quantify the burden of injuries that could be prevented with safe cycling infrastructure along Bloor-Danforth. Also in 2019, we delivered a deputation to Toronto City Council supporting the City’s updates to the Ten Year Cycling Network Plan and the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan.

We’ve been active for many years in the City’s study of Yonge Street, and the opportunity to capitalize on an upcoming overhaul of underground infrastructure to enact a street-level redesign. To date, we have delivered

three formal submissions to the City regarding the Environmental Assessment, participated in the City’s YongeTOmorrow stakeholder advisory group, and have been outspoken in events and published documents regarding our support for a pedestrian-priority redesign.

In all of these efforts we seek to build momentum for policy changes and decisions that will lead to greater protection for vulnerable road users and a mode-shift from the automobile to more sustainable, active forms of transportation.

Hacking Transit to Get Toronto Moving

Public transit is, of course, key to not only how our city functions but its economic prosperity as well. Intrin-sically tied to housing, this resource shapes residents’ experience of life in Toronto. Building upon previous years’ momentum, we continued to advocate for intelligent transit solutions in the GTA in 2018-2019.

We contributed to public discussion about the King Street Transit Pilot, publishing two influential blog posts about the project, estimating the costs of money and time saved by the pilot. To further express support of the project, we participated in a press conference at City Hall in advance of the Council vote that made the changes to King Street permanent, and wrote two op-eds for national newspapers. Further on the policy front, we participated in several panels examining the TTC subway upload proposed in 2018 by the Province of Ontario, and were featured on TVO’s The Agenda defending the benefits of keeping the subway within the City’s jurisdiction.

While the subway upload was being debated, along with other transit mega-projects in the GTA, we called for im-mediate action to relieve pressure on the transit system

with our Urban Innovation Cafe event, “Hacking Surface Transit in Toronto,” which presented expert views on how to get Toronto moving in the short term using a tactical urbanism approach similar to what we saw in the King Street Transit Pilot. Our next Urban Innovation Cafe, “Taken for a Ride: Hailing On-Demand Transit for Good” had a similar focus on new approaches to urban mobility, and examined on-demand technology and its potential to support and enhance public transit.

“Fabulous event. A highly worthwhile discussion.” – John Parker (on Hacking Surface Transit)

“TAXED OUT isn’t just the clearest expla-nation of a property tax issue that I’ve seen; it’s an intriguing use of space, style and visuals to talk about public policy issues.” – Brian F. Kelcey


StakeholdersRyerson CBI thanks everyone involved in 2018-2019 programming and operations for their time, energy and expertise.

Ryerson Collaborators

Advisory CouncilSteven Liss, Vice-President, Research & Innovation, Ryerson University

Anne Golden, Chair and FounderKen Greenberg, Vice-Chair and Co-FounderPamela Robinson, Director and Associate Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University

PastChris Gore, Ryerson University, Politics

StaffCherise Burda, Executive DirectorClaire Nelischer, Project ManagerClaire Pfeiffer, Communications and Public Relations Specialist

PastGraham Haines, Research Manager (to August 2019)Pamela Livingstone, Administrative Coordinator (to September 2018)

Academic Council (established 2018)Members are Ryerson University faculty membersArt Blake, HistorySara Edge, Geography and Environmental StudiesBilal Farooq, Civil EngineeringChris Gore, PoliticsTony Hernandez, Ted Rogers School of ManagementGeorge Kapelos, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Jenn McArthur, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Dan McGillivray, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Raktim Mitra, School of Urban and Regional PlanningPamela Robinson, School of Urban and Regional PlanningCheryl Teelucksingh, SociologyBala Venkatesh, Electrical EngineeringZhixi Zhuang, School of Urban and Regional Planning

Research PartnersBilal Farooq, Ryerson UniversityAnne Harris, Ryerson UniversityShelagh McCartney, Ryerson UniversityOntario Home Builders AssociationSteven Webber, Ryerson UniversityZhixi Zhuang, Ryerson University

Student Placements

Shay Alford, Research AssistantPatrice Mitchell, Project AssistantArielle Zamdvaiz, Project Assistant

Special Projects Collaborators

Event Presenters & ModeratorsYemi Adediji, Urban Analytics InstituteMolly Anthony, Ryerson Campus PlanningCheryl Atkinson, Ryerson UniversityPamela Blais, Metropole ConsultantsHamish Campbell, Via On-Demand TransitJeffrey Cantos, City of Toronto, Planning DivisionGeorge Dark, Urban Strategies Inc.Dan Doctoroff, Sidewalk LabsBilal Farooq, Ryerson UniversityMark Garner, Downtown Yonge BIALoriAnn Girvan, ArtscapeCarleton Grant, City of TorontoBarbara Gray, City of Toronto, Transportation ServicesRoyson James, JournalistBrian F. Kelcey, Toronto Region Board of TradeMike Layton, Toronto City CouncilNina-Marie Lister, Ryerson UniversityJosh Matlow, Toronto City CouncilAndrew Miller, Sidewalk LabsLionel Miskin, TABIA Raktim Mitra, Ryerson UniversityLeith Moore, R-HauzSteve Paikin, TVOGil Penalosa, 8 80 CitiesLiliana Quintero, City of VancouverPeter Tomlinson, University of TorontoHeather Tremain, Options for HomesPolly Trottenberg, NYC Department of TransportationDevika Shah, Social Planning Toronto


Matti Siemiatycki, University of TorontoNancy Smith Lea, Toronto Centre for Active TransportationRob Sysak, West Queen West BIAJohn van Nostrand, SvN and JvN/d DevelopmentsPhil Verster, MetrolinxKristyn Wong-Tam, Toronto City CouncilLeslie Woo, MetrolinxSteven Ziegler, Downtown Yonge BIA

Partners and FundersEvergreenDowntown Yonge BIAFriends of the Greenbelt FoundationDonald K. Johnson, O.C.Metcalf FoundationOntario Association of ArchitectsSidewalk LabsSpacingsV/N Architects + PlannersToronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA)Toronto Region Board of TradeUrbanspace Property Group

Panels and AppointmentsAdvisory Engagements

Cherise Burda• Government of Ontario, Housing Supply Forum, 2017 –

2018• Sidewalk Labs Housing Working Group (advised Google on

its Sidewalk Toronto housing policy), 2018 – 2019 • Sidewalk Labs Advisory Council, 2018 – 2019• Toronto Atmospheric Fund, Advisory Member, 2018 – 2019• City of Toronto, Deputy Mayor’s Affordable Housing

Advisory Panel (advised the City on its HousingTO consultation process and final policies), June – December 2019

Graham Haines• Toronto City Manager’s Regional Housing Roundtable, 2018• Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs: consultation regarding

the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (with Claire Nelischer), 2018

Claire Nelischer• City of Toronto, yongeTOmorrow Environmental

Assessment Stakeholder Advisory Group, 2017 to present• Government of Ontario – consultations for:

• Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs, regarding the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (with Graham Haines), 2018

• Housing Supply Action Plan, 2019• Co-Ownership Housing Guide, 2019

• Ryerson University FMD, Transportation Advisory Panel, 2019 to present

Panels and Presentations

Cherise Burda• Panelist, “The Better Way to Run the TTC,” TVO’s The

Agenda, February 20, 2019• Panelist, “Developing High-Rise Homes for Families,” TVO’s

The Agenda, February 28, 2018 • Panelist, “Affording Housing in Ontario,” TVO’s The Agenda,

May 24, 2018 • Panel Moderator and Host, TAXED OUT Launch,

September 2018• Panelist, “Are we Building a Toronto for Everyone?” Word

on the Street Festival, September 2018• Panelist, “The Evolution of Cities: A New Reality,” Ontario

Real Estate Association Annual Conference, October 2018• Panelist, “Transit Oriented Development: City Planning

Day,” City of Toronto, May 2019• Moderator and Host, “Innovations in Housing Affordability,

Ryerson Urban Innovation Café,” May 2019• Panelist, “The Future of the TTC,” Town Halls @ WeWork,

June 2019• Panelist, “House Divided: Can the Missing Middle Solve

Affordable Housing?” Urban Land Institute Toronto, June 2019

• Panelist, “Navigating the New Development Landscape after the 2018 Ontario Election,” Urban Land Institute Toronto, July 2018

• Moderator and Host, “Hacking Surface Transit in Toronto, Ryerson Urban Innovation Café,” July 2019

• Moderator, Amherstberg Community Foundation’s Thought Leaders Speaker Series, September 2019

• Panelist, “Urbanizing Suburbia, the Nordic Solution,” City of Brampton, September 2019


• Moderator, “Toronto Reborn: In Conversation with Author Ken Greenberg,” Toronto Public Library, October 2019

• Panelist, “Historic TTC Deal the Way Forward,” TVO’s The Agenda, October 24, 2019

Graham Haines• Presenter, on Housing, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition,

February 2019• Presenter, on Missing Middle Housing Opportunities,

Environment Hamilton, June 2019

Claire Nelischer• Presenter, “The Toronto Museum: Making the Vision

a Reality,” co-hosted by Spacing, ERA Architects and University of Toronto Urban Studies, March 2018

• Presenter, Architectural Conservancy of Ontario 2019 Symposium: Disappearing Main Streets, April 2019

• Presenter, “Green Roofs for Healthy Cities 2018,” Grey to Green Conference, Opening Plenary, May 2018

• Panelist, Urban Infrastructure, “Roadmap to 2030” presented by Dr. Dan McGillivray, Ryerson FEAS, June 2019

• Deputation, Toronto City Council Infrastructure & Environment Committee: Ten-Year Cycling Network Plan and the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, June 2019

• Moderator, event on House Divided presented by Queen Books, July 2019

• Presenter, Ontario Professional Planners Institute 2019 Conference, October 2019

Publications

Books• House Divided, Coach House Books, 2019. Preface by

Cherise Burda.

Op-Ed• “Here’s How to Make King Street King Again.” The Globe

and Mail. January 28, 2018• “Sales Data for King Street a Positive Signal of What’s to

Come.” Toronto Star. February 2018. • “Street Redesigns Show what’s Possible for Toronto.”

Toronto.com, July 27, 2018• “Why Transportation is an Election Issue.” Toronto Storeys,

October 1, 2018• “Here are 3 Strategies to Achieve Housing Affordability in

Toronto.” Toronto Storeys, October 15, 2018• “We Need Surface Transit Innovations While Toronto Waits

for Subways.” Spacing.ca, June 28, 2019• “Is Lot Splitting a Good Way to Increase Housing Density?”

Toronto Star, August 6, 2019

Official Submissions• City of Toronto: yongeTOmorrow Environmental

Assessment Study • Government of Ontario:

• Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe Land Needs Assessment Methodology

• Ontario Bill 108• Ontario Housing Supply Action Plan


Financial StatementConsolidated Financial Report

Fiscal year: April 1 to March 31

2018-2019

Opening Balance $538,613.97

Revenue $597,498.00

Payroll Expenses $(496,315.04)

Non-Payroll Expenses $(96,396.78)

Ending Balance $543,400.15

2019-2020

Opening Balance $543,400.15

Revenue $361,325.00

Payroll Expenses $(439,651.80)

Non-Payroll Expenses $(47,578.45)

Ending Balance $417,494.90

Photo CaptionsCover: Toronto’s Streets at a Crossroads, by Alyssa K. FaoroPage 4 – Toronto’s Streets at a Crossroads:

Left by Alyssa K. FaoroRight by Dominic Ali

Page 5 – TAXED OUT: Top by Tomasz AdamskiMiddle by Dominic AliBottom courtesy Urbanspace Property Group

Page 6 – Events:Jane’s Walk, Forever Yonge by Jessica BrodeurMixing it Up by Dominic Ali

Page 7 Jane’s Walk, Forever Yonge by Jessica Brodeur

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