June 10: I believe that Toronto was once known for it’s spirit of innovation in “urban thinking”. Jane Jacobs lived here for a reason. The City was not afraid to experiment and try something new and different. There are many examples: the 45 foot by-law height limit and subsequent Central Area Plan brought in during the Crombie mayoralty come to mind. The St. Lawrence neighbourhood development. The “Kings” regeneration project has been hugely successful and brought thousands of new jobs and residents to King-Parliament and King – Spadina. But somehow that willingness to think outside the box has also yielded some very mixed results.
For example, our approach to bicycle lanes seems to me to be constantly changing. The City’s streetscape is often a hodgepodge of different attempts to find a home for street trees, newspaper boxes, benches and light poles. Depending on where you might be within the City, their location can change for no apparent reason other than the fact that the design thinking changed. To me that means that the City looks shabby and poorly organized, and the overall quality of the urban experience is diminished.
So it was with some interest that I read an interview with Jorn Weisbrodt, the Artistic Director of Luminato in today’s Globe and Mail. While he was speaking primarily about artists and the arts, I believe his thinking is more broadly applicable. He said, in part:
“When I came here, someone said to me that Toronto is already world-class, the world just doesn’t know it yet. And when I heard that, I thought it sounded really bizarre. I don’t think that is actually possible. If you are world-class, it means that the world talks about you. Certain criteria go with that. Toronto may be on the cusp of breaking through to be a world-class city, but that’s something the people of Toronto and the politicians need to want. They need to take steps to make it happen.
…Berlin became (a) haven for artists not just because it was Berlin but because the government was very smart after the wall came down. They let people take over empty spaces in East Berlin. They deregulated a lot. They let nightclubs take over these amazing spaces. I don’t think Toronto necessarily understands the mechanisms so well.
…The Hearn Generating Station is a huge gift to the City because of the possibilities that the space has and what it could be. It could be unique in the world. Toronto does too much 10 years too late, and things that other cities have been doing. These comparisons that people make, that Toronto is the Little Apple, or that the University of Toronto is Harvard of the North. Stop comparing yourself to others. That’s what people in puberty do. Grow up – be your own person and seize the opportunities where you can actually be (what you are comparing yourself to). Artists will always gravitate to somewhere where there is originality, where there is courage and where there is the possibility of greatness.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/jorn-weisbrodt-looks-back-on-his-legacy-at-the-luminato-festival/article30375308/