Episode Description

In this episode, we sit down with Laura Manes, a strategic change agent with over 20 years of experience in retail and consumer brand innovation. Laura shares her insights on how Toronto can reclaim its status as a Challenger City. We discuss the importance of human-centric design, the need to focus on often overlooked stakeholders, and how vibrant local neighborhoods can foster community engagement. Laura also highlights successful urban planning examples from other cities and offers her vision for a more dynamic and inclusive Toronto.

Key Topics:

• Toronto’s Transition: How the city lost its way with the overdevelopment of sterile condo towers.
• Human-Centric Design: The importance of focusing on children, families, and lower-income residents to create vibrant urban spaces.
• School Streetscapes: Benefits for the whole neighborhood and the challenge of convincing parents.
• Vibrant Neighborhoods: The contrast between Toronto’s older neighborhoods and new developments.
• Retail and Condo Development Disconnect: How retail becomes a no man’s land in condo developments.
• Success Stories: Assembly Square on the Mystic River as a model for urban planning.
• Pedestrian Streets: The benefits of pedestrianizing streets like King Street.
• Reviving Yonge Street: Reopening store entrances to create a more inviting streetscape.
• Improving Suburban Connectivity: The need for efficient park-and-ride systems.

Quotes:

• “Toronto used to be a great Challenger City, but we've lost our way through the overdevelopment of sterile condo towers.”
• “A good human-centric city focuses on the least loud stakeholders—children, families, and lower-income people. If you build for them, the rest takes care of itself.”
• “Our skyline is becoming monotonous. We need to push beyond condo-centric development and foster a more diverse, engaging urban fabric.”
• “Imagine if King Street was pedestrianized. In Europe, trams and pedestrians coexist. Designing like this enables great retail, patios, and cafes.”

Actionable Takeaways:

• Design retail spaces that invite curiosity and community engagement.
• Enhance downtown transit options to reduce car dependency.
• Allow commercial units on residential corners to foster local engagement.