Although subway stations may not be seen as tourist attractions just yet, this may start to change. All over the world, transportation nodes are holding their own in the design and architecture industry, and soon Toronto will have six new stations by world-renowned architects Will Alsop and Norman Foster, which will hopefully compete. (Stay tuned for Spacing Radio's interview with Alsop in January!) Recently a number of creatively designed subway stations have come across our desks as Spacing, so to get inspired for Toronto's new TTC lines and stations, we thought we'd share some of them with you! In Los Angeles this fall, Lumenscape, a public art installation, was launched at the Wilshire and Western Metro Purple Line Station, serving as a bright gateway between the station and Solair, the mixed-use condominium building above. Designed by Rob Ley, of Urbana, and in collaboration with Lendrum Fine Art, the piece creates an "undulating environment of shifting coloured light."

The Clean Train Coalition is being honoured with the 2009 Bob Hunter "Damn Fine Activist" Award, given out by the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA). This is the first time the yearly award has been given to a group as opposed to an individual. "The Clean Train Coalition owes its success to the thousands of Toronto residents who", according to co-chair Carina Cojeen, "have worked together for a better city." Founded to represent the Georgetown South rail corridor, the Coalition has been working to persuade both ...

A "milestone day in the effort to revitalise Toronto's waterfront", according to John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto, as the design for the Parkside development was unveiled. Although the item was held in Council earlier in the day and an initial press conference with the architect and Mayor Miller was cancelled, the design is expected to be approved by the end of the current session. The mixed-use development, designed by internationally-renowned architect, Moshe Safdie, with developer Great Gulf Group, will be a premier residential and commercial building of approximately 36-storeys, rising from a 38-metre high podium base. It will also be the first private sector development in the East Bayfront neighbourhood . Sitting at the bottom of Lower Sherbourne Street, facing Sherbourne park, the tower will extend from Queens Quay, to the South, to Lake Shore Boulevard, to the North. The new building will join the future Corus Entertainment headquarters and the new George Brown College's Centre for Health Sciences in the first stages of this large scale redevelopment plan.

Will Alsop, the British architect who recently topped Fast Company magazine's 10 most creative people in architecture, returns to Toronto to start his position as distinguished visiting practitioner at Ryerson University. He started it all off on Tuesday night, with a lecture to a full house of mostly students and faculty, about Preparing for Practice. While geared to those entering a career in architecture, there are things Toronto can learn, from this often controversial figure,  about designing in this city ...

"We're not here to ask if it's a good idea if urbanism and transit are related," said Paul Goldberger, author and architecture critic for The New Yorker, in his keynote speech at the Canadian Urban Institutes Designing Transit Cities Symposium. It becomes quite clear over the two day event, that the success of a public transit focused city is inexplicably linked to the success of its urban fabric. The symposium asked questions about appropriately scaled development along transit lines, including public transit in the design of beautiful streetscapes and gaining public support for transit-based cities. Although the focus was for creating cities that are designed around public transportation, "denying the automobile is not going to be the route for transit cities over the long haul," Goldberger makes clear, "but if you do it right, it can improve the cities for those that don't drive." However, "cars, when the only game in town, make decent urban design impossible." He also states, "doing the right thing in a larger conceptual way, is not in and of itself," with respects to the Gardiner Expressway, it is not enough to simply remove the highway, it needs to be replaced with a well thought out piece of urban design, such as the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston. Goldberger spoke about the importance of transit being linked to other transit and the balance of the planned and un-planned within a city, allowing for serendipity.

WHAT: Architecture for Humanity Lecture: Epilogue: Tipping Points and Tangents WHEN: Monday, November 23 @ 6:30pm WHERE: Trading Floor, Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street COST: Pay what you can ($10 suggested donation) Hosting a series of interactive seminar discussion sessions, Architecture for Humanity Toronto, will be investigating a particular topic that has changed or is changing Toronto: a tipping point, or a topic that is often neglected but is nonetheless an important aspect of Toronto and its future: a tangent. Honorary speakers that will lead each session (see after break for bios)

Arts Vote recently launched their 2010 campaign to identify and support Arts and Culture friendly Mayoral candidates in the next Municipal election. The group, founded in 1993, aims to raise awareness within the cultural community regarding the importance of casting their vote. One of Arts Vote's main initiatives during the campaign is to create and distribute the Report Card, which distills each candidates views on issues relating to Arts and Culture in Toronto. This year they hope to ...

WHAT: John Campbell and John Bennett speak at the Sierra Club AGM WHEN: Saturday November 21 @ 2:30 - 5pm WHERE: U of T Graduate Student Union Pub, 16 Bancroft Street This Saturday, November 21st, the Sierra Club is hosting two important speakers as part of its annual general meeting. Come and enjoy Waterfront Toronto's President and CEO, John Campbell as he discusses how his organization is helping to reinvent our city. In addition to Mr. Campbell, we are proud to introduce the Sierra Club of Canada's new Executive ...

WHAT: BAR Philanthropy WHEN: Thursday, November 19 @ 6:30-9:30pm WHERE: Czehoski - Upstairs Lounge, 678 Queen Street West COST: $30 ($25 Token + $5 Suggested Donation) Do you have ideas about improving the community around you, a new product, or a much needed service? Here's your chance to turn those great ideas into reality! Bar Philanthropy, produced by Dream Now, in partnership with Millennium Network, is an event where you can share ideas and get instant ...

I recently attended a community meeting regarding the redevelopment proposal for 2055-2057 Danforth Avenue, at the intersection of Danforth and Woodbine. This site, empty since 2001, is slated for a 12-storey condominium with retail space at the ground level. The reason for the community meeting, held by Councillor Sandra Bussin, was because of a rezoning application for the site, which would allow the developer the extra building height. Prish Jain, of TACT Design, presented the concept for the new building, showing its footprint on the overall site, with its affect on sun and privacy for the local residents. This was followed up with remarks by Leontine Major, Senior Planner, City of Toronto Planning Department and then a question and answer period. The  gathering, which attracted about 50 attendees, was a chance for the local residents to raise concerns on specifically the height of the proposed building. The current bylaw allows for five-storeys, while Toronto's Official Plan suggests a density of nine-storeys for this area.