LISTEN TO THIS SPACING RADIO PODCAST George Smitherman loves to walk. Earlier this week, in fact, he walked along Eglinton — all the way across Toronto. I caught up with him yesterday in Leaside, and we walked and talked until just west of Victoria Park. I asked how Smitherman’s vision for Toronto applied to walkability, and what he as mayor would do to improve walking conditions in suburban communities. Smitherman, however, does not see walking as an issue-in-itself. Integration is his buzzword, and as such, he thinks of walking primarily ...

LISTEN TO TODAY'S SPACING RADIO PODCAST Sometimes exploring a city means just shutting your eyes and listening. In this soundscape, Spacing producer Mieke Anderson takes you underground into the Glasgow subway system. Affectionately known as "the Clockwork Orange" because of its orange subway cars and circular route, Glasgow's underground dates back to 1896 making it the third oldest in the world. Recently, the city was considering shutting down parts of the system if they couldn't come up with the money for a massive ...

LISTEN TO TODAY'S SPACING RADIO PODCAST Today is the final installment in our week-long G20 Special. A lot remains up for debate but we couldn't wrap up this particular discussion without drawing attention to the ways our public spaces were divided and designated into zones in order to control protesters (and residents), peaceful and otherwise. Tor Sandberg is the program director for Rabble TV and was in charge of coordinating their video coverage during the Summit. Sandberg met up with Spacing producer Mieke Anderson ...

LISTEN TO TODAY’S SPACING RADIO PODCAST Discussion in the leadup to the G20 Summit took a far more serious and ominous turn on Friday, June 25, when the Toronto Star ran a front-page story about an amendment to the virtually unknown Public Works Protection Act. The change to the law, the Star reported, was passed quietly by the Provincial government, and gave the police broad powers. The amendment was brought to the Star’s attention by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), a group that distinguished itself as a ...

LISTEN TO TODAY'S SPACING RADIO PODCAST Spacing Radio is taking a closer look at the impact of the G20 Summit this week. One incident that stands out for many took place on Sunday, June 27th at the intersection of Queen and Spadina. Globe and Mail columnist Lisan Jutras was there and detained for hours in the pouring rain. Jutras spoke to Spacing Radio reporter Andrew Walsh about the experience. Links to stuff from Spacing Radio's G20 Special, pt. III: The Globe & Mail: Lisan Jutras column You Tube: Footage from ...

LISTEN TO TODAY'S SPACING RADIO PODCAST All this week, Spacing Radio is taking a closer look at the impact of the G20 Summit on our public spaces. But before going any further, we try and figure out what happened leading up to the G20. Today we talk to Toronto City Councillor Adam Vaughan — one of the first Torontonians to find out we’d be hosting the summit — about how and why our city was chosen as the venue. photo by Sam Javanrouh

CHECK OUT TODAY'S SUMMER SHORTS ON SPACING RADIO Lights? Check. Pumped tires? Check. Helmet? Check. Okay, so many of us don't need to literally make a checklist every time we head off on our bicycles, but knowing how to dress appropriately, how to select a two-wheeler, as well as, some fun facts about the history of cycling can be key to a successful ride. And the younger we are when we learn these lessons the better. Reporter Andrew Walsh met up with author Laura ...

ON TODAY'S SUMMER SHORT: What’s the name of the bird that wakes you up every morning with its high pitched call? What species make up Toronto’s feathered population? Spacing Radio reporter Andrew Walsh was curious, so he enlisted the finely tuned ears of bird song expert Ralph Toninger in avian-dense Tommy Thompson Park. Toninger, senior project manager of restoration and environmental monitoring projects at Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, provides insights on what we can learn about our city by the kinds of ...

We're wrapping up the week-long launch of our new SUMMER SHORTS series by giving the last word to the executive director of Jane's Walk, Jane Farrow. On today's Summer Short, Spacing contributor Laura-Louise Tobin tagged along on Jane's tour of the east-end Toronto neighbourhood she calls home. A pajama-clad gardener and dog racing were just a couple of the topics of conversation.... Starting next week, every time we have a story to tell we'll continue to post it at the blog and put it out on ...

Toronto's Exhibition Place used to be one of the top spots to be, and to be seen, in the summer. Its reputation as a hotspot may have suffered over the years but its heritage buildings have withstood the test of time. On this Summer Short, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone led a tour of the grounds for this year's Jane's Walks. Spacing contributor Laura-Louise Tobin tagged along.