Spacing Radio

Many people across Canada live without reliable access to food. At the same time, much of the food we do have goes to waste — 2.2 million tonnes, according to advocates.

We need to change the way we produce food, as well as change the linear economy that leads to so much waste, and leaves many people without this basic necessity for life.

Barbara Swartzenruber, executive director of Guelph's Smart Cities Office, tells us about "Our Food Future," a Smart City Challenge-winning proposal to create a circular food economy, reduce waste, and connect local people and businesses with the ingredients they need.

And Thomas Rohner in Iqaluit speaks with Steven Lonsdale of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association who explains how new technology has been integrated into traditional Inuk hunting practices, and helped the people there navigate the changing landscape caused by climate change.

It's been a while since we delved into the always amusing world of Toronto transit. There have been major proposals from the province, major decisions made at council, and the TTC are going into arbitration with Metrolinx.

With so much to unpack, we assembled an expert panel to take us through the major transit news: columnist Matt Elliott, Toronto Star transit reporter Ben Spurr, and York University geography professor and Spacing urban affairs columnist Tricia Wood.

Believe it or not, it was a lot of fun!

This is one of three special French-language episode of Future Fix, or "Face au Futur."

Dans cet épisode, nous avons voulu réfléchir à la façon dont le monde académique pourrait s'insérer dans le concept de ville intelligente. Le nouveau Campus MIL de l'Université de Montréal, inauguré en septembre 2019, correspond bien à l'idée que l'on pourrait se faire d'un établissement universitaire intégré dans un contexte de ville intelligente.

Geneviève O'Meara, la porte-parole de l'Université de Montréal, explique comment le Campus MIL, en se réappropriant une friche industrielle, a su utiliser l'espace de façon inclusive et responsable. Les projets éphémères, les installations technologiques, la mise en place de pistes cyclables et de passerelles sécuritaires ont, entre autres, valu à ce campus l'obtention de la certification LEED.

Pourtant, Sasha Dyck, un résident de Parc-Extension, prend la venue du Campus MIL à quelques 500 mètres de chez lui avec plus de réserve. Alors que l'on parle d'innovation et de progrès technologiques, Sasha Dyck est préoccupé par des problèmes bien plus rudimentaires, qui sont accentués par l'installation du campus aux frontières d'un des quartiers les plus pauvres du Canada.

How do post-secondary institutions, and specifically their campuses, fit into the smart city landscape? The Université of Montréal's new Campus MIL gives us an idea. Geneviève O'Meara, Université of Montréal spokesperson talks to us about how Campus MIL inclusively and responsibly repurposed old industrial lands with temporary urban interventions, tech installations, bike lanes, safe walkways, and other features that even landed them a LEED certification. But Sasha Dyck, a resident of Parc-Extention, is wary of MIL Campus located some 500 metres from where he lives. This may be a story of innovation and technological progress for some, but Sasha tells us about the impact all of this can have on one of Canada's poorest neighbourhoods. As innovative, tech-enabled spaces make their way into our cities we have to ask ourselves: Who is being left behind?

Access to reliable internet has become an essential service, necessary for local businesses, education, and even healthcare. But there's a connectivity gap which has left over half of rural communities without this level of service.

While higher levels of government have been making some moves to expand service beyond major urban centres, it's been slow going.

Some communities are taking on the problem themselves. In this episode, Mayor Larry Oakden paints us a picture of Hamiota, Manitoba, and the co-operative solution the surrounding municipalities there came up with to bring everyone online. And Gary Wilson, Indigenous engagement and outreach lead for Connected Communities B.C. talks about consulting with Coastal First Nations communities in British Columbia to find modern broadband solutions that compliment their way of life.

It's easy to be excited by the promise of new technology, and bold, transformative "smart city" projects. Often that promise is made by companies who offer to pull municipalities into the future, at a speed that leaves local government and leadership behind.

But Pamela Robinson, director of Ryerson's School of Urban and Regional Planning, and Future Cities Canada Fellow, says local government still has a role to play in smart city projects.

And Jonathan Dewar, executive director of the First Nations Informations Governance Centre, says there's a price to pay when marginalized communities don't have access to the data being collected about them, or any say in how it's gathered.

Before Canada elects a new federal government, we thought we'd take a look at what the various parties are talking about, or neglecting to talk about, when it comes to Canadian cities and towns, and the urban agenda.

And we've put a great panel together for you: Spacing Senior Editor John Lorinc, Toronto Star city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro, and TVO urban affairs reporter John Michael McGrath.

We begin this month by tuning in to the Special Committee on Governance, which was created to find ways to adjust to the changes imposed on Toronto City Council in the middle of last year's election.

We catch up with journalist and Walkcast creator Tim Querengesser, as he explains the "MacKinnon Report" — a long list of recommendations commissioned by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party, which may mean belt-tightening for cities and towns in that province.

Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane explains the Ontario Human Rights Commission's new policies regarding racial profiling in law enforcement, the collection of racial statistic in police stops, and even guidelines on artificial intelligence.

And Don Eady, lawyer and partner at Palaire Roland Barristers, helps explain the recent legal decisions regarding Toronto's legal challenge against Bill 5 and the slashing of local wards.

Spacing and Evergreen proudly present The Future Fix: Solutions for Communities Across Canada, a special podcast series.

In our first episode, we explore the unique relationship between the town of Innisfil, Ontario, and the controversial ride-hailing company Uber.

Jason Reynar, the town's chief administrative officer, explains this relationship, and how it has changed transit choices for the people there.

The Future Fix is a partnership between Spacing and Evergreen for the Community Solutions Network: a program of Future Cities Canada.

As the program lead, Evergreen is working with Open North and partners to help communities of all sizes across Canada navigate the smart cities landscape.

The Community Solutions Network is supported with funding provided by Infrastructure Canada.

Lanrick Bennett starts us off, talking about a pop-up pilot bike lane project on Toronto's Danforth Ave.

Jared Kolb is stepping down as executive director at Cycle Toronto. After nine years, he tells us what he's learned about safe streets advocacy.

Jamie Michaels tells us about his graphic novel "Christie Pits," all about a moment in Toronto history when everyday people stood up to racist hatred.

And Spacing publisher Matthew Blackett sits down with urban designer Mikael Colville-Andersen — host of TVO's "The Life-Sized City" — about how Canadian urbanism measures up, globally.

To celebrate three years of the Spacing Radio, we have an in-depth conversation with urban designer Ken Greenberg.

We talk about his new book "Toronto Reborn: Design Successes and Challenges," the growth of the modern city from its humble postwar roots, Sidewalk Labs, Doug Ford, and more...