With all the doom and gloom being reported it’s nice to contemplate something good for a change. Friday March 6, 2009 marked Toronto’s 175th Anniversary.

It’s easy to get caught up in winter’s blahs and take for granted what we have. The St. Lawrence Market, Pedestrian Sundays, Kensington Market, High Park, The Beach, Cabbagetown, to name but a few and there are many other reminders.

Spacing’s contributing city photographers have donated 175 photographs to the City of Toronto’s Archives and Spacing has created some great historical buttons. Toronto Star Columnist Christopher Hume has a great interactive map of Toronto architecture. You should pick up Toronto’s Visual Legacy Official City Photography from 1856 to the Present by Steve MacKinnon & Karen Teeple & Michele Dale as it’s a fascinating book. It details Toronto’s progress from the building of The Bloor Street Viaduct, old and new city hall, to street life through the eras.

You’ve come a long way Toronto. Hoping we can continue to build a better city together.

Toronto Star columnist Christopher Hume is featured on the Nature of Things tonight. Tonight’s episode, The Living City, will focus on what is wrong and going right in Canada’s urban centres.

Taxpayers and politicians should take note. This show is timely and tack on. City planning seems too often to be in the hands get rich quick developers. This kind of thinking/debate could improve our city, economy and standard of living. The talk of Infrastructure is everywhere. With 80% of the population living urban areas planning how and where we spend millions is the key to maximizing effectiveness and benefit to residents.