The Empire Club of Canada
Friday, June 13, 2014
The Empire Club of Canada Presents:
Paul Bedford, Ken Greenberg and Patrick Luciani In Conversation With Christopher Hume On Visions for the Toronto of the Future
Toronto regularly makes the list as one of the world’s 10 most livable cities, and is viewed by many in Canada and abroad as a city that works on a number of fundamental levels. It is, of course, nothing more and nothing less than the many decades of good planning and vision that have gone into building it up from the muddy old town of York to the fourth largest metropolis on the continent, and a business and cultural centre that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The Toronto Star has been inviting citizens to share with others their vision for the future of Toronto, what we must do to continue to be the envy of so many around the world and continue to attract major investment and great people. Whether this vision is based on new architecture, access to the lakefront and river systems, improved mass transit or more technology, readers have responded enthusiastically to Toronto Star journalist Christopher Hume’s call for vision papers, and there has been a wealth of original and often inspirational submissions that give us all food for thought. Christopher Hume and three outstanding visionaries on Toronto’s future reflect on what our City could and should look like as we get further into this new century, and the impact of these visions on the quality of everyday life. Christopher Hume is the architecture critic and urban issues columnist of the Toronto Star. Since the 1980s, when he began working for the Star, he has received five NNA nominations. In 2009, the RAI of Canada gave Hume its President’s Award for Architectural Journalism. Hume was named Toronto’s best newspaper columnist by NOW magazine in 2005 and Eye magazine in 2006. In 2009, Hume hosted and wrote a one hour special about Canadian cities for CBC TV’s flagship series, The Nature of Things. Born in England in 1951, he came to Canada as a child. He was educated at the University of Toronto and Glendon College.
Ken Greenberg is an architect, urban designer, teacher, writer, former Director of Urban Design and Architecture for the City of Toronto and Principal of Greenberg Consultants. Diverse cities have benefited from his advocacy and passion for restoring the vitality, relevance and sustainability of the public realm in urban life. In each city, with each project, his strategic, consensus building approach has led to coordinated planning and a renewed focus on urban design. He is the recipient of the 2010 American Institute of Architects Thomas Jefferson Award for public design excellence and the author of Walking Home: the Life and Lessons of a City Builder published by Random House.
Patrick Luciani is currently Senior Fellow at the Global Cities Program at the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto He has authored two best selling books on economic policy and served as Executive Director at the Donner Canadian Foundation. He is also Co-Founder of the popular Salon Speakers Series at Grano and is Co-Director of the Munk Debates.
Paul Bedford is a Member and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners with 45 years of experience in urban planning. As Toronto’s Chief City Planner for eight years, he championed numerous innovative planning strategies including the Kings, a new City wide Official Plan and a principles plan for the Central Waterfront called Making Waves. He has been appointed Adjunct Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the UofT and Ryerson University. He also serves on the National Capital Commission’s Planning Advisory Committee, the Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel, CAMH Property Committee and is a Senior Associate of the Canadian Urban Institute. He served two terms on the Metrolinx Board of Directors and in September 2013, was appointed by Premier Kathleen Wynne as Vice Chair of the Transit Investment Strategy Advisory Panel to advise the government on transit funding strategies.
Moderator:
Christopher Hume, Columnist, the Toronto Star
Speakers:
Paul Bedford, Member and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners
Ken Greenberg, Principal of Greenberg Consultants
Patrick Luciani, Senior Fellow, Global Cities Program, Munk Centre for International Studies
*The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.*
*Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*