Edward Keenan: Here are some more very good ideas from Star readers to make Toronto better
Star readers submitted so many good ideas. So, so many. Ones that made us think, or smile, or nod our heads (or shake them).
We’re searching for One Great Idea to make Toronto better, but we heard so many extraordinary, wonderful, excellent, very good ideas that we wanted to share more of them.
Let’s throw block parties to make our city less lonely
I’d like to see community organizers help neighbours put on block parties, where people contribute what they can and neighbours come out of their homes to meet and make friends. If we all knew our neighbours we would have a less lonely city, and we’d be better able to look out for our vulnerable seniors, single parents and people with disabilities. —Lauri Sue Robertson
Let’s try a’conscious uncoupling’
De-amalgamate the city of Toronto. The city has never worked as well as it did from 1967 to 1998. Amalgamation is a failed cost-saving measure that never provided the stated benefits. The suburbs do not have much in common with the old city, so why should the city try to enact laws on a one-size-fits-all basis? Toronto is too big to be efficient and responsive to its citizens. —“R”
What if there was such a thing as a “neighbourhood dining hall?”
Let’s build dining halls
I would love it if there was such a thing as a “neighbourhood dining hall.” Not a restaurant — I envision this as a co-op, non-profit organization run by professional chefs, offering delicious, healthy food that is locally sourced, with dietary and veggie options.
Folks can pay a membership fee based on how often they want to use the service, with subsidies for low-income folks offered via charities and fundraising events.
Diners would grab a tray of food and sit together at tables with long benches to encourage people to meet their neighbours. These dining halls would reduce the stress and boredom many of us feel making dinner everyday, create job training and volunteer opportunities, and help build a sense of community. —Beatrice Taylor
Let’s reimagine the city’s laneways
Toronto has 250 kilometres of laneways running quietly behind our homes and businesses. Most of us pass them every day without a second thought; they’re treated as back-of-house spaces, places for cars and garbage and shortcuts. But laneways are actually one of Toronto’s most intimate neighbourhood spaces. They are where kids learn to ride bikes, where neighbours catch up, and where murals appear overnight.
Laneway coLabs, run by our non-profit organization The Laneway Project, is a citywide program that brings neighbours together to reimagine the laneway right outside their doors. Not a top-down makeover run by urban designers and planners, but rather a process where residents themselves design what their block needs to feel connected, safe, and proud of where they live. —Danielle Goldfinger, executive director, The Laneway Project
Let’s build elevated expressways
We should build highways above train lines, with no northbound off-ramps from Lake Shore Boulevard to the 401. This would divert traffic away from the downtown core — on-ramps only. Southbound, the only exits would be at Finch, Eglinton, Bloor and Lake Shore. These are designed to quickly move large volumes of traffic, much like a GO Train. —Michael Schurman
Let’s make play areas where kids’ imaginations can run wild
Playground equipment is fine but there should also be wilder play areas that encourage imaginative play with small hills and shrubbery planted so as to provide secret nooks where children can pretend they are explorers or knights or cops and robbers — whatever they come up with. —Anita Dermer
Let’s bring back OpenStreetsTO ahead of FIFA.
Let’s bring back OpenStreetsTO
We need Mayor Olivia Chow and city council to bring back OpenStreetsTO with dedicated and permanent funding. Open Streets not only helps improve public health outcomes, but also brings people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds together while boosting local businesses. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Toronto next year, Open Streets provide an opportunity for Toronto to establish a legacy from the event. —Robert Zaichkowski
Let’s unbottle an easy fix
With the Beer Store network closing and grocery chains refusing to take empties, Toronto is about to lose its most efficient recycling system — an environmental setback and an economic blow for people who rely on it most. The “Neighbourhood Bottle Dividend” offers a simple, human fix. On collection day, residents leave rinsed cans and bottles in a clearly marked bag: “For Collectors — Please Take.” No new trucks. No new taxes. Just a cleaner, kinder way to keep materials moving and returning to use.
This small gesture stops late-night rummaging, reduces litter, and lets bottle collectors — often older immigrant Torontonians — work safely, with dignity and daylight. —Jeremey Nelson
Let’s build a bridge to the Toronto Islands
Build a fixed link between Ontario Place and Hanlan’s Point with an integrated swing bridge to allow boat traffic. This link is not a pipe dream: less than 1 km separates Ontario Place from Toronto Island Park. For comparison: Leslie Street Spit is 5 km; Chicago Navy Pier over 1 km; the Confederation Bridge is 12.9km. —Cameron McQuaig
Let’s create connections on TTC platforms
Toronto’s transit system is one of the few places where people of every age, background and neighbourhood cross paths, yet most of us pass through it without ever connecting. We could change that by creating “Connection Corners” in select TTC stations: small, welcoming spaces inspired by the warmth and inclusivity of Toronto’s libraries, designed for everyone to enjoy while they wait.
In partnership with the Museum of Toronto, each corner would feature rotating micro-exhibits that celebrate the city’s people and places, from children’s artwork and seniors’ memories, to neighbourhood history and nature-themed displays that bring a sense of calm and connection underground.
If successful, Connection Corners could help our transit system become more than a way to move through the city, but a small, everyday way to belong to it. —Kim Samuel
Let’s make a lakefront transportation hub
Let’s trade the Toronto Island airport land for Ontario Place land. Then expand Ontario Place with landfill into the lake (think Leslie Street Spit) to build the airport terminal and runways. Work on the Ontario Line subway to Ontario Place is already underway. That way Ontario Place could also be a transit hub for the city. The current Island airport could then be transformed into a world class park! —Matt Byrnes
Let’s get more trees growing.
We should have a universal canopy
City trees beautify our streets, clean our air and provide cool shade. Each house should have a tree in its front yard, courtesy of the city of Toronto. The city will already provide a tree to anyone who asks, we should promote this: Tree-loving residents could ask neighbours to ask the city to plant one. Or offer to do it for them. —Aida Jordão
Let’s reimagine the Science Centre for the future
Reimagine and reopen the Ontario Science Centre in Flemingdon Park as the Future of Canada Centre. Since Premier Doug Ford has no use for Moriyama’s masterpiece, it’s time for a visionary partnership between the city of Toronto and the federal government to reimagine and reopen it as the “Future of Canada Centre.” Its new mission: to curate a constantly-renewing experiential showcase of Canada’s most innovative companies and universities, and to inform, delight, and inspire to STEM careers, schoolbuses full of our kids. —Jan Gray
Let’s fund art spaces for artists’ sake
Toronto’s artists are leaving the city in droves because there is no affordable or available studio space. Under Section 37 of Ontario’s Planning Act, developers are allowed to have taller buildings or more units, and other such concessions in exchange for putting a minimum of one per cent of the project’s construction costs toward public art.
My great idea is for Section 37 to change policy from developers buying “public art” to developers reserving subsidized below-market live/work artist spaces in every new build. Instead of generic public art that is often ignored or neglected: support and integrate living artists into a livable city for the benefit of all. —Shary Boyle
Let’s ban Airbnb and short-term rentals
Ban Airbnb! Ban the short term rentals! That’s what hotels, motels, inns, resorts and country bed and breakfasts are for! To me, this is a no-brainer. —Anne Grguric
Let’s turn home sales into public auctions
In parts of the U.K. and Australia, if you want to put your home up for auction, it’s a public auction. There’s a date and time published for the auction and an auctioneer carries out the proceedings. There’s none of these hidden auctions that we have here that cause unseen bidding wars that pushed up the housing prices so quickly over the past 25 years. We should ban sealed bids for home auctions. Closed auctions only serve the seller and the agent. They’re not good for the public at large. —David Shore
Let’s make owners of unused land pay up or build housing
Like the vacant home tax, there should be an unproductive land tax. Taxes should escalate year over year, and by year five, it should be too expensive for a landowner to just a hold property and not put up at least temporary pop-up housing. —Jem Sustar
Let’s turn suburban monster homes into seniors residences
We have many monster homes built in Scarborough over past decades with 10 bedrooms and eight bathrooms. What about a neighbourhood seniors residence in such a building? That would offer opportunities for continued family contact and all the benefits that could result. Family members within walking distance could easily be part of daily assistance, visiting and care, necessitating fewer staff requirements. Meals could be provided by centrally located site in each political ward or larger area and delivered to senior residences. —Wayne Koabel
What if we eliminated all right turns on red lights?
Let’s ban right turns on red lights to stop jams
Eliminate all right turns on red lights. I don’t drive in Toronto very much, but when I do I am totally frustrated when I am waiting patiently at a red light to go straight ahead, I then find the empty lane that I was hoping to cross over into consistently filled with cars turning right on red!
This causes some frustrated drivers to take matters in their own hands and drive across the intersection and finish by blocking traffic. Waiting a few more seconds to turn right may save a lot of time for everyone in the long run. —Bruce Hathaway
Let’s see if a new tax can reduce house prices
Replace development charges with a local improvement tax as in Québec. The development charges are paid by the contractors building the houses and included in the price of the house. So when you buy a new house you also buy the street.
With a local improvement tax, the city borrows the money and builds the infrastructure. When you buy a house you only pay for the house. The city charges the local improvement tax, which behaves like a mortgage — but borrowed at a much lower rate given it is backed by the city and not by an individual. The infrastructure is still paid for by the new owners but the monthly payments are lower and the price of new houses are much lower. —Denis Beaulieu
Let’s make more pedestrian-friendly zones
We need pedestrian streets in Toronto. These are places where people can safely walk from one place to another. They invite people to socialize with others. Pedestrian streets can be placed on downtown Yonge Street, Front between Union Station and the St. Lawrence Market, Yorkville, parts of Ossington, John Street, and perhaps a couple of other places. —Michael via thestar.com comments
Let’s build elevated, enclosed bicycle roadways
We should have elevated, enclosed bicycling tubes/roadways. Our weather is awful for cycling five months a year, and bikes and cars do not mix. With the rise of 32 km/h e-bikes, one could ride the length of the 401 in Toronto in less than an hour and a half. —Jason via thestar.com comments
We’re looking for that One Great Idea – big or small — from readers, and to kick things off we asked a range of interesting Torontonians for theirs.
We’re looking for that One Great Idea – big or small — from readers, and to kick things off we asked a range of interesting Torontonians for theirs.
Let’s give the PATH a clear sense of direction
We use the PATH when in downtown Toronto and often get turned around and head the wrong way. It would be really helpful if North, South, East and West directional images could be put on all of the PATH signs. —Martha Simmons
Let’s install a network of one-way streets to ease traffic flow
Install a network of one-way main streets. You’d get left and right turn lanes, with two express lanes and parking all day long on both sides of most streets. —Roy Ormond
End on-street parking to help get traffic moving
On-street parking is an absolute menace to traffic, but very few people talk about it. Nearly all major streets in downtown Toronto can only accommodate two lanes of traffic and the fact that we allow parking in one of them is ridiculous. Anyone who insists on driving can use the many Green P lots that exist across the city. Removing on-street parking is also a very inexpensive change that can be implemented quickly. —Justin Wong (Similar ideas were suggested by multiple other readers)
Let’s plant gardens at schools
There should be vegetable and flower gardens at every school. Bendale C.I. in Scarborough used to have a lovely one stretching right across the front of the building, with the produce being used in their cooking courses, but now both the building and the garden are gone.
Some city schools might have room for only a series of container gardens but most, especially in the suburbs, have more than ample space.
The gardens could be integrated with botany and cooking courses; tech departments could build boxes, fences, rudimentary greenhouses, etc.; and working in the gardens could count toward volunteer hours. Produce beyond the needs of the school population could be distributed to suitable charities or offered to local residents at nominal prices. —Anita Dermer
Let’s put a toll on the city’s expressways
The city needs to institute a toll on the DVP and Gardiner. I’m someone who drives from the east end to Etobicoke every day, and I would support this fully. —Ernie Morrison
Let’s get a matchmaking service for housing
There are too many people with nowhere to sleep, or who sleep outdoors in encampments or in overcrowded shelters. And there are many people — usually seniors like me — who are overhoused.
My idea is a city-administered service to match people who have extra room and who would be willing to host people by letting them live in their homes for a while. The guests — refugees, immigrants, homeless — and the prospective hosts would screened and vetted, and matched by a reliable service as suitable for each other’s situation. —Lou Mason
What if the Go system were electric?
Let’s convert the GO train system to electric
Electrifying the GO Train system would be a game-changer for commuters, communities, and the climate. When California electrified the San José—San Francisco line in 2024, travel times dropped by a third and ridership grew by 60 per cent in just one year. Faster, quieter and more reliable trains got people out of their cars, easing congestion and cleaning the air. —Adrian Ryans
Let’s use hydro corridors to build a monorail
Making full use of the Hydro corridors by building a cross-town monorail system. —Michael Schurman
What’s a great idea that could improve Toronto?
Opinion articles are based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
