development

Wednesday November 23, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 23, 2022

Humanizing The Way Cities Are Built

Remember when you rented or bought your first apartment? Maybe it was a small studio, or perhaps you roomed with a few friends. The location mattered—maybe being close to nightlife was mandatory. As time went on, your need for nightlife dimmed in favour of a bigger apartment for the family in the suburbs.

November 9, 2022

Imagine buying space in a building as part of a community with shared spaces and opportunities to interact with others. You don’t have to move as your life changes. Instead, your space changes to suit your needs. Initially, you may want a lot of open space and just a small kitchen. When your partner moves in, you reconfigure your space and replace a minimalistic kitchen with a fully functional kitchen where you and your partner cook together. Then, you create one more bedroom and add a bath. You stay in the same community and the same space, but your space adjusts as your life evolves.

This is the world of modular living in the making.

When I was growing up in Warsaw, Poland, modular construction was a synonym for high-cost, low-quality construction and tasteless, cookie-cutter neighbuorhoods. Now, modular construction and business models can give us unique, soulful living as part of a community, where our surroundings evolve with us. Modular construction is attractive, cost-effective and sustainable.

May 7, 2014

Globally, over half of humans already live in cities, and by 2100 the figure is expected to rise to 85% (or to about 9 billion people). This change can place strain on the small patches of land cities occupy. Can we live in cities but still stay connected to nature? As Neri Oxman discussed in a recent podcast, urban and natural, convenience and community do not have to be mutually exclusive. And modular construction plays a key role in accomplishing such a balance.

So, what’s the formula for the most sustainable and livable urban future? In my view, we need to start with modernizing and adapting existing buildings to future needs, balancing old charm and new conveniences, integrating nature and creating communities. When we end up building new structures, we can take advantage of modular construction and innovative building methods and tools to construct them more efficiently and to build in modularity from the start.

August 12, 2022

Are you drawn to older, historic buildings with their “lumps and bumps”? The quirks of these old buildings captivate us and draw us in. When we feel an emotional connection to a building, we cherish it and want to maintain and evolve it while preserving its character.

Eighty-five percent to 95% of the buildings that exist today will still be standing in 2050. It is not uncommon to upgrade buildings, especially office spaces, that are just seven years old. Especially now, many developers and tenants look for ways to entice employees to come to offices to collaborate and innovate. Thus, they implement new technologies and boost energy efficiency. Increasingly, however, they also build flexibility into their design, anticipating a building’s evolution and thus preserving its value, making it future-proof.

A people-centric view of construction results in buildings that are more flexible, affordable and personal. The most functional residential buildings are customizable to our needs at every stage in our lives. Modular construction and buildings bring a multitude of benefits, including reduced waste, speedy building, cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness and flexibility.

May 12, 2022

Modular construction is both profitable and sustainable: The market is projected to grow from $76 billion in 2021 to $115 billion in 2028.

One big benefit of the modular home approach is that it addresses the need for affordable housing. “Expandable” house projects are built from local, inexpensive materials and are designed for changeable configurations. Some modular housing can expand horizontally and vertically (up to three stories) and features resources such as safe roof-water harvesting, green electricity and Wi-Fi.

Forward-thinking architects are designing buildings that respond to external circumstances, such as this “operable, interactive village hut” in China that opens and closes depending on the temperature. In Helsinki, Little Finland was built to serve as a temporary modular conference space during a three-year renovation of the neighboring Finlandia Hall. This adaptable space will be repurposed for new uses after the renovation is complete.

December 1, 2021

The construction industry is currently responsible for 38% of overall greenhouse gas emissions. Modular building projects can significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions because they’re typically completed 30% to 50% faster than traditional construction.

We all want to feel connected and have a sense of belonging to where we live. Our living spaces don’t have to be our bespoke castles; they can integrate us into vibrant communities. Our homes should evolve as our needs evolve, bond us with our history and keep us emotionally connected to nature. Welcome to the future of construction—welcome to the future of living. (Forbes)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro … These sped up clips are posted to encourage others to be creative, to take advantage of the technology many of us already have and to use it to produce satire. Comfort the afflicted. Afflict the comforted.

Wednesday November 9, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 9, 2022

Pushing back against Doug Ford’s heavy hand

October 22, 2022

Premier Doug Ford and his government backed down dramatically on their unconstitutional dealings with education unions, specifically, CUPE. Is there any chance Ford will similarly back down on his government’s decision to override the will of Hamilton city council to freeze the city’s urban boundary?

It would be nice to argue yes, but it would also be fanciful. Ford didn’t back down from the education fight for any ethical or moral reason. It wasn’t because he wanted to keep kids in schools or wanted a fair deal for Ontario’s lowest paid education workers.

Rather, he backed down entirely out of fear. He saw the public opinion polling that showed most Ontarians blamed his government for the standoff, not the union. He heard the threats of wider-spread job action in support of CUPE. Faced with a protracted labour war, recognizing that the optics don’t favour his government, Ford did a dramatic reversal.

December 11, 2018

Good for CUPE and other unions lined up in support. But the grim reality is Hamilton city council does not have a similarly big stick. Municipalities are creatures of the province, and there is no real appeal of a decision taken directly by Queen’s Park and dropped on a local government.

Nor is there much people can do when a government so blatantly reverses itself on environmental policy, which it did last Friday with the decision to allow development on Greenbelt lands.

Four years ago, Ford said: “The people have spoken. I’m going to listen to them, they don’t want me to touch the Greenbelt, we won’t touch the Greenbelt.”

May 12, 2022

That was after he was recorded telling development friends that he would free up Greenbelt land so they could build more urban sprawl. His response was that now historic promise, which now lies in pieces on the ground.

The plan is to take 15 pieces of Greenbelt land, totalling 7,400 acres, and make them available for development in places like Hamilton, Toronto, Grimsby, Pickering and Ajax. But it’s all good, says the government, because we will add another 9,400 acres back in from somewhere else.

What many people don’t yet know is that most of that replacement land, river valleys and the like, is already covered under other environmental protection policies. So it can’t be developed anyway, and the net environmental impact will be more development and on previously protected lands.

November 12, 2021

That’s the sort of sleight of hand practised by Ford and friends. And up against it, there’s a limit to what a local government, like Hamilton’s, can do.

That doesn’t mean city council shouldn’t try, only that our expectations should be tempered. Re-elected Coun. John-Paul Danko put it this way to Spec journalists: “I think we need to turn over every stone, as it were, to find ways to resist this kind of growth that is not in the best interest of our city.”

An example, cited by Danko, could be delaying servicing previously protected lands with essential infrastructure. You can’t build houses where there are no roads and sewers. Another tactic might be expediting intensification in existing neighbourhoods, suggested Environmental Defence lawyer Phil Pothen.

These and other ideas are worth exploring, and will challenge our new city council. But based on the overall reaction to the province’s stomping all over local democracy, they are worth discussing and implementing where it makes sense. The good news is that we’re hardly alone as other municipalities are also feeling betrayed and will be weighing their options.

November 13, 2020

Given that, it makes sense for municipalities of a similar mind to come together, perhaps under the auspices of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). Individually, there might be little they can do to slow down the government’s “pave paradise” mentality. But collectively, who knows?

What is the alternative? Roll over and accept the government’s ideologically-driven development agenda? Allow conservation and wetland protection to suffer as conservation authorities are neutered? Watch farmland disappear under expensive urban sprawl, which ultimately costs local taxpayers because greenfield development doesn’t pay for itself? Those options are even more unappealing. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro … These sped up clips are posted to encourage others to be creative, to take advantage of the technology many of us already have and to use it to produce satire. Comfort the afflicted. Afflict the comforted.

 

Saturday October 22, 2022

Editorial Cartoon By Graeme MacKay – The Hamilton Spectator, Saturday October 22, 2022

Ford government to introduce housing legislation immediately after the municipal election: ministry

The Ford government will introduce housing legislation the day after Ontario’s municipal election, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said Friday.

May 12, 2022

The confirmation comes after The Toronto Star reported Thursday the Ford government plans to “override” municipal zoning laws to allow more “middle missing” housing to be built across Ontario. The changes, the Star reports citing officials, will not permit housing development on the Greenbelt.

Ford previously announced his government would aim to build 1.5 million more homes in the next 10 years, which was a goal recommended by a government-commissioned housing task force report earlier this year to address soaring house prices.

Before his current term, Ford said most municipalities are “slow to approve projects,” and cited the pace of municipal construction approvals as a barrier to making housing more affordable.

The NDP, the Ford government’s official opposition, said it couldn’t comment fully before the legislation is released.

“The devil is in the details,” said housing critic Jessica Bell Friday, at a news conference.

December 10, 2020

However, the party is calling for a housing plan that includes an end to exclusionary zoning, more housing construction, clamping down on investor speculation and rent control.

“We need a comprehensive approach to make housing affordable for current Ontarians, as well as new Ontarians that are planning on calling our province home,” said Bell.

Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner called for similar measures as the NDP and also highlighted the need for investments in social, co-op, non-profit and permanent supportive housing.

“If the government fails to listen to what the experts are saying and what the Ontario Greens have been calling for, I have the whole suite of private members’ bills ready to be introduced to address this crisis in the failure of government action,” said Schreiner. (CBC)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro …

 

Thursday December 10, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday December 10, 2020

Doug Ford takes an axe to greenbelt protections

First, Doug Ford big-footed environmental protections and local authority. Then he went home early, adjourning the legislature until February. Not a bad day’s work for Ford and friends.

November 13, 2020

Under the cover of COVID-19, the government is hacking and slashing the network of regulations and oversight that for years helped balance the preservation of Ontario’s environment with the interests of voracious development.

Think back to before Ford became leader of the not-progressive conservative party. He was recorded telling a roomful of his development industry friends that he would ensure Ontario’s cherished greenbelt would be opened to allow development.

In case you’ve forgotten, the outcry was immediate and very loud. So much so that Ford had to publicly retract his pledge, and reassure Ontarians that he would respect their will on the greenbelt.

But Ford never said he wouldn’t use a back door to accomplish the same objectives. This week, he demonstrated that he has done exactly that.

May 3, 2018

Schedule 6 may sound innocuous, but it is anything but. Passed this week as part of the government’s Bill 229 — a pandemic recovery bill for heaven’s sake — it neuters all of Ontario’s conservation authorities. Their mandate is now dramatically narrower, and a government minister will have the power to veto conservation authority decisions. 

Ontarians have been able to rely on conservation authorities for years to effectively manage and protect rivers, tributaries, wetlands, forests and local drinking water. CAs are not perfect, but they generally work, and they represent local and regional interests. No longer. 

In another alarming change, the Conservation Authorities Act has been amended to allow the provincial minister complete control over issuing permits, with or without input from CAs. And there is no appealing the decisions.

December 11, 2018

Not satisfied with hobbling conservation authorities, the government is also making increased use of Ministerial Zoning Orders. MZOs allow the provincial minister to override planning and zoning decisions, regardless of local government or public input. Again, the decisions cannot be appealed.

This destruction of local control has not gone unnoticed. Conservation authorities, mayors, the Association of Ontario Municipalities, the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the World Wildlife Fund (Canada), Ontario Nature and Environmental Defence of Ontario have all spoken out strongly against the government’s centralization of control. Countless letters to the editor, columns and editorials have condemned the changes.

The government’s response was to double down and push the changes through, hidden deep in pandemic recovery omnibus legislation. 

All this is part of a disturbing big picture. Remember the Ontario Municipal Board, which provided a flawed method of appealing local planning decisions? The government replaced it with the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal (LPAT) a developer-friendly organization that almost always rules on the side of unfettered development.

Then came MZOs, being used increasingly to authorize zoning and planning changes in the absence of local due process and input. Then came the gutting of conservation areas, with their crucial oversight, including of Ontario’s drinking water.

Does anyone else see a theme here? Ever since Doug Ford blew up Toronto city council to suit his personal whims, it has been clear he is not remotely interested in local decision-making authority. He wants Ontario open for business, regardless of environmental impact. And he’s getting his wish. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Friday November 13, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 13, 2020

Don’t give free rein to Ontario’s developers

Doug Ford is moving quickly but quietly to give Ontario’s developers the upper hand over Ontario’s environment.

November 22, 2019

For proof of this ominous change, check out how Premier Ford’s provincial government is stripping away the powers of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities when it comes to approving new development in many of the province’s most vital natural areas.

Since mid-20th century, conservation authorities have been responsible not only for controlling floods but for protecting and restoring the land, water and natural habitats in this province. They’ve done a superb job, too, even if many developers consider them nothing more than red tape that slows or stops a money-making venture.

But in defiance of this long-held mandate, the Progressive Conservatives last week unveiled legislation that would curtail the conservation authorities’ ability to act as environmental guardians. And as if it was hoping the public wouldn’t notice what it was doing, the government slipped its proposals into its fat, omnibus budget bill.

The public, however, should take notice. What we’re witnessing is a direct threat to responsible environmental and land-use planning.

The new legislation would end the conservation authorities’ role in offering an informed response to development applications and how those applications might impact sensitive natural environments. More power to decide the fate of a proposed development, however controversial, would be handed to the provincial Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

If, where it still had jurisdiction, a conservation authority refused to issue a permit or imposed conditions for a development, a disgruntled developer could appeal directly to the natural resources minister or the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. Until now, someone appealing a permit denial would have to go directly to the local conservation authority’s executive.

December 11, 2018

What the Ford government is doing is politicizing environmental and land-use planning. At the very least, its proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act raise the possibility a developer with a friend in government could one day win approval for a project over well-founded, local opposition.

This shouldn’t happen but the government intends to go even further. The province doesn’t want watershed management and conservation to remain core conservation authority programs, for which municipalities would have to pay. Instead, they would become voluntary programs a municipality could choose to support — or not. 

The Ford government seems to have a grudge against conservation authorities. Last year, it slashed its funding for the authorities by 50 per cent while telling them flood control must become their core mandate. Those shrunken budgets have made it harder for conservation authorities to plant trees, restore forests, and prevent soil erosion and water pollution, all jobs that make for a healthier environment.

May 3, 2018

If the new legislation passes, Ontario’s river valleys, flood plains, wetlands, Great Lakes shorelines — indeed, its water supplies — would be vulnerable to degradation in even more ways. It is also worth noting that the same government is increasingly resorting to ministerial zoning orders which allow it to permit development while bypassing the municipal planning process, environmental assessments and meaningful public consultation.

If Ford truly believes the current process for approving development is too cumbersome, he could streamline the rules, perhaps even imposing tighter deadlines for municipal governments and conservation authorities to respond to a project proposal.

But the interests of the economy, development and money have to be balanced with the interests of our environment. And where they can’t, the interests of the environment should prevail. Ontario should, as the song says, be “a place to grow.” But it should be place to grow for healthy environments, not just developers’ bank accounts. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial)

Reddit: The MacKay political cartoon in today’s Hamilton Spectator couldn’t be better