July 11 ,2011
InsideToronto.com: At Issue 'Open streets' would make a difference in Thorncliffe Park
By Danielle Milley

Report examines ways to make community more pedestrian Friendly

Plenty of public space, pedestrian friendly, and good access to theDon Valley ravine. This doesn't sound much like Thorncliffe Park, but it could in the future.

A new Liveable Community Report for Thorncliffe and Flemingdon released this spring contains several recommendations that would make Thorncliffe Park a greener, friendlier and safer place for the thousands of residents who call it home.

Nearly 20,000 people live in three square kilometres in mainly mid- and high-rise buildings. They are hungry for a more liveable community and they have several ideas on how to make that possible.

The non-profit organization 8-80 Cities came to the community last summer and facilitated a three-day liveable community project to find out what residents thought would make their community better. The report is a result of those discussions with more than 100 residents.

Read more here.

   
March 5, 2011
The Globe and Mail: Bike-riding 'pinkos,' this could be your summer
(By Hayley Mick)
This week, Gil Penalosa dodged streetcar tracks and swinging car doors while cycling to his downtown Toronto office, but all he could see were smooth roads ahead.

Above him, blue skies promised ice-free streets were on the way. To his left and right, gas stations advertising soaring fuel prices provided greater incentive for drivers to trade four wheels for two.

But Mr. Penalosa – a consultant who has travelled the world observing bike-friendly initiatives in ground-breaking cities such as Copenhagen, Melbourne, New York and Montreal – says there’s another reason Toronto’s embattled cyclists might be in for a good ride this summer: Rob Ford’s in the mayor’s chair.

Read more here.

   
April 19, 2011
The Record.com : Waterloo and Kitchener to experiment with car-free Sundays

It sounds like the Walkable, Bikeable Waterloo Forum that posted last month has had one positive impact:

The councils in Kitchener and Waterloo have agreed to try four car-free Sundays this summer, closing King Street right from the Waterloo Public Square to Kitchener City Hall. The report is on the Record website.

Read more here.

   
March 10, 2011
The Record.com: You should really go listen to this guy

You don't have to go to Seville, Spain to Velo-city 2011 to hear one of North America's inspiring voices for the liveable city.

Gil Penalosa, of the Toronto-based 8-80 Cities, is at Waterloo City Hall tonight at 7 p.m., speaking on the Walkable, Bikeable Waterloo. He was a keynote speaker at Velo-city Global 2010 in Copenhagen last year, and is the emcee of Velo-city 2011, March 23-25. His message of encouragement and engagement has inspired city planners and citizens in cities around the world to rethink their car-centric planning.

Read more here.

   
March 10, 2011
The Record.com: Waterloo looks to be region’s lead dog in sustainable transportation
(by Terry Pender)

WATERLOO — This city is poised to take a leading role in Waterloo Region for active and sustainable transportation.

One of Waterloo’s main streets will be closed to traffic for a Sunday this summer. The exact date and location for the first Car-Free Sunday in this region will be announced in the coming months.

Read more here.

   
February, 2011
The Daily Press: Ways sought to make city more active.

Residents encouraged to attend public forum Wednesday night at Porcupine Health Unit
(by Chelsey Romain)

After successfully obtaining a grant from the Heart and Stroke Advocacy Development, the Porcupine Health Unit's Knowledge to Action Partnership has brought 8-80 Cities executive director Gil Penalosa to Timmins to facilitate various workshops and forums over two days.

Read more here.

   
September, 2011
The Minden Times: Creating a healthier Haliburton County

There is no reason Haliburton County can't be a healthy and vibrant community centred around walking and bicycling.

This was the message from Gil Penalosa, executive director of 8-80 Cities, formerly Walk and Bike for Life, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to helping create healthier communities, as he spoke to a crowd at the Minden Hills Community Centre on Sept. 23.

Read more here.

   
December 10th, 2010
The Toronto Star: The Melbourne supremacy and the livable city
(by Christopher Hume)

If Rob Adams is right, Rob Ford must be wrong.

According to the former, streets are nothing less than the key to a livable city. According to the latter, they are nothing more than a way for cars to get from one place to another.

Read more here.
   
July 22, 2011
Inside Toronto.com: Advisor criticizes political inaction on creating liveable cities at town hall

A former bureaucrat famed for transforming the city of Bogota, Colombia through the construction of hundreds of kilometres of bikeways and parks as well as removing cars from almost 100 kilometres of city streets on Sundays has sharply criticized both Toronto's inaction on developing a liveable city and the pro-car tenor of the current mayoral debate.

Read more here.

   
May 22, 2010
thehealthline.ca : City of Woodstock to Hold First Car-Free Sunday

The City of Woodstock follows the lead of many cities around the world and declares June 13, 2010, to be car-free on Dundas Street from Vansittart to Wellington Avenues from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Read more here.

   
February 1, 2010
The Toronto Star: Car-free Sundays- Could they work here?
(by Tess Kalinowski)

With the support of the Ontario minister of health promotion, Margarett Best, 8-80 Cities is pushing for more car-free Sundays in the Toronto region. And there are small signs of interest.

On Tuesday, Best will help gather about 50 politicians and planners over lunch to plug the concept. There will be a Great Streets, Healthy Cities public information forum at 6:30 p.m. at the George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Place, behind Varsity Stadium.

Read more here.