Toronto has a way of irreverently disregarding spring. Oftentimes we go from winter right into summer. And this past weekend was one of those magical times when summer just appeared and Torontonians far and wide decided to showcase their pasty bodies after a long and dark winter.

But now that the warm weather is upon us, it's important to keep in mind a few very important things. Don't ride an electric scooter. They're too dangerous. You might hit a car.

Make sure you use the washroom before leaving home. Most public washrooms aren't open yet because peeing season obviously hasn't started yet. I think it starts sometime in late May. Or maybe it's early June.

Purchase all of your alcohol beverages from the liquor control board. That's the safest way to do it. And whatever you do, don't consume said alcohol beverages in any of the city's public spaces. That is strictly forbidden.

If you have a backyard, that is an acceptable place to drink responsibly, or irresponsibly. But if you don't have a backyard, you're out of luck. I would encourage you to simply crack a window and linger next to it. But of course, be mindful not to get too close to it.

I don't know why we're so uptight about shit.

“It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.” -William Whyte

In 1980, the sociologist and urbanist William Whyte published a revolutionary book called The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. 

The ambition was to discover why some urban plazas are successful and why many others fail. And to do that, he went out and studied urban plazas throughout New York using video and simple observation, such as head counting.

His work has been hugely influential for architects, designers, and other urbanists. But if you think about how often we fail at creating urban spaces that actually attract people, I think it’s worthwhile revising what Whyte discovered way back in the 70s and 80s.

Some of the principles – such as providing places to sit – are dead simple and intuitive. But again, a lot of urban spaces suck. So we’re clearly not doing it.

The other thing I feel we often forget is that it’s not just the space itself that matters, it’s also the urban fabric around it. The Seagram Building in New York plays a central role in Whyte’s work as an example of a successful urban plaza. 

But we can’t forget that Mies van der Rohe’s simple gesture of setting the tower back from the street is strengthened by the remaining urban fabric and the activity along Park Avenue. The plaza acts as a kind of release.

Alongside the book, Whyte also published a 60 minute video. If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend you watch it when you get a chance. Click here if you can’t see the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjxXTsHgc8g&w=420&h=315]

To close out this post, I thought it would be fun if everyone shared their favorite public urban space in the comment section. It can be in your city or it could just be a place you’ve visited.

To kick things off, I’m going to go with with a space that’s close to home: Berczy Park. It has lots of places to sit, including movable chairs. There’s a great water feature. And it’s well connected to the rest of the area and surrounding streets. I often sit there during lunch or when I just want to think.

It’s also in the midst of a revitalization and I’m excited to see that come together.