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Alex Bozikovic

@alexbozikovic.bsky.social

16K followers 1.4K following 960 posts

Architecture critic @theglobeandmail.com. Also author, University of Toronto Daniels Faculty instructor, husband, father of two city kids. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/alex-bozikovic/

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 2h

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 2h

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 21h

AS+GG.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 21h

Correction! 30m and 37m widths.

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 21h

Straight from 1986.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 22h

The main street. 47m/154’ wide. One and half times the width of a Manhattan avenue. Lined by tall buildings on very large blocks. Just horrendous urbanism.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 22h

Overscaled buildings, overscaled roads, big parks. like Canary wharf, but less interesting.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 22h

The emerging vision for East Harbour. 👀

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 22h

We’ve been going around in circles for days and I have no idea what your specific proposal is. What degree of upzoning? Where? How do you imagine the effects of this? Why?

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 1d

Arguably North York Centre.

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 1d

I would ask you again, what development pattern would you like to see precisely?

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 1d

You have it backwards. The highest demand is in the core, where development is not permitted on 90% of land. So the dev’t is displaced.

There is no logic to 50-storey towers at Eglinton and Kennedy. It remains to be seen how much of that stuff gets built or whether it’s “successful”

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 1d

Much of Central Toronto is predominantly single-family houses. These areas have declined in population and continue to do so.

Great transit, existing neighbourhood, amenities, negative population growth. Why is this not the target for infill?

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 1d

Central Toronto is the heart of the region’s infrastructure, economy, and culture. Also, by far, the most walkable area. It is *not* the whole city, but it is singularly important.

To acknowledge this is not snobbery; it is empirical observation.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 1d

Pushback on this idea from a veteran planner and scholar, seemingly suggesting more node planning. Which absolutely requires “forcing” the market and repressing growth in the core. And has never worked. bsky.app/profile/pame...

Pamela Blais @pamelablais.bsky.social · 2d

It’s not “forcing” growth - it’s no different than allowing new growth in Toronto. Remove the obstacles, zoning and otherwise, which exist in places like Mississauga too. So too does demand for housing, believe it or not. Target threshold areas near jobs, eg allow housing in business parks, for one.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

Nice drawing.

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

Weird that I missed that. Here it is.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

@pamelablais.bsky.social I would genuinely like to hear those answers.

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

You are a hidden gem

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

For 30 years, rightwing American “journalists” have soberly claimed to be balanced and nonpartisan, and they have been lying.

Patrick Hruby @patrickhruby.bsky.social · 2d

This list could easily be condensed to five items

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

“ Even out the population density” sounds reasonable until you begin to think about the mechanisms and the real-world consequences.

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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

1) How did this development reduce the emissions of existing residents?
2) this case study actually supports my point, which is: focus new housing within walking distance of places with huge housing demand and amenities.

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

Can we please keep the conversation in one place? bsky.app/profile/alex...

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

Once again, what specifically are you envisioning and how do we get there?

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

Once again, what specifically are you envisioning and how do we get there?

Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 2d

4) How is it equitable to let the central house neighbourhoods lose people and gentrify endlessly, while forcing millions of people into places with inferior transit and amenities?