Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1h

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 1h

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.

30 400 1.2K

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Toon Dreessen @toondreessen.bsky.social · 11h

This is why we need bus lands on Bank Street. We don’t need extensive consultations or debates or both side-ism to find a “balance;” we need bold action, bold leadership to design public space in the public interest and just do it. @strongtownsottawa.ca

Glen Gower @glengower.ca · 12h

Between the bus-only lanes, and the off-ramp detours, we’ve barely slowed down. Unless you’re on a bus, it’s a parking lot out there.

2 6 36

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 2d

The underlying assumptions of 4 competing federal housing need assessments betray different visions of ‘housing 4all’. Featuring my rights-based work for @housinglogement.bsky.social spacing.ca/vancouver/20...

Four Projections, One Crisis - Spacing Vancouver

What happens when four different reports give four different answers to the same housing question? Every few months, a new report is released with a headline number meant to define the scale of Canada...

spacing.ca

1 2 13

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

School of Cities @uoftcities.bsky.social · 9d

@cwhitzman.bsky.social co-authored this report, funded by Maytree, as the culmination of a project working with non-market developers to find a model that Build Canada Homes could employ to unlock affordability in innovative, scalable, sustainable ways schoolofcities.utoro...

3 5

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 7d

For those of you who missed the CUI/Maytree Citytalk last week on scaling up government-built housing with @tylermeredith.bsky.social & Graeme Hussey, the recording is up! citytalkcanada.ca/discussions/...

Tackling Canada's housing crisis: How the federal government can build at scale now - City Talk

Note to Readers: This discussion was created in partnership with CUI's valued partner, Maytree. Cover photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash.

citytalkcanada.ca

3 5

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 10d

CEO pay is up 1,094% since 1978, while worker pay is up just 26%.

Why do we always hear "we can't afford to pay our workers more" but never "we can't afford to pay our CEO more"?

390 5.2K 15K

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Jens von Bergmann @jensvb.bsky.social · 12d

Great episode, as always.
Canada would be well-advised to accommodate EU elevators codes (and other elements of the building code). Especially in today’s age where we are looking to diversify trade relations and tying ourselves exclusively to the US market has become particularly problematic.

Shane Phillips @shanedphillips.bsky.social · 14d

In part 2 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy, the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast speaks with @stephenjacobsmith.com about the high cost of elevators in North America, and the negative consequences for affordability and accessibility. www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/09/24/9...

Episode 98: Elevators with Stephen Smith (Incentives Series pt. 2)

Elevators in the U.S. and Canada cost 3–5x as much as in other high-income countries. Stephen Smith explains how our well-intentioned standards make cities less safe and accessible.

www.lewis.ucla.edu

5 33

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Bryn Davidson - Lanefab @lanefab.com · 13d

Single-stair stacked-flats, next to the park.
33' lots.

Each floor plate is 24' x 56' and can have one "family size" 3Br flat, or two small units.

6 12 83

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 13d

Microsoft will no longer allow Israel to use its cloud services to enable its mass surveillance of occupied Palestinians – "the first known case of a US technology company withdrawing services provided to the Israeli military since the beginning of its war on Gaza"

Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its technology in mass surveillance of Palestinians

Exclusive: Tech firm ends military unit’s access to AI and data services after Guardian reveals secret spy project

www.theguardian.com

84 2.5K 6.6K

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 20d

If you're interested in how the Canadian federal government can build affordable housing at scale now, please join us next Thursday, September 25 at noon ET for a great webinar: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: CityTalk Live - "Tackling Canada’s housing crisis: How the federal government can build at scale now". After registering, you will receive a confirmation em...

Canada needs at least 4.4 million affordable homes, including three million deeply affordable homes for very low- and low-income households, to end homelessness and fulfil the right to adequate housin...

us06web.zoom.us

3 7

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 20d

The often ignored word ‘universal’ is key to human rights www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/c31f2f5...

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights should not be written off as a failure

The aim of treating everyone with respect is not a lofty goal beyond our reach. It’s where we are meant to begin

www.theglobeandmail.com

1 9

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 22d

big fan of German architects @holz-bau.bsky.social

2

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 22d

TODAY: How nonmarket developers and providers can work together more effectively in a portfolio approach - register to watch live or receive a link to the recording! schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/bundling-ass...:

Scaling Up Canada’s Community Housing Sector: Bundling assets and building capacity to create the future of housing - School of Cities

The ‘Bundling Assets’ Lab, led by the School of Cities with SHS Inc. and funded by CMHC’s Solutions Labs, explores how combining the assets of multiple community housing providers can improve financin...

schoolofcities.utoronto.ca

1 4

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 23d

The approach - govt land for nonmarket hsg, definition of affordability, designated funds to address homelessness thru supportive hsg, including acquisition of apts, supporting construction innovation - is right. Now we need targets, timelines, action. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Carney allots $13-billion to build affordable housing under Build Canada Homes

Ana Bailão, a former Toronto city councillor and mayoral candidate, will lead Build Canada Homes

www.theglobeandmail.com

2 10 26

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 24d

Industrial construction can create better and safer jobs. We’ll see!

1

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 24d

Yes!

2 3

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 24d

Gonna be a big day for housing announcements here in Canada. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Carney to launch Build Canada Homes agency, announce initial public land development locations

Ottawa on Sunday to also announce initiative aimed at addressing homelessness and housing insecurity

www.theglobeandmail.com

3 13 47

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · 27d

Toronto Reference Library is the greatest building in the city. I will die on this hill.

2 11

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 29d

For anyone who cares to pay attention, the fact that major developers are lining up behind the NIMBY mayoral candidate tells you a lot about real-world housing politics and who the real shills tend to be in local YIMBY/NIMBY fights. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/n...

Wealthy New York Developers Hold Meeting to Plot Mamdani’s Defeat

www.nytimes.com

6 160 610

Reposted by Carolyn Whitzman

Mike Eliason @holz-bau.bsky.social · Sep 6

please enjoy this mass timber social housing where midrise development and trees are co-exist.

2-story wood aufstockung (vertical addition) w/ infill point access block in courtyard. number of homes *doubled*

www.archdaily.com/1033635/timb...

Timber Residential Construction Kit / Sehw Architektur

Completed in 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Images by Helin Bereket. Located in a mature residential area in northern Berlin, this project spans 9,000 m² and includes over 100 apartments across new and exis...

www.archdaily.com

1 10 61

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · Sep 6

Thank you!

1

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · Sep 5

A great new report, says the author :-)

Office of the Federal Housing Advocate @housinglogement.bsky.social · Sep 4

#Canada is missing millions of affordable homes. The Federal Housing Advocate is calling on #Canada to scale non-market housing to solve the housing and affordability crisis. We have the tools – we need the political will to act. Her advice to government includes:

A magnifying glass placed on a set of two documents sitting in front of an opened laptop. The black text box that reads: “New Reports”. Below the text reads: “Human rights-based housing targets for Canada”.

1 5 23

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · Sep 4

Canada was a leader in UN peacekeeping -bring back global moral leadership, argues @lindamcquaig.bsky.social www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Linda McQuaig: Canada can do more to help starving children in Gaza — but it would require some real leadership

Despite the U.S. using its veto to block intervention by the United Nations Security Council, there’s something that the world’s nations can do and Canada being an influential middle power

www.thestar.com

3 7

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · Sep 3

'Don't take shit' is a lesson I learned from my mother and grandmother. From a great series on mid-life 'lane changes' by Celia Chandler! www.celiachandler.com/blog/lanecha...

Lane Changer - Carolyn Whitzman, lanes inspired by mother and grandmother — Celia Chandler, Writer

Carolyn Whitzman and I could have been friends when our respective careers began at the City of Toronto. Instead, it’s only now, 35 years later, that we’ve met, both working as we do in housing. We ha...

www.celiachandler.com

4 14

Carolyn Whitzman @cwhitzman.bsky.social · Aug 29

When evictions are part of business plans, it’s time for more nonmarket housing & better renter protections www.thestar.com/real-estate/...

Canada’s largest private landlord often dramatically increases eviction applications after acquiring buildings, study finds

Starlight Investments filed 15 eviction applications per 100 units each year, while chain owned and managed properties filed seven applications per 100 units, a recent study found.

www.thestar.com

8 23