[PHOTO] Gramercy Park, New York City

Fenced-in Gramercy Park looked inviting in the rain.

[BLOG] Some Thursday links

• Discover Magazine blog The Crux argues that rising rates of autism are an artifact of better diagnostics, not of an actual rising prevalence.


• Crooked Timber's Henry Farrell notes how Friedrich von Hayek's prized capitalism above freedom, famously approving of Chile's Pinochet.


• Geocurrents describes plans for new canals crossing the Central American isthmus, on the Nicaraguan-Costa Rican border, to supplement the Panama Canal.


• The Global Sociology Blog examines the work of sociologist David Harvey on monopoly rent, noting how capitalism's imperatives to establish a unified economy are at least troubled by the need to maintain local distinctiveness--brands, neighbourhoods, cities--which offers opponents a chance to challenge the established order.


• Language Hat links (and discusses) the work of linguist William Labov, who managed to define to a remarkable degree the mechanics of language change--who, what, when, where, maybe even why--in a community.


• Naked Anthropologist Laura Agustín criticizes the assumptions of Nicholas Kristof in his rescue of sex workers. (Are they really underage? Could this be the best alternative for them? Et cetera.) Diffcult, engagement-worthy stuff.


• Slap Upside the Head notes that a half-baked challenge to New York's same-sex marriage law based on the mechanics of meetings and whether or not they should be open was rejected. Good.

[LINK] "#hypocrisy: Clement widely mocked for Twitter communism controversy"

It's been some time since Norman Bethune, an Ontario-born doctor who gained fame for his medical service in the Spanish Civil War and with the Communists in the Sino-Japanese War, has featured in the headlines in Canada. But, as the National Post's Josh Vitter reports, Treasury Board President and frequent Twitter user Tony Clement managed to do so via what can only be described as an unfortunate juxtaposition of tweets.

Tony Clement tweeted his way into trouble again Wednesday after he attacked a former Globe and Mail editor’s decision to move to communist Cuba — even though the Ontario Conservative MP was taking part in a ceremony honouring a Canadian expat who was a passionate communist.

The Globe’s former online editor, Stephen Wicary, had previously been subjected to a tirade from Sun TV host Ezra Levant for his move, and when he noted the irony of a Conservative honouring a communist, he received a tweetful from Clement.

As we first reported yesterday, the spat briefly continued on Twitter before Clement disengaged, possibly because he was attending the grand opening of the federally funded visitors centre at Bethune Memorial House in Gravenhurst, Ont.

The centre honours Dr. Norman Bethune, who Parks Canada says “owing to his medical accomplishments and humanitarian work Bethune also remains a celebrated individual by citizens of the People’s Republic of China and Spain.”

“Dr. Bethune is most famous for his humanitarian actions during the last two years of his life in China where he served as a surgeon and teacher. Generations after his death, his story continues to be taught as an example of selfless humanitarianism to millions of Chinese students. Three delegations traveled from China to participate in today’s official opening ceremonies,” Parks Canada adds.

Not spelled out is that Bethune was a Communist party member, and those last two years of his life were spent aiding Chairman Mao’s soldiers.

Canadians were quick to point out the apparent contradiction of Clement having no problem honouring a communist who is beloved in China — an increasingly important trading partner for Canada — and taking issue with a journalist moving to Cuba to join his wife (who had taken a job as the director of a major charity organization.)

No comment.

[URBAN NOTE] A park at 11 Wellesley West?

Urban Toronto's Alex Corey has just posted about an attempt by City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam to take the vacant lot on 11 Wellesley West, just west of Yonge Street on Wellesley, and make it into an urban park. It's a distant hope, I think, given real estate prices, but who knows?

Amidst the clamor of construction along Bay Street there's been one site that has been eerily quiet for all too long; 11 Wellesley Street West, located between Bay and Yonge on the south side has been a relative eyesore for two decades. Toronto City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is hoping to change that, with an important motion being put forward at City Council tomorrow, July 12. UrbanToronto had the opportunity to speak with Councillor Wong-Tam who explained her motion in greater detail.

The land has some history of course. Covered with a mix of low-rise buildings, the provincial government donated the 2.10-acre site in the 1980s for the construction of a new ballet and opera house, a grand post-modern plan designed by Moshe Safdie. That project was cancelled during the recession of 1991, and a large portion of the land has remained undeveloped since, other than functioning for a brief stint as a skateboard park. Most recently the site was owned by Morguard, which had approvals to construct mid-rise buildings, but which never built. The site subsequently passed into provincial hands.

The valuable plot of land has now been listed for sale by CBRE on behalf of the province, meant to appeal to developers as a potential commercial/residential tower complex as seen in the rendering below. Sales materials speak of there being 319,210 square feet buildable amongst multiple towers. The motion being put forward tomorrow will ask for the opportunity to negotiate the City's acquisition of the land from the province.


CBRE Real Estate Listing for 11 Wellesley Street West

Councillor Wong-Tam has been working closely with MPP Glen Murray, both of whom would ideally like to see the site transformed into a park. Wong-Tam noted that there is also the possibility they would support a small portion of the site set aside for condominium development which could help pay for the park, although other funding models are preferred. Of particular note was the fact that Ward 27 contains the tallest buildings in Canada and has seen the heaviest recent residential development within the city, while it continues to contain the lowest percentile of public space. Most developers choose to pay cash-in-lieu of donating land for park space with each of their developments, and that has resulted in a sizeable land acquisition fund, one from which the city has thus far made no substantial purchase.

While paying the province in cash for the land would be the most straightforward way of acquiring the site, the reported $58 million price tag is more than daunting. Councillor Wong-Tam proposed that the city could in lieu of direct cash payment work out a land swap agreement; the city owns tracts of lands along the waterfront that the province might be interested in developing for the PanAm Games or for waterfront regeneration.

[URBAN NOTE] "Downtown not the place to raise kids, says Toronto Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday"

The Toronto Star's Daniel Dale reports on the latest clash on City Council between councillors from suburban and urban areas on the future of Toronto, Toronto's neighbourhoods, et cetera.

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday told council and then reporters on Thursday that he thinks downtown Toronto is an unsuitable place to raise children.

Holyday, a former Etobicoke mayor who lives doors down from his grandchildren in a house on a “very quiet” suburban street, made the comments as he passionately argued against forcing a condo developer to include family-friendly three-bedroom units in a proposed 47-storey building at King St. W. and John St.

Councillor Adam Vaughan has always required developers looking to build in his Trinity-Spadina ward to set aside 10 per cent of their buildings for three-bedroom units.

“Where will these children play — on King St.?” Holyday asked skeptically.

The city’s acting chief planner, Gregg Lintern, told Holyday that the area in question is “a neighbourhood, an emerging neighbourhood.” Lintern added that “it just makes for a healthier city” to have families living downtown.

Holyday, dubious, said, “It makes for a healthier city to have children out on a street like King St. where it’s bumper-to-bumper traffic and people galore at all times of night and day? I just think of raising my own family there. That’s not the place I’d choose.”

Lintern told Holyday that there are parks in the area. “In general, it might help to think about Manhattan or living in a European city where people live everywhere no matter what area of the city,” Lintern said. “They have families, they raise families the same way they would in other areas of the city, they go to school, they go to work, everything happens in the same fashion, it’s just that it’s in an urban form.”

Holyday then tabled a motion to eliminate the 10 per cent requirement. “As far as raising your children downtown, maybe some people wish to do that. I think most people wouldn’t,” he said to jeers from other councillors. “I mean, I could just see now: ‘Where’s little Ginny?’ ‘Well, she’s downstairs playing in the traffic on her way to the park!’”

Josh Matlow, a midtown councillor, began his subsequent speech as follows: “To Councillor Holyday: Are you — are you serious? Do you really believe that there is some danger to children by living in the downtown area?”

Holyday responded: “Well, I certainly think it’s really not the ideal place that people might want to raise their families. But on the other hand, if they do, I’m willing to leave the choice up to them, councillor. I’m not going to dictate to a developer that they must provide 10 per cent of their units in the three-bedroom form when there may or may not be a market for it.”