Michael Mercier

@Mac_Watershed Very sad news. Wayne chaired my PhD comps and always expressed an interest in my work even though it was not related to his at all. He was just interested, caring, & supportive. After he retired I saw him often walking in the n’hood . We always chatted. A lovely man.

Wayne Rouse was a driving force on my committee during my MSc and PhD. He cared deeply about Canada’s north, climate change, and everyone he met. Much of his work was ‘pre internet’ and now overlooked. Looking back, Wayne was far ahead of the curve in every way. Remember him.

The School of Earth, Environment & Society is seeking a sessional faculty member to teach our ENVIRSC 2B03: Soils and the Environment course for the 2024 Fall term. For more information and to apply, please visit our website: careers.mcmaster.ca/psp/prcsprd/EM… and search for job 63685

Future growth projections of Midtown Toronto’s Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood, where over 25,000 residential units are in development. #Toronto #urbanplanning #transit

Wetlands, watersheds and forests are key to our future. So too our our kids. Ontario’s fate and fortune depend on both

"Under-funding higher education in Ontario is a thoroughly pan partisan affair." — @AlexUsherHESA (@HESA_News). What's ailing Ontario's post secondary institutions? At 8/11pm with Anne Sado (@GBCollege), @jeffcasello (@UWaterloo) & @spaikin | Producer: @bweaver08 #onpse #onpoli

These are outstanding maps. I spent much of the holidays pouring over mine and picking out new and exciting routes.

As I put it last year in my blunt advice to Irish cities, “Your goal SHOULDN’T be to replace a million fossil fuel vehicles with a million electric vehicles. It should be to replace a million fossil fuel vehicles with 250K electric vehicles. The main answer HAS to be FEWER cars."

One week from today we will welcome McMaster Alum Carl Mitchell @carlpjmitchell from UofT to give the 14th Woo Water Lecture. For those interested in joining online, please register with the link. mcmaster.zoom.us/meeting/regist…

@peatofmind Tell me you don’t want to take that baby out for a spin though!! lol

Happy #WTPD2023! 🎉 Today and every day, CIP proudly celebrates the #planning profession's commitment to creating positive and impactful change across communities. Learn more about World Town Planning Day and read @GlobalPlanners' statement here: ow.ly/eZYq50Q5fau

Oak View Group, Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG), and the City of Hamilton have finalized a deal to begin major renovations of FirstOntario Centre.

The first annual report from the Office of Climate Change Initiatives on progress with implementation of Hamilton’s Climate Action Strategy goes to the City’s General Issues Committee on Wed Oct 18th!

Great piece by ⁦Brian Doucet @bmdoucet⁩ about affordable housing strategies that are working, on a small scale, but which could be scaled up to address the housing affordability crisis. More purpose-built social housing is needed, but that’s not all. theconversation.com/4-affordable-h…

@JasonThorne_RPP That’s a great new park.

This is why the Ontario auditor general's investigation into the government’s use of a zoning tool (MZOs) to override municipalities is important: 1. The integrity of the Planning Act, which is the Provincial regulatory framework that governs land use planning decisions, is compromised if the Government can override municipal governments at the request of a developer-friend. There are legitimate reasons for the use of an MZO, but in my experience as Chief Planner they were used in Toronto only in collaboration with the municipality instead of to override the municipality. For example, an MZO was used in Toronto to ensure the village was going to be built in time for the Pan AM Games. Doing so was precipitated by a request from the City to the Province. What is happening today is new. We need to know why. 2. The rules protect the broader public interest against corruption. By-passing these rules should only happen with a clear Planning Rationale (like the example above, which was the need to meet a deadline for the Pan Am games). Municipalities have the right to determine how they will use and plan their land - within the framework of the Planning Act. When municipalities change zoning, they have obligations to the public, including Public Notice. They must demonstrate how the changes proposed are in keeping with the intent of their Official Plan. This is critical to protecting against corruption - for example, protecting against local politicians giving 'friends and family' deals on land use zoning (which generates substantial land value) willy nilly. 3. What happens when the Province takes the unprecedented step of overriding municipalities on zoning matters, in the absence of a clear rationale? We need clarity as to why local municipalities and the established due diligence process were side stepped. This government should welcome this investigation if they acted in the public interest, since it will then clear their name. Currently, it is not apparent why so many MZO's have been issued, what justified overriding municipal processes, and whether any tangible outcome has been achieved that is in the public interest, of doing so. We all know Mr. X has been bragging about his success in lobbying for MZO's in order to flip the properties - this is not in the public interest and undermines established, necessary regulatory processes. Just think of the mayhem that will ensue if the rules no longer apply. cp24.com/news/ontario-a…

In #ENVSOCTY1HB3 (Introduction to Environment & Society) we have talked about both the spatial variations of various measures of mortality (like child mortality) AND how the world has improved in recent decades via increased development. This graphic shows these 2 things clearly.