Jennifer Keesmaat @jen_keesmaat Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Jennifer Keesmaat

@jen_keesmaat

99,665

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President and CEO, Collecdev-Markee Developments. Former Chief Planner, Toronto. Distinguished Visitor in Planning Emeritus, University of Toronto. Optimist.

Toronto, Ontario

https://t.co/QrQiPdALhw

Joined January 2011

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

2 months

Montreal's pedestrian streets - in just three years, there are now 11 of them! - are coveted by the Buisness community and touted by the Tourism Board. No one wants to live in or visit a city that is choked with traffic, causing annoyance, air and noise pollution. But a city

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

4 years

LOVE: Lisbon’s *new* pedestrian only streets are painted blue, so that there is no confusion as far as the eye can see. A great way to send the message, without cluttering up the street with signs.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

4 years

Baffled by people walking around our local grocery store with masks on. If you have symptoms or are at risk, get the hell out of the grocery store. If you don't, why are you wearing a mask that is desperately needed for a health care worker?

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Paris now has 180 gorgeous ‘school streets.’ They are pedestrianized and landscaped streets around schools - to mitigate crashes, prioritize walking to school, reduce noise and air pollution. No brainer, really.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

3 years

Screenshot for the ages.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Scientists at Exxon identified the terrifying affects of climate change as early as 1977; by '82 they accurately predicted changes in climate we see today. So what did Executives at Exxon do? Campaign to 'sow seeds of doubt' to allow their dirty, devastating business to continue.

@Independent

The Independent

5 years

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez grills former Exxon scientists on oil giant's climate change denial

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

The problem with urban expressways isn’t just the ridiculous amount of money needed to maintain them, or the way they gobble up land where great neighbourhoods can be, or the way they divide and sterilize vast swaths of the city. One of their worst features is the way they…

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

Today I registered to run for Mayor of Toronto. I love this city. I’m excited about the work ahead and I’m looking forward to meeting you and your neighbours. #ProudofthisCity

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

4 years

“Labour won an election majority, meaning they could govern alone. But Ardern invited the Greens into a “cooperation” agreement, saying it would benefit from the expertise of the Green Party on climate change and child wellbeing.” This is what leaders do.

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New Zealand Greens accept Ardern's offer of 'cooperation agreement'

Deal with Labour stops short of a coalition but will see Green’s co-leaders, James Shaw and Marama Davidson, hold ministries outside of cabinet

www.theguardian.com

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

3 months

Study: a 50% reduction in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists and a 27% increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians with the right of way, as a result of....paint. Yes, a splash of paint = safer streets for pedestrians. This is the power of visual disruption in slowing

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

My 19 year old is home from university for Thanksgiving. She already voted. “Mum, do you realize what a large voting block we are? Everyone I know voted. Everyone.” These kids are feeling the power and I love it. #elxn2019 #elxn19 #VotingMatters

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

This is a map of the Province of Ontario. The Greenbelt is a sliver of land in the context of the Province. I was going to draw it on the map but it was as thin as a pencil line at this scale. But an important pencil line - it is the richest farmland in the entire province. It

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

This is mind-boggling. Ontarians are being told that one political staffer was able to take over the machinery of government and override civil servants to remove land from the cherished, protected Greenbelt, increasing the value of developers’ - who are key donors to the

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

4 years

Barcelona: converting one in 3 of its streets into small parks. 21 new plazas like the one pictured will be made at road junctions. Safe outdoor space within 200 metres of all homes that cater to pedestrians, offer shaded spaces in summer & facilitate spontaneous children's play.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

4 years

For reasons that are difficult to explain, we have accepted the long commute as the foundation of modern life. But imagine living within a 15 minute walk of everything that you need on a typical day. The 15-minute neighborhood is a better way to live.

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Paris's mayor has a dream of 'the 15-minute city' - Fast Company

Mayor Anne Hidalgo is running for reelection with the idea of making the city a place where everyone can reach their work, home, and any amenity within a 15-minute bike ride.

www.fastcompany.com

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

A VERY good morning to everyone in Toronto who cycles: to work, to school, for fun. Last night we elected a true cyclist as our Mayor - not some swashbuckler, but a true cyclist. After years of near despair, I am officially allowing myself to expect great things. It is time!

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

New plan for Fifth Avenue unveiled: given there are already far more pedestrians than cars, the space is being ‘right-sized.’ Wide sidewalks! A safe, separated cycle track! Dedicated bus lanes! And then a little leftover space for cars. Putting cars in their place, finally.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

3 years

In Bogotá, commuting by bike has surged to 880,000 trips a day. In North America, we have underestimated the opportunity to develop cycling routes that are separate from vehicles completely, as shown below. This shifts the cycling commute from a risky endeavour to a pleasant one.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

Premier Ford: “I didn’t know that a mid level staffer was trading away environmentally sensitive lands to enrich my close personal friends to the tune of $8.3 billion.” Reporter @robertbenzie :

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

An informed public is the foundation of a functioning democracy. My tweets have gotten longer as the #Greenbelt scandal has come to light, mostly because there is so much to talk about. But also because I have always seen this platform, even in its changing form, as a

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

I’m 100% sure this headline was supposed to read THE STATUS QUO.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

2 years

Environmental scientists have created a map of the impact of the trucker protest on the City of Ottawa: idling trucks have led to air quality more than 30% worse than World Health Organization guidelines, on par with Mexico City. How's that for freedom?

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Interactive map shows environmental impact of Ottawa trucker protest

A tech company has created an interactive map that shows the environmental impacts of the ongoing trucker convoy protest in Ottawa.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

I fixed this shitty headline for you, @torontostar . “Our friends and neighbours continue to fight for a bare minimum of safe streets so that they can commute to and from work without fear of dying.”

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Rosie DiManno: Cycling zealots want us to turn the city upside down to fulfill their wishes

Cyclists form a demographic that fights the innate elements of a congested metropolis never built to accommodate them over cars, and they want a cycling Shangri-La superimposed on the Toronto grid,...

www.thestar.com

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Heads should roll. I say this as someone who was entrusted with the public interest and pressured by developers again and again and again to abdicate that interest in favour of theirs. I said, ‘get out out of my office.’ I said, ‘no way.’ I said, ‘under no circumstance.’

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

…act as a funnel, dumping cars onto otherwise vibrant downtown streets, ruining pedestrian life and wasting high value downtown land for…parking.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

7 years

Americans killed annually by terrorists:16 By armed toddlers: 21 Shot by other Americans: 11,737 #MuslimBan

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

2 years

I told Elon this would happen and instead of listening he blocked me on twitter. Could have saved himself a lot of grief. This only gets worse, not better. If you take a street level problem and put it in a tunnel you have the same problem, just a more expensive version of it.

@adamtranter

Adam Tranter

2 years

It turns out the congestion-busting “future of transport” is already experiencing congestion.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

Zero houses are getting built. This land is farmland - no water, sewer, roads, schools, transit. It will take *years* to build out the necessary Infrastructure… if it was desirable to do so. Meanwhile, land designated for housing adjacent to transit stations that is owned

@g_hot_soup

GeneralHotSoup

10 months

@jen_keesmaat I am admittedly conservative - but have no love for the Progressive gov of Ford... I must be missing the big issue here. Lobbyists did their job and gov administration did theirs. In the end more houses are getting built by people who are ready and able to build houses... help?

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

BREAKING: Federal government to announce the forgiveness of GST on rental housing. This will do two things: 1) tip some new housing developments that have been put on ice due to high interest rates back into construction = more supply 2) incentivize some developers to build

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

I’ve worked with a lot of politicians & political staff over the past 25 years. I’ll tell you this: I’ve never met a political Chief of Staff who hasn’t been tied at the hip with the politician they serve. That’s the job - to do the bidding of the elected member. The idea

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

To put a visual on the myth that we need to open our Greenbelt lands for housing: these are just four of a multitude of transit stations within the region that have Provincially owned parking lots adjacent to transit. These sites are large enough, in every instance, that

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

4 years

Brilliant: Newcastle, UK, releases a ‘pro-city’ plan to create a walking and cycling network to connect every school, to every park, to every local shopping center. Culling parking from the streetscape is one of the key ways they are going to do it.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

Another shocking day in the #GreenbeltScandal Following demands to return lands wrongly removed from the Greenbelt, the Premier announces a review of the *entire* Greenbelt. Why? There is no logic to this. His own taskforce has made it clear that Greenbelt lands are not

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

So-called ‘single family zoning’ is over in Toronto, as of tonight. Congratulations to Council for having the guts to do this; congratulations to the many advocates who have worked tirelessly to advance this change. This paves the way for a stunning transformation in our city.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

If this were a drug it would make world wide headlines: British study demonstrates that cycle commuters had a 52% lower risk of dying from heart disease, 40% lower risk of dying from cancer. A 46% lower risk of developing heart disease, 45% lower risk of developing cancer at all.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

The great Greenbelt give-a-way. A handful of developers to reap $8.3 billion in profit from a process rigged by Progressive Conservatives to make them wealthy. The report makes it clear: these are unserviced lands. Opening them up for development will have no impact on our

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Ahem, Toronto. If you are a Toronto politician, and you know this to be factually true but are unwilling to lead because, well, you might not get on a key committee if you do, you need to give your head a shake and ask why you are in politics in the first place. No city in the

@BrentToderian

Brent Toderian

1 year

Never forget that when Seoul, Korea removed the Cheonggyecheon expressway in 2003, & replaced it with a restored stream & 1000 acre park in the city’s centre, not only did it transform the city’s public life & economic success, but the traffic got better. The traffic got BETTER.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

To give a sense of scale, this proposed private mega spa on the waterfront at Ontario Place is the size of 12 football fields, and is accompanied by a massive, public parking garage. There is no way to put a ‘green’ spin on a waterfront destination spa of this scale. There is

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Critical point: 70% of these greenbelt lands were formerly public lands sold to farmers - as Agricultural Land, and to be kept Agricultural Land, in perpetuity. Speculators moved in on these farmers and bought their land - cheap. Their golden moment? An unethical Minister and

@CanadaGray

Timothy Gray

11 months

@jen_keesmaat 70% of these GB lands were also formerly public land sold to farmers with legal covenants attached to keep it farmland forever. Developers bought the land cheap and @Fordnation stripped away the legal covenants. Voilla! $billions for the developers. #GreenbeltGate

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

3 years

That's it - parking minimums for new developments are gone, in Toronto. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make this a reality - those on the inside, those on the outside, those who laboured for years* to make the case as to why our city needs less, not more, cars.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

Investigate: 1. The flagrant misuse of MZO’s for friends and family, violating the principles of local democracy. Why is the Province MZO’ing lands of private developers and not developing land it owns itself, around GO stations? 2. Ontario Place. Why a multi-million $ subsidy

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Among Canada’s provinces, Ontario is the lowest per capita spender. Ontario is last in total spending – 10th out of 10. The lie that spending is out-of-control is being used to fuel the dismantling of our transit, healthcare and schools. Shameful.

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Globe editorial: The Doug Ford government is peddling a fiscal fantasy

Ontario finances are a problem, but the Doug Ford government’s solution is missing the mark

www.theglobeandmail.com

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

2 years

No this is not a park, it is the future of the street (Barcelona). The big idea underpinning this is creating more proximity between uses, so that less movement by car is required, and then alongside this changing streets themselves to become places for nature and biodiversity.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Housing, not highways.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

Imagine buying a property for $15 million because it is zoned agricultural, then calling up your friend Doug Ford and asking for special permission to change the zoning, and then selling it for $62 million. My friends, this is why we have a housing crisis.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

New low, even for Toronto, where the ‘no ball playing without permit’ signs in parks demonstrate a deep misunderstanding of kids, play, public space, community life and what we should really value as a city.

@_mitchrobson

Mitch Robson

5 years

Absolutely sickening display @cityoftoronto let the kids play!!!

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Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

Two investigations have reinforced the same conclusion: Doug Ford’s fatally flawed Greenbelt plan must be stopped in its tracks. But yesterday the new Housing Minister doubled down - and is bizarrely insisting on a review of all Greenbelt land. What they were doing behind

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

We are just scratching the surface of this #GreenbeltGrab . Let’s not stop shining the light on those involved, but there are more players emerging, not surprisingly. Intriguing is Mr X. Read the expose below - turns out he is a small town Mayor. Note that Mr X is relevant

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

A shortage of land is not the cause of the housing crisis. Experts know this. Analysts know this. Developers know this. The Premier’s own Housing Affordability Taskforce - the industry experts he hand picked to give him advice on housing - put this in writing. The Auditor-General

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

It’s good news that Steve Clark has resigned due to the brown envelopes, Mr. X, Phoenix Kiss and the giving away of precious Greenbelt land. But we could have just as easily called for his resignation as a result of his failure to deliver new housing in Ontario. Under his

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Researcher in Vienna studies parks + discovers girls over the age of nine were missing. Why? Park designers, often men, had not considered them. 6 parks are then redesigned with girls participating. A transformation of use takes place. Research matters. Who participates matters.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

3 years

It’s the dishonestly. Making a mistake is one thing; intending to mislead - creating, even planning, a false impression - is not a mistake. It’s dishonest.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

The Auditor-General found that in the case of the single biggest selected site – located in the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve and accounting for 58% of the acreage liberated from the Greenbelt – it could take up to *25* years to complete the needed infrastructure upgrades,

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Falling on ice on a sidewalk has been common this winter - ask an emergency room doctor. You are 3x more likely to be injured walking in icy conditions than while driving. Cost of injuries far exceeds the cost of snow clearance. This is easy: we need to clear sidewalks first.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Choices. What will it be, Toronto?

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Brian Lilley does not seem to understand the role that changing zoning plays in changing the use - and value - of land. Land within the Greenbelt is designated as Agricultural. Taking this land out of the Greenbelt changes its value (significantly). In this instance, it was not

@brianlilley

Brian Lilley

11 months

Appears I need to keep repeating this but the lands taken out of the Greenbelt were privately owned, not publicly owned. Ford didn’t sell or give away “our land.” Also, requirements to build include a percentage of affordable housing & other conditions.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Why Sweden clears it's sidewalks of snow before roads: gender-based budgeting revealed that disadvantaged women were more likely to walk. Historically, they discovered, they had cleared the roads in employment districts where men primarily worked, first.

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Why Sweden Clears Snow-Covered Walkways Before Roads — Streetsblog USA

It's part of "gender-balanced" policy that reflects the fact that women walk more than men.

usa.streetsblog.org

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

EXCITING NEWS for those passionate about housing delivery, affordable housing, and building a sustainable, liveable region: Tyndale Green is officially APPROVED! * 1510 new homes, with significant affordable housing * Two new Public Parks * We've protected over 60% of the

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

"More than half of respondents also said they believe the premier should resign in the wake of the Greenbelt controversy. This included about a quarter of respondents who identified as Progressive Conservative voters." And remember, we are just at the beginning of the

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Paris aggressively moves to have 50% of the city covered by fully porous, planted areas. New parkland, thickets of trees and green roofs planned. If executed, the entire character of the city will change. Plazas and squares will become green spaces. Bold! This is what leaders do.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Nearly 50 years of public policy came together in the Greenbelt. Every step of the way, citizen advocates played a crucial role in shaping the future of our region. Lobbying, advocating, conducting research, disseminating information. Until now. In 1973, Bill Davis protected

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Jennifer Keesmaat

7 months

Paris just dropped a new Pedestrian Plan. You heard that right - transforming the city for walking is the key priority for the liveable city of the 21st century. Walking. No new technology required. No big infrastructure spend. Designing the city for walking is the golden goose.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

If I get on my bike for my morning commute (as I did today) or if I get in my car for my morning commute I pay exactly the same taxes. This idea that cyclists do not pay taxes is just weird. I am as entitled to the road on my bike as I am when I get in my car.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

4 years

Live, from Milan. The immediate transformation of the city begins. If not now, when? From @demescope

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

3 months

Bike lanes look empty because they are highly efficient in terms of vehicular throughput. Lanes with cars and trucks look like they are doing the heavy lifting in terms of transportation capacity because these vehicles take up remarkable amounts of road space and because they

@fietsprofessor

Cycling Professor 🚲 

@fietsprofessor

2 years

Bike lanes look empty, because they are highly efficient in terms of vehicular throughput. ~3 minutes timelapse in #London

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Dear Media looking for a scandal. I've got a good one for you. Endless material. And it's causing real destruction, in real time, in real lives. Our democracy is even at stake. It's hidden in plain sight. Just go at it. It's called White Nationalism. You are welcome for the tip.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Our new Mayor-elect Olivia Chow will be stopping the frivolous and silly rebuilding of a tiny portion of highway that is gobbling up our capital budget. This is a win for people over cars. This is a win for financial prudence over politicking. This is a win for a city looking to

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

This is a good clip. 1. Selling off the Greenbelt was never about housing. It was about making a few friends of the Premier's $$$ under the guise of housing. "Do they really think we are that stupid?" 2. The Premier says he takes full responsibility. But, next time. This

@breakfasttv

Breakfast Television

11 months

"Do they think we're that stupid?" We share our thoughts on the latest Greenbelt recommendations ⬇️

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

They had a playbook. It goes back to 2019. Susan McGovern’s brother and husband operate The Rice Group. They are one of a handful of conservative donors whose land Mr. Ford’s government removed during the #GreenbeltGrab last year, following the slipping of brown envelopes across

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Minister deletes tweet at some point around June 2022, presumably as he was in the back rooms plotting to carve up the Greenbelt, ending the steadfast commitment to protecting the Greenbelt. The deletion of this tweet reinforces that the Minister and the Premier know full well

@AhmarSKhan

Ahmar Khan

11 months

Sometime in 2022, Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark deleted a tweet from 2018 in which he had said that the Ford government "remains steadfast in our commitment to protect the Greenbelt for future generations."

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Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

This is like yelling to developers through a bullhorn “come get our environmentally sensitive and protected land. Fire sale.” It never occurred to me that at this point in the #GreenbeltScandal , they would decide to double down. #GreenbeltGiveaway

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Greenbelt protection could be lifted from more land, Doug Ford’s new housing minister says

Ontario’s pending review of all Greenbelt lands will be “public, open and accountable” but new Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra won’t rule out removing more properties from the...

www.thestar.com

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Our council - including the Mayor - has formally asked the province to look into a ban on pedestrians using cellphones - perpetuating the brutal myth that pedestrians are to blame when they are hit by a reckless driver. You cannot fix a problem you refuse to understand.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 months

Mayor Chow has had the guts to do what no previous mayor since amalgamation has done - raise taxes to support the needs of a growing city with aging infrastructure and pressing affordable housing needs - and people who understand the math are like, “ok.” But the media? “Massive

@Markshawtoronto

Mark Shaw

@Markshawtoronto

6 months

The Toronto portion of my condo property taxes are going up ~ $19-20 / month. Thoughts and prayers appreciated while we consider our options in this trying time. 🫶 Leave suggestions in the comments.

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Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Imagine how much affordable housing $8.3 billion in the right hands could deliver. Imagine.

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Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

The ugly Greenbelt saga just got uglier. "The two damning reports point to so many irregularities in the Greenbelt saga that Mr. Clark’s continued presence in cabinet should raise serious questions about Mr. Ford’s judgment." "The reports’ combined findings also mean the

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

“Display our government propaganda or we will fine you.” This should be a much bigger news item.

@TorontoStar

Toronto Star

5 years

Gas station operators face fines of up to $10,000 a day for not abiding by the provincial law and posting the 15 cm by 20 cm decals that read: “The federal carbon tax will cost you.”

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

B.C. researchers studied how homeless people spent a $7,500 handout. They spent the cash on rent, food and clothing. Similar positive outcomes from our Universal Basic Income pilot in Ontario, where participants overwhelmingly went back to school or learned a trade.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Can you do anything you want with land in Ontario? No, you cannot. We have rules and regulations enshrined in The Planning Act that govern how we use land. Why? Because there is a broad public interest in land use. It affects every aspect of our lives. Whether we have a home

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

It is completely unacceptable to suspend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in pursuit of an old political grudge. Read my full statement on Premier Doug Ford's swipe at our democracy here: #Bill5 #onpoli

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

People hate the idea of car-free cities, until they live in one. Car-centric city design is so tightly interwoven with how many of us live, that the idea of living without a car is unimaginable. But anyone who tries it, in the right conditions, loves it.

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People Hate the Idea of Car-Free Cities—Until They Live in One

Removing cars from urban areas means lower carbon emissions, less air pollution, and fewer road traffic accidents. So why are residents so resistant?

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

Integrity Commissioner report: typed notes indicate that direction to remove sites from the Greenbelt came directly from the Premier. This is why investigations matter, and this is why this one is just getting started. #GreenbeltScandal

@EmmaMci

Emma McIntosh

10 months

By far the biggest jaw-dropped in the integrity commissioner report so far: typed notes from a meeting indicate the Premier directly gave files about three sites to Ryan Amato. Amato, Premier Ford and Premier's Office staff deny this.

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Jennifer Keesmaat

7 years

My cab driver just now: ‘Did you see what they did to King Street? I thought it was going to wreck the city but now that I understand it it’s actually pretty smart.’ He has no idea but he just made my day.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

It was great to be joined by Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau tonight at Taste of the Danforth. He shared inspiring words about the power of communities coming together to heal. We are at our best as Torontonians—and as Canadians—when we focus on what unites us. #DanforthStrong

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Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Stanley Park in Vancouver *removes* bike lane because, you know, traffic, and instead replaces it with....even more traffic. Now virtually impassable for both drivers and cyclists. Wrong solution creates an even bigger problem.

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Stanley Park sees long weekend traffic jam after bike lane removal | CityNews Vancouver

The bike lanes in Vancouver's Stanley Park have begun to come down and they appear to have been replaced with tons of traffic.

vancouver.citynews.ca

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

Our greater Toronto area cities - which make up the most densely populated area in Canada - *require* our greenbelt. The two go hand-in-hand. Cities need fresh water and local food, farmland and wetlands. This isn’t something that’s just nice-to-have. It’s a necessity.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

As your mayor, I will tear down the crumbling eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway and replace it with a beautiful grand boulevard worthy of its prime waterfront location. It will save taxpayers up to $500 million and unlock valuable waterfront land for development. #topoli

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Jennifer Keesmaat

11 months

Does Ontario need to build on the greenbelt to ease the housing crisis? Experts - including me - say no. There are many reasons why we are not meeting our housing targets but the availability of land is not at the top of that list. * elongated and and costly approvals process

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Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

This is a plumber who conducts 100% of his business on his bike. Why? It is better for business. Not stuck in traffic. Healthier and happier. Serves more households in a day. So.

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@ICcrapdaily

I C crap daily

1 year

@ACMESalesRep @doubleblue2 @WWheelmen @jen_keesmaat Unless your food comes to your city in the back of a street car, roads are still required, multi use infrastructure is the most effective. Roads came long before mass transit and cars. I’m sure you’ll be thrilled waiting three days for the plumber to show up on his bicycle.

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Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

When I was Chief Planner in Toronto, Mayor Ford approached staff and asked them to 'look the other way' when a family friend's business was caught dumping toxic chemicals into the river. Staff refused. Yesterday, Doug Ford's government made doing so legal. Beyond the pale.

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Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

I'd like to congratulate Mayor Tory on his victory. I'm sure he will return to office determined to make his time there count, and I wish him well.

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Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

The #GreenbeltScandal isn’t about housing. It isn't about a government flip flopping. It isn't about a government breaking its promises. It isn’t about disassembling the Greenbelt. It is bigger than all that. It is about a breach of public trust, the integrity of our

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

I love this city, it’s in my bones, and I believe that we truly need leadership that will raise the bar, stand up for Toronto and fight to make our city more affordable, safe and liveable for everyone.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Even engineers agree at this point (it took them a while, but they got there): every city needs as many bike lanes as they can possibly build. Here is why: bike lanes have 10x the capacity to move people than lanes for vehicular traffic.

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Debunking three big myths about bike lanes

OPINION: Some Toronto mayoral candidates question their efficacy — but every North American city needs as many bike lanes as they can possibly build.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

Moving forward I will be leading a private-public partnership that will build affordable rental housing across Canada. Our goal is no less than to transform the housing market in the Canadian economy, ensuring housing for all. #NextGenerationHousing #CreativeHousing

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Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

'Election results show, the more urban and dense a riding, the less likely it is to vote Conservative. There’s an inverse correlation between living close to your neighbours and voting Conservative.' When we know each other, we want to help each other.

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Globe editorial: It’s deeper than Andrew Scheer: The root of the Conservative Party’s failure to...

As rural areas become more suburban and multiracial, the Conservatives lose votes. And that makes for a poor prediction of their future

www.theglobeandmail.com

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

6 years

The disappearance of smog days - an intergenerational legacy. Ontario eliminated coal as a source of energy, and it brought our smog days from 53 in 2005 to ZERO in 2017. A hard thing to do but the right thing to do. On behalf of my kids, thank you #CoalFreeOntario

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Jennifer Keesmaat

10 months

For the dude in the back who just told me that "all of Ontario is a Greenbelt." No, it's not. The term actually means something in regulation. Here is a close up of the Greenbelt in its regional context. So,no.

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

5 years

Berlin will freeze rents for five years. The city is working toward a housing market where real estate’s function as an investment takes a backseat. Significant public support for protecting housing as homes.

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Berlin Will Freeze Rents for Five Years

Local lawmakers agreed to one of Europe’s most radical rental laws, but it sets the stage for a battle with Germany’s national government.

www.bloomberg.com

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo: ‘A city’s creativity doesn’t depend on cars. That’s the 20th century’

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Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo: ‘A city’s creativity doesn’t depend on cars. That’s the 20th century’

Accused of desecrating the French capital, the politician wants more bikes, green spaces and social housing

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

1 year

Would you like to live here? You wouldn’t need a car, that’s for sure. Highways are out, density is in. Toronto is evolving - and we are making it better. Once a much loved cookie factory (in the suburbs), now to become a new 21st century neighbourhood. By First Capital and

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@jen_keesmaat

Jennifer Keesmaat

3 years

Pickup trucks are a plague on Canadian streets. Over 75% of them are used for hauling once or not at all in the course of an average year. They steal space in cities, pollute, and create unsafe conditions for others. Time to regulate their use.

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Pickup trucks are a plague on Canadian streets

A vehicle that started as a practical tool for hard-working people has become, for many, an obnoxious assertion of dominance and division

www.theglobeandmail.com

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