ThinkFresh Group

04/21/2016

We definitely believe in the power of green space!

A new body of evidence suggests that adding greenery in vacant or gray settings reduces criminal activity nearby.

04/14/2016

Facilitating last week's "Climate Hack-to-Action" on Unlocking a Low Carbon Future alongside Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change was a blast! So many great ideas were developed and we're glad to have played a part in the design process. Looking forward to putting more Human Experience Design into practice!

For more information about the event, you can visit http://www.hack2action.ca/

03/24/2016

Looking forward to 'Advancing Citizen Action in The 6ix' with Shape My City, The STEPS Initiative - Sustainable Thinking & Expression on Public Space, and Centre for Social Innovation on April 17th!

03/24/2016

We're always on the look out for out of box initiatives to support local entrepreneurs. Here's some food for thought!

http://www.citylab.com/design/2015/09/a-case-study-in-reviving-a-dying-downtown/405421/

A new book, Creating Cities, describes the small-scale fixes that helped Newcastle, Australia.

03/17/2016

Street festivals are a vital launch pad for many micro-retailers. As this article states, "Afrofest plays a very significant role in the micro-economy of the African community in Toronto."

Any thoughts on this topic?

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/03/17/afrofest-organizers-need-a-city-partner-not-a-lecture-cole.html

By cutting Afrofest in half, the city is needlessly jeopardizing a perennial economic and cultural base for Africans

03/17/2016

If you're curious about what's going on with the Redevelopment of Honest Ed's Alleyway, check out the blog post on our website! In the meantime, here's a glimpse into the design charette we led back in November...

01/06/2016

Honest Ed's is and always will be a truly unique and special place...

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/01/04/honest-eds-appears-on-guardian-list-of-50-global-buildings.html

How the bargain store joined the an ancient pyramid and Beijing’s stock exchange on a list of notables leaves observers scratching their heads.

10/28/2015

ThinkFresh will also be co-sponsoring a panel discussion on community planning in Buffalo, NY at YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) Toronto!

"From the 716 to the 416: Planning & Community Development in Buffalo and Toronto" will run from 12pm-1pm featuring speakers from Buffalo and Toronto discussing planning systems, local economic development and community infrastructure building in our respective cities.

For more details about this and other free programs that will be offered at YIMBY, be sure to check out the YIMBY program schedule!

Doors will be open to the public to visit tables and learn about 104 different organizations’ initiatives from 11am-3pm. Click here for the full list of tablers.

10/28/2015

Looking forward to YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) Toronto, happening this Saturday, October 31st at the Ted Rogers School of Management (55 Dundas Street West)! Presented in collaboration with Shape My City and The Ryerson City Building Institute, it's your chance to learn about community-based action and ideas from across Toronto!

We hope to see you there!

The annual YIMBY Festival provides an inclusive space for people and groups involved in grassroots community development to gather; exchange ideas, skills and strategies; and collectively imagine our future city. Founded in 2006, YIMBY promotes the role of community groups as an integral force for p…

03/05/2015

Some pics from the open house on the Honest Ed's development. We are very excited to be working on the proposed micro retail space part of the project : )

03/05/2015

An article about the open house and plans for the development of Honest Ed's:

http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2015/03/westbank-proposes-fully-rethought-mirvish-village-redevelopment

Westbank's proposal for the Honest Ed's and Mirvish Village site was revealed yesterday before a crowd of 500 people. The detailed by still flexible plans we received enthusiastically. We have an overview of it all.