Letter in the Toronto Star by Salvatore (Sal) Amenta, AHN Co-chair, July 16, 2024.
Re: One way to fix Toronto's poor design
The Accessible Housing Network supports Shawn Micaleff’s call for the creation of a “design czar” to get things done and make big changes, like many other cities have done. AHN’s chief qualification is that the office should seek not only to beautify the city, but also to make it accessible for all in private as well as public spaces.
As to residential design, AHN hastens to point out that while we continue to build only for the able-bodied, human diversity demands much more. Since we are all a moment away from temporary or permanent disability due to accident or illness, and must deal with aging if we evade early death, the design of both public and private spaces should accommodate everyone from cradle to grave, without exception. This is the realm of Universal Design (UD), which aims to accommodate people of all ages, abilities and conditions, not just the able-bodied. Australia has put UD in its National Building Code so all other codes follow suit, so can Canada. All new residential spaces would then be adaptable and accessible, and we could build a new stock of accessible, affordable and sustainable housing for seven generations. A design czar for Toronto could set an example for other Canadian cities.
Comments