pg. 1

The Department of Geography at the University of Toronto was founded in 1935 and the academic year 2010-11 was therefore our 75th anniversary. We had an excellent celebration, packed

with events. It started early in September with a display at Robarts Library of more than 100 books authored by geography faculty and alumni. The display was seen by thousands of visitors to the library between September and October. We also put on a special departmen-tal speakers series with the theme of “Intersections” between human and physical geography and between geographers and the community. Twenty-two guest speakers participated and we held special panel sessions on the Tar Sands, Climate Change, the Aboriginal City, and Women and Factory Work in China.

The biggest event of the year was a full weekend of activities in mid-September. The weekend began early on Thursday, September 16th, when the Planning Alumni Committee hosted its first Fall Plan-ning Mixer at the Duke of York, in honour of Geography’s 75th. On Friday afternoon, renowned climate change scholar Professor Diana Liverman (MA ‘80) from the University of Arizona gave a public lecture on “Governing Climate”. This was followed by an opening reception and book launch for Reflections on the History of Geography at the University of Toronto. On Saturday, there was a faculty panel ses-sion in the morning on the history of the department and a workshop exploring mapping on the web. We had lunch in the Great Hall at Hart House where alumnus David Phillips, Canada’s foremost weather expert, was the guest speaker. After lunch, a group of novice and expert Geocachers was equipped with GPS devices and set out on a hunt for hidden treasures around the University of Toronto campus. The weekend culminated with two field trips on Sunday, one to visit Evergreen Brick Works, a community environmental centre, and the other to Mount Nemo, a cliff ecosystem on the Niagara Escarpment. We had a excellent turnout at all of the events with participants from the class of ‘48 up to the present day. Thank you everyone for making it such a success—and a special thanks to the members of the 75th Organizing Committee: Robert Lewis, Jenny Lass (BA ’97, MA ’98), Andrew Malcolm, Jane Macijauskas (BA ’96), Jock Galloway, Tamara Soma (MScPl ’10), David Roberts (PhD ABD) and Dick Baine (BA ’51, MA ’52).

geoplanspring 2011

department of geography & program in planning and the university of toronto association of geography alumni (utaga)

Celebrating our 75th Anniversary

1st Row: David Phillips (left) speaks to an audience of alumni, faculty and students (right) at the luncheon held in the Great Hall, Hart House

2nd row: Virginia Maclaren speaks at the book launch (left) for ‘Reflections on the History of Geography at the University of Toronto,’ (right)

3rd row: Jenny Lass and Jane Macijauskas (left) pose while setting up a display of faculty and alumni books at Robarts library (right)

4th row: Alumnus and Evergreen Brickworks General Manager David Stonehouse gives a tour of the old quarry (left) and the visitor’s centre (right) in its final stages before the grand opening, which would occur the following weekend

5th row: Emeritus Professor Tony Davis speaks to GeoTrip attendees (left) on top of Mount Nemo with its views of South Western Ontario (right)

75th photo review

pg. 3pg. 2

This has been an incredibly eventful year for the department. We celebrated our 75th anniversary. We welcomed a new

faculty member, Christian Abizaid, to the depart-ment. We had another very successful Awards Night in November, celebrating the academic excellence and contributions of 90 undergraduate and graduate students. Finally, we said goodbye, regretfully, to Susan Calanza, our long-time un-dergraduate student advisor, but we are delighted that she has been promoted to Assistant Registrar for the Faculty of Arts & Science.

A field trip can be one of the most memorable experiences for an undergraduate or graduate student and this edition of GeoPlan highlights the experiences of student field trips to New York City, Detroit, and Sutton, Quebec. It also describes a field trip offered through the Centre for Environment led by Geography Professor Tony Davis. The field trip to Detroit for graduate planning students would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsorships raised through the Program in Planning’s Spring Social. Students participating in our undergraduate field trips receive partial financial support as well, primarily for two endowments established for field work, one by former professor William G. Dean and a second in honour of former departmental administra-tor Anne McMaster. Another highly-valued source of funding for undergraduate field trips is through alumni donations to the Friends of Geography. Thank you for your continuing gifts that so enrich the student learning experience and provide them with a ‘once in a life time op-portunity’ in the field.

I conclude my message with the sad news that we lost two retired faculty members and one ‘honorary’ faculty member this year. Jacob Spelt, former Chair of the department from 1973-77, passed away in October and Shiu Luk, a soil sci-entist and China researcher at the University of Toronto Mississauga, died after a lengthy illness in February. Marie Sanderson, recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Toronto last spring for her contributions to Geography, passed away in July.

Please see the “In Memoriam” section on the next page for tributes to all three individuals.

In MeMorIAM

Professor Shiu Luk passed away on February 17, 2011. Professor Luk received his BA (Hons) (1968) and M.Phil (1972) from the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong. After receiving his PhD from the University of Alberta in 1975, he held positions at Brock University and the University of Guelph before joining the Department of Geography at Erindale College in 1978. He was about to become Director of the Institute of Land Information Management when he be-came ill in 1994 and was forced to retire. Professor Luk was a soil scientist who was a pioneer in international environmental research at the University of Toronto and initiated many projects in China. His research was well funded by both IDRC and CIDA. Before he became ill, he was leading numerous projects in China including work on the Three Gorges project and soil erosion management in Inner Mongolia and the Loess Plateau. A very active and engaged scholar, he had over 30 peer-reviewed publications in top soil science and hydrology journals and was the editor of Chinese Geography and the Environment.

Dr. Marie Sanderson passed away on July 12, 2010 at the age of 88. A pioneer in the field of Canadian Geography, she was the first woman to become a full professor of geography in Cana-da—at the University of Windsor—and the first woman to be elected president of the Canadian Association of Geographers. Dr. Sanderson was one of the first graduates of the Department of Geography at UofT in 1944 and was an active member of UTAGA’a History Committee for many years. She made significant contributions to the academy and to the history of the field. She was the author of 12 books and over 40 refereed articles. These included important scholarly contributions in the field of climatology that have led to a greater understanding of water level changes and the impact of climate change on water levels in the Great Lakes watershed. She wrote biographies of several major historical figures in geography, including Griffith Taylor, Antarctic scientist and founder of our department. She also co-authored a biography of Donald Putnam, renowned for his work on the physiography of Southern Ontario and the department’s second permanent faculty member. Her last published work was a chapter in Reflections on the History of Geography at the University of Toronto, covering the years that Griffith Taylor was Chair, from 1935 to 1952. Her outstanding contributions to geography were recognized with honorary degrees from the University of Waterloo (1998), the University of Windsor (1999), the Univer-sity of Lethbridge (2000) and, most recently, from the University of Toronto (2010).

Professor Emeritus Jacob Spelt passed away on Saturday, October 22, 2010 at the age of 91. Professor Spelt was a former chair of the Department of Geography (1973-77), Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science (1978-82), and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture (1982-84). After obtaining degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the University of Utrecht, Professor Spelt joined the Department of Geography in 1948 as a Lecturer and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1985. His research interests included urban geography and the regional geography of Europe, with a historical focus. Two of his major works included The Changing Face of Toronto: A Study in Urban Geography (Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, 1965), which he co-authored with Donald Kerr, and Urban Development in South-Central Ontario (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1972). He was actively involved in the Department of Geography’s 75th anniversary celebrations this year as a contributor to Reflections on the History of Geography at the University of Toronto. His chapter, entitled "A Phoenix from the Ashes", describes the near closure and subsequent revitalization of the department in the 1950's.

Dr. Marie Sanderson

Professor Emeritus Jacob Spelt

Professor Shiu Luk

Thank you to our Alumni In this issue of GeoPlan we would like to thank all the alumni who contributed to the Depart-ment of Geography and Program in Planning’s classes and workshops. To all who are on the list below, and any who may have been missed, your contribution has helped better the student experience, and for this we thank you.

The following contributed to the Planning Workshop, the Current Issues Paper or to other courses.Ron Nash (MUDS, `06), CIP external supervisorJohn Mackenzie (MScPl ‘00), acting client in a workshop in planningCarrie Mitchell (MScPl ‘03, PhD ‘08), CIP external advisorChristine Little Collins (MScPl ‘97), guest lecturer in Environmental Planning and Society

The following participated in the Matthew Hanson Planning Opportunities Workshop:Geoffrey McGrath (MScPl ‘08)Lee Owens (MScPl ‘07)Shayna Stott (MScPl ‘05)Auvniet Tehara (MScPl ‘09)Kathrine Zaletnik-Hering (MScPl ‘05)

The following participated in the Planning Skills Modules: Leigh McGrath (MScPl ‘07)Michael Noble (MScPl ‘07)David McKay (MScPl ‘07)

The following participated in the Planning First Year Orientation:Carly Bowman (MScPl ‘07)Jeff Cantos (MScPl ‘04)

The following participated in a workshop on the Current Issues Paper Experience:Matt Armstrong (MScPl ‘10)Carla Klassen (MScPl ‘10)Suzanne Coultes (MScPl ‘07)Lindsay Stephens (MScPl ‘04)Jeff Cantos (MScPl ‘04)Annely Zonena (MScPl ‘06)

The following ran PAC Mentorship Initiatives: Renee Gomes (MScPl ‘04)Craig Cal (MScPl ‘10)Dema Ali (MScPl ‘10)Melissa McEnroe (‘09)Auvniet Tehara (‘09)

The following alumni participated in a Geography Networking Event:Peter Naperstkow, (MScPl ‘92)Marc Despatie, (MScPl ‘95)Damian A. Dupuy, (Ph.D. ‘99 ) Jonathan Hack, (M.A. ‘92)Ricardo Gomez Insausti, (Ph.D. ‘97)Jennifer Owen, (B.A. ‘10)Andrew Brown, (MScPl ‘91)Greg Pereira, (B.A. ‘99)

Alana Boland received the 2010-11 UofT Ac-cessibility Award for Faculty on March 30th. Nominated by geography undergraduate student Johnny Au, Professor Boland was recognized for her efforts to ensure barrier-free education. The undergraduate program in Geography received a letter of commendation at the same ceremony.

Jing Chen was the recipient of the Professional Achievement Award from the Chinese Profes-sionals Association of Canada. Professor Chen received his award from The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Kathi Wilson became Chair at UTM as of July 1st, 2010 and Bill Gough was appointed Chair of the Department of Physical and Environmen-tal Sciences at UTSC.

Professor Bill Gough was the recipient of the 2010 Canadian Association of Geographers’ Award For Excellence in Teaching Geography. The award is given to an individual who has distinguished herself or himself in courses with small and large enrolments, at different levels of instruction, over several years of teaching in the nominating institution. In a rare “double” for the University of Toronto, Kathi Wilson received the same award in 2011.

John Warkentin, Professor Emeritus at York Uni-versity and member of the UTAGA executive, received an honorary degree from York Univer-sity in June 2011.

Congratulations

Table of Contents

In Memoriam...pg. 3UTAGA Awards night...pg. 4

Alumni Updates...pg. 715th Annual Spring Social In review...pg. 8

Fighting Blight in Detroit...pg. 9PAC news...pg. 10

90 Degrees north to 90 Degrees South...pg. 12 GeoTrips in review...pg. 14Geotrip, upcoming...pg. 16

Meet the Department...pg. 17Student Field Trips...pg. 20

Books...pg. 23

Marie Sanderson in front. In back, left to right, President David Naylor, Professor Virginia Maclaren, Chancellor David Peterson

ChAIr’S MeSSAGeby virginia maclaren

Front Page Photo CreditsRows 1, 2 and 3: Andrew MalcolmRow 4: Aliya SolskiRow 5: Mark W. Baker, BA ‘86

pg. 5pg. 4

UTAGA AwArDS nIGhT 2010

On November 12 at Victoria College’s Alumni Hall, UTAGA and the Department of Geography and Program in Planning held our annual Awards Night event.

The Honorary President Award went to John Warkentin, for his years of contributions to alumni relations and the department’s development, which included leading Sculpture tours around campus and on the waterfront, and working on the History of the Department book.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award was given to J. David Wood, who established the Department of Geography at Atkinson College, York University, and continues to publish on the human geography of rural Canada.

The Outstanding Service Awards winners were Carly Bowman, Jordan Erasmus, and Lee Owens, all of whom have generously and consistently volunteered their time and efforts in organizing the Planning Alumni Committee’s key annual event, the Spring Social.

To nominate the next UTAGA awards winners, send the name of a worthy individual (such as a former classmate or graduate), along with a written citation, explaining why you think he/she deserves an award, to the UTAGA office. Nominations are held and carried forward for up to three years by the UTAGA committee.

UTAGA Awards 2011 Names of awards, and how winners are chosen

UTAGA Distinguished Alumni Award: This award is given to alumni of the Department and its programs, who have led a career of exceptional distinction in any field, in any industry (not necessarily in geography) and brought honour to the department.

UTAGA honorary President Award: This award is given to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the development of the Department of Geogra-phy or its programs, and its alumni. He or she need not be a graduate of Depart-ment or of the University, and can hold, or have held, a career in any field, such as business, education, politics, research, and self-employment.

outstanding Service Awards: This award is presented annually to up to five indi-viduals who have made outstanding voluntary contributions to the Department of Geography, its programs, its students or its alumni. Nominees could be alumni or friends, but NOT students currently enrolled with the department. There may be multiple recipients in one year.

by fenton chin

UTAGA AwArD wInnerS 2010

honorary President AwardJohn Warkentin

Distinguished Alumni AwardJ. W. David Wood

oustanding Service AwardCarly Bowman (right)Jordan Erasmus (middle)Lee Owens (left)

previous winners

Distinguished Alumni: 1995 Daniel Griffith, 1996 Marie Sanderson, 1997 Keith Fraser, 1998 William Wonders, 1999 John Warkentin, 2000 William Dean, 2001 Richard Ruggles, 2002 Robert Bateman, 2003 Alex Davidson, 2004 Eric Sheppard, 2005 Dick Baine, 2006 Joe Berridge, 2007 Christopher Sharpe, 2008 Dave Phillips, 2009 Trudi Bunting.

honorary President: 1995 Donald Kerr, 1996 Joe Whitney, 1997 Barry Goodison, 1998 Carl Amrhein, 1999 Dick Baine, 2000 Larry Bourne, 2001 Ken Jones, 2002 Tony Davis, 2003 Jacob Spelt, 2004 John Brit-ton, 2005 Marie Sanderson, 2006 Joe Guzzi, 2007 Jock Galloway, 2008 Loretta Ryan, 2009 Corwin Cambray.

outstanding Service Awards: 1999 Penny Henry, Donna Jeynes, Gerald Pisarzowski and Enid Slack; 2000 Pamela Blais, Roger Clarke, Thelma Gee, Tom Heslip and Susan Werden; 2001 Fenton Chin, Catherine Cieply, Joe Guzzi and Jacqueline Peers; 2003 Anne McMaster, Melanie Van Hees, Peter Zim-merman; 2004 Antony Lorius, Jane Macijauskas, Loretta Ryan, Dick Baine, Andrew Brown, Gunter Gad; 2005 Corwin Cambray, Jenny Lass, Valdemar Nickel; 2007 Christian Ventresca, Jeffery Cantos, 2009 Renee Gomes, Eileen Costello.

all awards photos by stefanie steele

Donate to the Department of Geography and Program in Planning Online

Want to help create a better educational experience for our undergraduate and graduate students in geography and planning? Donations to the Depart-ment contribute to the establishment of awards and scholarships, but that’s not all. Donations support field research costs for students, awards for students to present their research at conferences, and funding for networking events.

Donations are easier than ever. The following site will let you make a donation online:

https://donate.utoronto.ca/give/show/46

You can also donate by cheque, payable to the University of Toronto. Please indicate whether you would like to donate to the Friends of Geography or Friends of Planning, and send to:

Annual Fund Office, University of Toronto, 21 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3

Contributions totaling $1,827 or more per calendar year qualify for recognition in the Presidents’ Circle. As part of U of T’s leadership giving recognition society, Presidents’ Circle members enjoy attending a variety of special events. For more information, please visitwww.giving.utoronto.ca/prescircle or call 416-978-3810.

A tax receipt will be issued for all donations.

pg. 7pg. 6

planning program awards

Matthew Hanson Scholarship in PlanningAderonke Akande, Daniel Fusca, Lucas Van Meer-Mass, Michael VidoniAlan Tonks Planning ScholarshipErin Gullikson, Robyn ShyllitBenjamin Sonshine Urban Planning ScholarshipCharissa JattanCentre for Urban and Community Studies Urban Planning Research AwardJulie Mah, Kirsten SteinEdie Yolles Award in Urban PlanningCarla KlassenFriends of Planning Graduate Scholarship for InnovationLucas Van Meer-MassGraduate Geography and Planning Student Society AwardAderonke Akande, Aadila Valiallah, Lucas Van Meer-Mass, Brendan SalakohMichael Thorpe, Pauline BeaupreIan D. Macpherson AwardRaili LakanenMitchell Goldhar Award for Excellent Achieve-ment in the Planning ProgramBrendon GoodmurphyPeter R. Walker Planning FellowshipJesse Ajayi, Pauline Beaupre, Valerie BrysonAnn-Marie Cashin, Samantha CoutuNicholas Gallant, Gabrielle HardySheila Htoo, Kristine JanzenAlexander Marques, Shagufta PastaNarmadha Rajakumar, Chloe RicherMichael Thorpe, Michael VidoniKimberely Wilmot, Mia BaumeisterIan Clark, Kimberly Dandy, Daniel Fusca, Kunitomo KamizakiPlanning Alumni Graduate ScholarshipBrendan SalakohCIP Student Award in Academic ExcellenceCarla KlassenLEA Consulting Ltd. Award in Planning and TransportationSamantha CoutuPeter Walker ScholarshipSheila Htoo, Pauline Beaupre

undergraduate geography awards

Alpar Undergraduate ScholarshipSarah SimpkinBen Shindman Scholarship in GeographyMaria BianchiCanadian Association of Geographers AwardEdward LamsonDonald Putnam ScholarshipEdward LamsonEdward Blake Scholarship in ScienceHolly Grace VaughanF. Kenneth Hare Undergraduate Scholarship in the EnvironmentJiye JoenOustanding Performance Award for GGR 201/203/205Derek R. MayOustanding Performance Award for GGR 220Mian Mansoor AhmadOutstanding Performance Award for GGR 222Ainsley MurrayOutstanding Performance Award for GGR 240Katherine Mcilveen-BrownOutstanding Undergraduate Research AwardNicholas LombardoThe Sidney and Lucille Silver ScholarshipHolly Grace VaughanUndergraduate Computer Applications AwardEric BealesThe Geography Toronto AwardEdward LamsonThe Griffith Taylor Memorial AwardStephanie MahWilliam G. Dean Scholarship in Geography Field ResearchSaba Qazi

graduate geography awards

Alpar Graduate ScholarshipDavid Roberts, Daniel Suarez Benita Tam, Jason BurkeAnne McMaster GrantBenita Tam, Daniel Suarez, Aderonke AkandeDonald F. Putnam Graduate ScholarshipJennifer WeaverGraduate Geography and Planning Student Society AwardClaire Oswald, Annya Shimi, Amy CervenanMartin Danyluk, Laura PitkanenRenata RamasraGriffith Taylor Graduate ScholarshipRenata RamasraJohn D. Barnes Geodetic Sciences FellowshipRandy BuiJoseph A. May ScholarshipJean-Francois Bissonnette, Renata RamasraOscar J. Marshall Graduate FellowshipJennifer Weaver, Andrew Tam

ontario graduate scholarship awards

Donald F. Putnam/George Tatham/Ontario Graduate Scholarship in GeographyBenjamin O’ReillyJ.M. Tomczak/Ontario Graduate Scholarship in GeographyJohn Paul CatungalMichael Ralph Walsh/Ontario Graduate Scholarship in GeographyKristine HaynesNeptis Foundation/Ontario Graduate Scholarship in PlanningBrendan SalakohEdward Sorbara/Urban Development Institute of Toronto/Ontario Graduate Scholarship in PlanningThomas BeckUniversity of Toronto Planning Alumni Award/Ontario Graduate Scholarship in PlanningNita ChoonsinghNeptis Foundation/Ontario Graduate Scholarship in PlanningHeather AmodeoOntario Graduate ScholarshipJessica WilczakLaura SeneseSerguei StremilovChristopher WellenWilliam G. Dean Graduate Scholarship in Science & TechnologyAmy MuiESRI Canada Scholarship in Science & TechnologyRandy Bui

AwArD wInnerS 2010

Bryn was a member of the expedition field staff and educator for the 2010 Arctic and Antarctic expeditions with Students On Ice, an award winning Canadian organization focusing on protecting the poles by protecting the planet through environmental education and awareness.(Full bio: www.studentsonice.com)

alumni updates

S. Bryn Dhir, BA ‘07

read Dhir’s article 90° n to 90° S on pg. 12

Jenny Lass, BA ‘97, MA ‘98

Jenny has recently earned the title of Holistic Nutri-tionist. She graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition with merit (a mark over 90%) and received two awards: an award for having the highest mark in the class and an excellence award. She is also pleased to announce the release of her third book, The Canadian Guide to Psoriasis, published by John Wiley & Sons. Canada Ltd (Spring 2011).

Kam Wing Chan, PhD ‘88

Kam Wing Chan spoke on CBC Radio One: The Current, recently. He was interviewed in the program, called China Shift which explores how China is grap-pling with the largest and most rapidly changing population in the world. Kam Wing discussed various issues facing migrant workers in China. Listen to the interview at http://www.cbc.ca/thecur-rent/2011/01/19/chinas-annual-migration/index.html. He also wrote an op-ed in The Seattle Times: “China not eating our lunch,” at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2013808513_guest03chan.html

The day before graduation, June 1948, our geography class learned that most of us would not be graduating, having failed our Sci-entific German. As we had all been reassured by Professor George

Tatham not to take the Scientific Languages requirement too seriously, we had fallen down disastrously. This only came to light when I asked about allowing my mother, Catherine Elliott, to graduate with us. She had achieved her B.A. that spring in the Pass Course for Teachers, completing requirements for a baccalaureate degree at Smith College some twenty years earlier. Wheels in the Geography Department and the U of T Registration turned swiftly and we all graduated safely but without distinction.

On the evening of our graduation day, Professor Mclwraith of Anthro-pology telephoned to offer me a job as Ethnology Assistant at the Royal Ontario Museum (his was cross-appointmented as Chair of Anthropology, U of T, and Curator of Ethnology at the ROM) and in accepting his offer I effectively left the geography stream. But I never left the understanding of physical and cultural geography instilled by Professors Taylor, Putnam and Tatham and their principles became second nature in my life and career as wife of a farmer, mother of two sons, and volunteer in an interesting and varied career.

When Ruth Brafette (BA ‘46) and I set out on our summer job of 1947 to survey potential locations in Lake Ontario Townships for releasing pheasant poults for the Fish & Wildlife Division, Department of Lands & Forests, we were incredibly “green” in our knowledge of agricultural geography. On more than one occasion, one of us climbed a fence to uproot a seedling to see what was on the end—usually corn. By the end of the summer and 10,000 miles on my ’39 Ford, we could read the landscape for agricultural advantages in shelter, food (likely insects) and water, but at about the same time the Ontario Government procedure for natural-izing pheasants was abandoned. However, “reading” a landscape has stood

me in good stead wherever I am—England (remembering Professor Tatham’s classes in interpreting English maps), Turkey, Sicily, and China, among others.

Professor Taylor’s “tran-sects” over unfamiliar terri-tories and his conclusions on the effects of cultivation have led me to take my children afield in Australia and Japan. Professor Putnam’s perilous field days by car (I had to fol-low him in a second car with fellow students) led to a love of the Ontario landscape and an understanding of soils helped my career as a gardener, even though my younger son, studying for a B.A. at University of Guelph, assured me that Russian names in pedology were long gone.

As a mother, Girl Guide leader, ROM tour guide, horticultural lec-turer, and volunteer executive in many organizations, my geography “roots” have helped me to understand and promote a love of living on the land at home in Ontario. Thank you to all.

I really enjoyed the 75th Anniversary Luncheon at the Great Hall of Hart House, even though I suffer a frisson of resentment at its previous rejection of female students, and the Reflections of the History of Geography at the University of Toronto has been a pleasure to read and relive.

Flavia Redelmeier, BA ‘48

pg. 9pg. 8

If an asteroid were to hit the Great Lakes region, I imagine Detroit as the bizarro world that would survive the impact—remnants of a wealthy history, people cautiously (and not so cautiously) crossing the

street, large pockets of urban catastrophe, and small glimmers of hope dot-ting a sprawling landscape. A city large enough in physical scale to encom-pass the island of Manhattan, Boston, and San Francisco, once built for a population of 2.5 million, now boasts the uneasy task of providing servicing to an estimated 800,000 current residents.

I admit that venturing into a city that has faced 60 years of decline was not my first choice for a glamorous travel destination. But upon completing our expedition it became clear that learning from Detroit was a needed awakening, as lessons learned from challenge can be more valuable than those discov-ered with continued victory.

Our tour’s agenda was thoughtfully planned by PhD Stu-dent Joshua Akers, and included a visit to the Heidelberg Project, City Planning Department, Data Driven Detroit, as well as discussions on immigration-led growth and vari-ous walking tours. This medley of perspectives provided a well-rounded narrative

to understand the reasons—beyond a declining manufacturing sector, racial segregation, and the 2008 recession—for why a once booming city has since faded into various states of disrepair.

Bob O’Brien of Southwest Solutions, an NGO that works on com-munity development initiatives such as building livable and affordable housing in and around Mexican Town asked the central question, "Why would anyone invest in Detroit when there is affordable real-estate

FIGhTInG BlIGhT In DeTroITReflections on the 2010 Masters in Planning Field Trip article and photographs by robyn shyllit

Continued on next page

On April 14, 2011, planning students, alumni and faculty as well as a diverse group of industry professionals returned to Hart House for the 15th Annual University of Toronto Friends of Planning

Spring Social. The featured speaker at this year's event was Tony Gagliano, co-founder of Luminato and Chair of the AGO's Board of Trustees, as well as Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of St. Joseph Commu-nications.

Mr. Gagliano spoke about how he and fellow Luminato co-founder, the late David Pecaut, launched a dream of a world-class festival of arts and creativity to match Toronto's cultural renaissance in the early 2000s. This big dream, through sheer perseverance and the support of major govern-ment and private industry partners, saw Luminato launched for 10 days in June of 2007. The festival was a tremendous success, enthusiastically embraced by Torontonians and visitors. Now in its 5th year, Luminato takes place June 10-19 in 2011. Luminato is recognized for the substantial role it serves in supporting the arts community, the Toronto economy, and the sense of play in our urban setting (who can forget the 2009 red ball project, or 2008's Yonge Dundas Square dancing under the "ceiling" of lit lanterns, to name just two?). Mr. Gagliano gave the 2011 Spring Social's attendees lots to speak about. With the usual tasty food, great student band and lively company, the Social continued on for several hours after Mr. Gagliano's keynote address.

The University of Toronto's Planning Alumni Committee (PAC), and the Department of Geography and Program in Planning, would like to thank the many individual Friends of Planning Fund Donors whose donations directly support student success in graduate planning programs at U of T. As well, PAC wishes to recognize the substantial long-term contribution of the event promotional sponsors, NRU Publishing Inc. and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. Finally, the generosity of the Social's many corporate sponsors is deeply appreciated. The following are the Corporate sponsors of the 2011 Social:

Tony Gagliano brings the Spirit of Luminato to the 15th Annual University of Toronto Friends of Planning Spring Social

15Th AnnUAl SPrInG SoCIAl In revIew

by carly bowmanphotography by maryann alisch

Premiere: Aird & Berlis LLP, Cassels Brock Lawyers, Davies Howe Partners, Fraser Milner Casgrain, Lea Consulting Ltd. Platinum: Bousfields Inc., Concord CityPlace, Cresford Developments, Hemson Consulting Ltd., Malone Given Parsons, Residential and Civil Construc-tion Alliance of Ontario, R.J. Burnside & Associates Ltd., Stikeman Elliot Gold: BrookMcILroy, The Daniels Corporation, Dillon Consulting Limited, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Fidelity Property Management Ltd., Fo-gler, Rubinoff LLP, Geography Jobs, Goodmans LLP, MacNaughton Hermsen Britton Clarkson Planning Limited, McCarthy Tetrault LLP, R.E. Millward and Associates, The Sorbara Group, Tridel, Urban Strategies Inc., Venchiarutti Gagliardi Architect Inc., Walker, Nott, Dragicevic Associates Ltd.

Silver: Altus Group, Andrew Dales Consulting, Armstrong Hunter, GENIVAR, GSP Group, HDR Corporation, Johnston Litavski Planning Consultants, Pound & Stewart Planning Consultants, Townsend & Associates, Turner Fleischer Architects Inc., Urban Metrics, Weston Consulting Group Inc., Wood Bull LLP

Top Left: Special Guest Speaker Tony GaglianoTop Right: PAC Chair Jeff Cantos (left) and Speaker Tony Gagliano (right)

Bottom: PAC members Lee Owens (left) and Jordan Erasmus (right)

Left: PAC Vice-Chair Carly Bowman and PAC Chair Jeff CantosMiddle: The Spring Social Student Jazz BandRight: From left to right, PAC members Dema Ali, Jessica Nelligan, Michael Noble, Joyce Kwong

pg. 11pg. 10

in Seattle, Chicago… Phoenix?" Though I have never traveled to the aforementioned cities, I imagine providing a convincing response to this question would be a daunting task. It became evident that more than any new development, what is most needed in Detroit is an internal grassroots uprising, and investment from valiant entrepreneurs brave enough to estab-lish themselves in a city that lacks the basic means with which to attract and retain their interest.

As an example of this needed fearlessness, in 1986 artist Tyree Guyton started the Heidelberg Project. By transforming abandoned homes and empty plots of land into a public art project, Guyton’s work demonstrates the impact of culture-led regenera-

tion in a place more needed than a loft conversion in Leslieville. Though the question was asked regarding the gentrification of Detroit’s downtown neighbourhoods, and this was likely a concern several decades prior when the glamour of industry was the epitome of the city’s success, all those who responded stated that today this is simply not yet a concern, as you first need people to populate an area before there is any competition for real estate.

One interesting tale that explains the terror of privately owned pub-lic space is the story of a real estate tycoon who acquires large plots of land throughout Detroit’s waterfront, sits on them as they waste away and de-value adjacent properties, builds illegal roads, and cuts off neighbourhoods from each other and basic servicing. After seeing the destruction this has created on both sides of the border it became quite clear that the magnitude of what Detroit must overcome requires an unapologetic uphill battle.

While there are many individuals and organizations working to create positive change, it would be false to ignore an unavoidable sense of anger, mistrust, and resentment felt while wandering throughout dilapi-dated streets. Though we too have cities in Canada that face decline after being reliant upon a single industry, their issues seem minute in comparison to the mass coordination needed to reinvigorate Detroit. Discussing other North American cities that have survived catastrophe, Rebecca Solnit’s book A Paradise Built in Hell suggests that there might just be something amazing that comes out of Detroit’s disaster. As noted by the city’s planning depart-ment – this is the first time in history Detroit is being forced to change.

Now back at home in my densely inhabited quickly gentrifying downtown neighbourhood with an abundance of grocers, public transit, schools, and life, I can reflect on an eye opening adventure that introduced me to issues on a different scale from those we are exposed to in Toronto.

As suggested by many we spoke to on our short journey, for some-thing groundbreaking to happen in Detroit, sustained investment is needed for a new type of economy. Though exactly what this will look like has yet to be formally established, it is safe to say that energy must be channeled into a post-industrial assembly line —NGO’s, adventure seekers, planners, community groups, entrepreneurs, artists, and long time residents working collectively to inform a direct vision that moves beyond Armageddon.

Robyn Shyllit is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and is completing her Master's degree in Planning at the University of Toronto focus-ing in cultural planning and community development.

"Fighting Blight in Detroit," continued from previous page

by carla tsang, 1st year mscpl student

On Thursday, Feb. 20th, 2011, fourteen first-year planning students gathered to attend a professional development module which focused on the topic of site planning. The session was presented

by David McKay, a partner with MHBC Planning, and sponsored by the Planning Alumni Committee (PAC).

Fuelled by a complimentary dinner of pizza and soda, the stu-dents listened intently as David outlined the site planning process through a discussion of projects he was involved with at MHBC. One such project was “The Stockyards,” a new retail power centre situated at the corner of Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue. Students learned how regulations such as the site plan control by-law work with design guidelines to shape the physical appearance of the built environment and its relationship to the public realm. David was detailed in his descriptions of the various steps

which moved each project from concept to completion, such as develop-ment design, pre-consultation and approval.

David was candid in recounting his own experiences in the profession and kept the group engaged with comical anecdotes. When asked what skill sets led to a successful career in planning, David identified the ability to negotiate, a broad knowledge base, presentation skills, and the ability to see the “big picture” as traits invaluable to the profession. “A good planner,” he insisted, “must be a jack of all trades. For example, knowledge of how storm water management relates to architectural design will prove useful.”

Students were clearly impressed by his answer. The majority of the group stayed for an extra hour to hear David deliver a bonus presentation on commercial redevelopment. Much thanks to David and PAC for host-ing yet another successful skills module!

ConGrATUlATIonS CorwIn!

From Concept to Place: PAC’s Advanced Site Planning Module

On Tuesday February 2, 2011, a group of fifteen first-year planning students attended a professional development session on job strategy and interviewing skills presented by Jeff Muzzerall and

sponsored by the Planning Alumni Committee. Jeff is the Director of the Corporate Connections Centre at the

Rotman School of Business and a renowned specialist in career advice and communication. He is a very energetic New Brunswicker eager to share with students his life experiences and career path as an environmentalist, investment banker, entrepreneur and communicator.

The workshop had three clearly defined sections: introductions, information and practice. Informal introductions from the attendees broke the ice and provided the information that Jeff needed to tailor the content and examples of his presentation to the needs of his audience.

In the second part, Jeff used a host of examples from real life to illustrate “to do’s” and “not to do’s” when looking for a job and writing resumes and cover letters. He provided tons of tips as to how to approach

a job search and the things that employers are looking for in successful candidates.

Nevertheless, the meat of the event was the practical third part of the session. Two planning students had previously been approached to participate in mock interviews for typical entry-level planning positions and they agreed to do so in front of the entire audience. Their skills were put to the test when Jeff proved to be a keen interviewer who asked difficult questions. After each interview the audience analyzed the highs and lows of the interviewee and Jeff provided some tips for specific situations. The main lesson learned from this section was: practice, practice, and practice.

Students were really grateful to get this hands-on and entertaining session to face the round of interviews that we are all likely to encounter in our search for internships. I believe that we are better prepared now. The only thing left is: practice!

On September 16, 2010, PAC hosted a casual gather-ing of students, instructors, alumni and friends at the Duke of York. Called the “Fall Planning Mixer,” the

event was a great success, drawing planners in all stages of their careers, and winding on from 5:30 until well into the evening.

The Mixer was launched as an opportunity for U of T’s planners to toast the Geography Department’s 75th anniver-sary. The event was also geared to filling a hole in the U of T planning social calendar, welcoming the new school year at an old favourite haunt. It succeeded in both regards—so well, in fact, that PAC is considering making it an annual affair.

Interested in engaging in a little September grad school nostalgia? Keep your eyes on your inbox next August for an an-nouncement respecting the second annual Fall Planning Mixer.

PAC events in review

by hugo bonilla, 2nd year mscpl student

Fall Planning Mixer

Developing our Interviewing Skills

Corwin Cambray, past PAC Chair (2007-2009), has made us proud. On Sep-tember 20, 2010, Corwin was awarded an Arbor Award in recognition of his outstanding personal service to the university. The Arbor Award is the Univer-

sity’s way of thanking volunteers such as Corwin, and letting them know that their con-tributions of time, energy and expertise do not go unnoticed. The award ceremony was sponsored by University Advancement and took place at the President's official residence at 93 Highland Avenue.

To top off a big month, Corwin was nominated as one of the newest members of the University’s College of Electors. The College was established by the Governing Council of the University of Toronto in 1971 and is a group of members representing the constituent alumni associations of the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA). The members of the College are responsible for electing the Chancellor and the alumni members (alumni governors) of the Governing Council. PAC wishes Corwin the best of luck in his new endeavours with the University. We’re rooting for you, Corwin!

left to right: President David Naylor, Corwin Cambray, Chancellor David Peterson

carly bowman, mscpl ‘07

pg. 13pg. 12

Expeditions to the ends of the Earth By: S. Bryn Dhir

90° N to

90° SExpEditioNS to thE ENdS of thE Earth article and photographs by s. bryn dhir, ba ‘07

The Earth has two polar regions. One at 90° N and the other at 90° S. Depending on which direction the globe is held, either end could be located at the top or bottom. As Herzog once said, “in the most hostile, barren, alien environments

on the planet, you meet the most interesting people.” And you also encounter the most incredible things, landscapes, and species of wildlife. Travelling to the opposite ends of the Earth within five months gave me a clear perspective of the effects of climate change while also experiencing first hand, all things geographically polar.

Journey to the top of the world

It was rainy and grey in late August 2010 when we entered the relatively calm waters of Ungava Bay aboard the Lyubov Orlova, a Russian ship that has charted many waters with Students On Ice founder Geoff Green. The ship hosted a diverse group of envi-ronmentalists, a variety of educators like myself, artists, scientists, journalists, explorers and students who were eager to learn. Ship-based programming included lectures and demonstrations by arctic biologist and documentary filmmaker David Gray, migratory birds conservation biologist Gary Donaldson and phycologist Paul Hamilton.

The Arctic landscape of Baffin Island and Nunavut was awe inspiring, with shades of greys, browns and musky greens that were often covered by a thick rolling fog. The rock cliffs and patches of tundra on Diana Island and Douglas Harbour, were home to musk ox, wild Arctic flowers and cotton, caribou, lichen beds and great cliffs that dropped down into spectacular fjords. We enjoyed warm sunshine on a hike to the Arctic Circle through Auyuittuq National Park, “the place that never melts”, but discov-ered that its receding glaciers are now a poor reflection of the park’s name.

Zodiac expeditions took us to landings on Cape Wolsenholme and Digges Islands, inhabited by millions of Thick Billed Murres. The truth of the melting sea ice that has often made headlines was evident as the Orlova entered Kingnait Fjord—a place that normally promises a grand display of icebergs and ice. Alas, there was very little to see this year.

A race to the end of the earth

Four months later, it was a liberating feeling to be back on the open water heading down the Beagle Channel aboard the MV Ushuaia to the Drake Passage. Once again the world as we know it was literally left behind. For miles, there was no land and no ship to be seen. The lookout for ice and icebergs began again; this time it would lead to some success.

The Antarctic is simple and peaceful, but within that simplicity also lies an intimidating, monumental scale. Everything is larger than life and I was reminded of the short time humans have been calling this planet home, in comparison to the 2,500

million years of all life on Earth. From the bow of the ship, I saw waves smash violently up onto the

cliffs and rock faces of Monumental and Elephant Islands while Deception Island stayed true to its name, hiding a sheltered volcanic harbour. We saw Albatross and a variety of sea birds flying alongside the ship and studied the Adelie and Gentoo penguins in their natural habitat. The penguins were just as curious of me, as I was of them. Keeping at a distance, they walked along their rust-coloured penguin highways created by thousands of foot prints, sounding like a variety pack of beeping and honking party favours. These little flightless creatures were elegantly over-dressed in their black and white tuxedos. Mothers with their chicks were huddled together in their pebble-covered rookeries, while others waddled their way confidently around Heroina Island.

The icebergs, water and snow were full of shades of blues and whites, as if you had put on a pair of tinted glasses. Climbing up a pillow ice cap on Koerner Island was unlike anything in the Arctic now due to the lack of snow and ice there, but here, the snow remained kilometers thick. There were no native communities in the Antarctic that could tell tales of the changes in weather and climate, but there were polar naturalists such as Olle Carlsson and polar historian David Fletcher who were happy to share their combined knowledge of 60 years of environmental change.

The Antarctic is a place of intense scientific research. We visited the Ukrainian Vernadsky Research Station on Galindez Island, which was once a British base and played a part in NASA’s discovery of the hole in the ozone layer. An afternoon on the base showed us the variety of focused work being conducted surrounding meteorology, seismology, glaciology, upper-atmospheric physics and geomagnetism. Like other bases belong-ing to the Russians, Americans, Chileans, Chinese, Australians, French and Germans, Vernadsky is maintaining an impressive work schedule filled with research and experiments.

20,000 km apart

From the native communities of Cape Dorset and Kuujjuaq to the Antarctic researchers on their bases alongside breeching whales, seals and penguins, it was near the northern and the southern poles that one could see the most visible effects of climate change. Rising average temperatures, declining snow fall and melting ice made us keenly aware of our personal responsibilities for protecting the environment. The soaring landscapes, incredible glaciers, diversity of species of mammals and marine life and the unforgettable magnificence captured a bit of every person who ventured to the Polar regions, leaving us mesmerized by the beauty of being 90° N and 90° S.

Niko Harbour, Antartica

Above: An Adele mother sits calmly at the Rookery on Heroina Island. Her chick eagerly awaits his feeding.

Top Left: Protective of her cubs after a swim, this mother polar bear cautiously watches over her young on Monumental Island. Loung-ing in the sun on rocks, these bears would have been out on the ice and snow a few years earlier.

Above: Thousands of walrus lounge on the warm rocks in Canada`s Arctic. Belches and all other bodily sounds constantly fill the air in sound and smell

Below: Young humpback whale that breeched dozens of times next to the ship as another 20 whales swam all around just before entering the Weddell Sea

Arctic Aurora Borealis

pg. 15pg. 14

On April 24th, John Warkentin (PhD, `54) shed a new light on Toronto’s waterfront for alumni and members of

the department. Though the group was already familiar with the area, the dozens of sculptures along the waterfront had often gone unnoticed by even the most avid visitors.

Beginning with Richard Deacon’s Between the Eyes at the foot of Yonge Street, and ending with the dramatic figures portraying the arrival of Irish immigrants during the famine in Ireland Park at the foot of Bathurst (The Arrival, Rowan Gillespie), John’s tour drew attention to dozens of sculptures. One highlight of the tour was thanks to a very kind security gaurd who let us into WaterPark place (10 Bay Street, usually closed on weekends) granting us a close up view of William McElcheran’s South Wind. Many tour attendees remembered the work of McElcheran from John’s U of T sculpture tour (Businessman on a Horse and untitled piece in front of St. Michael’s College). South Wind was definitely the most impressive work, with figures emerging from a marble wall carved as a cityscape.

The tour group also learned some new information about familiar sculptures. Little Nor-way Park Memorial Rock, near the ferry terminal, was in fact brought over from Norway as a thank you for providing that same space as a training base during World War II. Toronto, John told us, is very fortunate to have the waterfront’s Toronto Music Garden, a combination of garden and sculpture that interprets Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Cello. The Julie Messervy project was orginially designed for Bos-ton, but when the Boston project fell through, Toronto enthusiastically invited Messervy to move it here. The group also became privy to the impressive sums that sculptures typically cost, most notably the recently opened Simcoe Wave-Deck, with a price tag of around $6 million.

The Department of Geography and

Program in Planning is very grateful to John for leading these tours for alumni and members of the department. John is a Professor Emeritus of Geography at York University and an alumnus of the Geography Program at U of T (PhD `54). He recently published Creating Memory, a book that explores all the sculptures of Toronto.

GeoTrIP In revIew: wATerFronT SCUlPTUre ToUr

by andrew malcolm

photographs by mary-marta briones-bird

GeoTrIP In revIew: GArrISon Creek

by marcin zukowski (ba ‘10)photographs by mary-marta briones-bird

On May 15th, 2010, eager GeoTrippers assembled in Christie Pits Park for a tour through Toronto’s geologic and

historical past. We were joined and hosted by Helen Mills of the Toronto Lost Rivers Walks Group, Richard Anderson of York University, and the past president of UTAGA, Joe Whitney. Our route would take us along Garrison Creek, one of Toronto’s lost rivers and Discovery Walk trails.

Christie Pits Park, named after the site’s sand pits used until the early 1900s, once fun-neled Garrison Creek as it ran from the bluffs further upstream. The park is known for its infamous race riot of 1933, when the Anglo-Canadian Pit Gang unfurled a large Swastika during a baseball game, inciting reprisal from the largely Jewish and Italian Spadina Avenue Gang. Scores were injured, and it revealed the racial tensions felt in Toronto just prior to the Second World War. After discussion of that unfortunate episode, we turned to the geologic history of the site.

As the Wisconsin glaciation receded some 12,000 years ago, it left a deep deposit of glacial drift that became the shoreline of Lake Ontario’s larger precursor, Lake Iroquois. When the ice blocking the St. Lawrence waterway eventually melted, the water drained from Lake Iroquois’ banks (situated at what is now Davenport Road) and settled at the shores of the current lake. The largely barren land left in the wake was scoured as water drained its way to the lake, and Garrison Creek was born. As we followed its path to the shore of Lake Ontario, it was eerie how little evidence of the sizable ravine remained.

Filled in by everything from household waste and coal ash to the excavation of the Bloor subway line, there is little trace of the creek and its valley—unless you know what to look for.

On our way south, we passed Harbord Street, and found a peculiar cement railing a few feet off the ground. Unbeknownst to us and just about everyone else, this is actually the balustrade of one of Garrison Creek’s bridges. The valley once ran the whole way through to the lake, and while there are snippets of it left, such as in the north-western part of Trinity-Bellwoods Park, there’s practically no evidence of the ravine’s course through the south-east end of the park onto Queen Street. As we continued our journey through numerous parks and parkettes, we were reminded of the creek’s former path by the mean-dering residential streets and the sewer and storm drains that now flow underneath Toronto.

By mid-afternoon, we reached the ter-minus of the lost creek at Fort York, where Garrison Creek derived its name. There we were

greeted by Andrew Stewart (MSc ‘06), director of Strata Archaeological Services Inc. and the Fort’s administrator, David O’Hara (MScPl ‘01). They gave us a presentation of the new visitors’ centre that will be unveiled in time for the bicentenary of the Battle of York fought during the War of 1812, when Fort York was still at the shoreline. Their plans look great, and the whole GeoTrip was packed with tons of fun and learning. We’d like to thank the volunteers for their expertise and everyone who showed up for their enthusi-asm; hopefully you can make it out to the next GeoTrip!

CreATInG MeMory(Becker Associates, 2010)by john warkentin

‘The Arrival’, Rowan Gillespie, Ireland Park

Little Norway Park Memorial Rock

‘South Wind’, William McElcheran, WaterPark place

Toronto Music Garden, Waterfront at Spadina

Helen Mills speaks to GeoTrippers in Little Italy

Trip Leaders Richard Anderson and Helen Mills

One of the many signs marking the location of Garrison Creek undergraound (Little Italy)

pg. 17pg. 16

Bruce Huang has been the Department of Geography’s Information Technology Specialist since 1998. He manages an

enormously complex system of hardware and software that includes three teaching labs (with 50+ workstations), six research labs (with 30+ workstations), faculty, staff and teaching laptops and workstations (100+), wired and wireless networks, GIS and remote sensing software, quantitative and qualitative analysis software, urban design software, numerous servers and

three operating systems. Bruce is always there when you need him, including very early morn-ings, evenings and weekends if there is a system shut-down or other emergency. Even for the most trivial requests, Bruce is unfailingly courte-ous and supportive, incredibly knowledgeable and keeps the department current with all of the newest developments in hardware and software.

In recognition of his exceptional service to the department, Bruce received the Dean’s Outstanding Technical Service Award from the

Faculty of Arts & Science on April 14, 2010. Con-gratulations Bruce! And thank you from all of the faculty, staff and students that you have helped over the years.

Angela Loder is a PhD candidate in the Geography-Environment collaborative program. Her primary research focus is

the relationship between health, well-being, and perceptions of urban greening projects, looking specifically at green roofs and the workplace. She is particularly interested in the possibilities that green buildings and green roofs can bring to the ecological city, as well as how nature informs our sense of place and belonging in an urban context.

“It is a new type of nature, so there hasn’t been a lot of research yet into what people think about them or how people feel about them,” she said.

Many urban centres began undertaking green roof strategies in response to growing environmental challenges, but Chicago and To-ronto stood out in Angela’s work because of their relative comparability. “I was studying the urban scale of environmental action, and both cities en-gage in a lot of urban-level initiatives on climate change, health and well being, so in many ways they were similar. The biggest difference was that Chicago had a lot more power. Politically, the city was not a creature of the province like many Canadians cities are. And so half of my battle was understanding the politics, because there’s the policy, and then there’s the politics behind the policy, which explained why these two cities had very similar implementation programs, but Toronto took about twice as long as Chicago to reach the same level.”

Angela has worked with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the leading green roof industry and research organization in North America, as well as the City of Chicago and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service on social perceptions of urban nature and green roofs. She also helped develop policy documents for Environment Canada on integrating green roof policy into Ontario’s Smart Growth objectives, and is currently working

on a federally funded interdisciplinary project linking energy conservation, occupant comfort and behaviour, and human factors engineering. Angela is a Canada-US Fulbright Scholar and the co-founder of a health, design, and green build-ing research group that brings together leading health researchers, designers, NGO’s and the United States Green Building Council.

This article was re-printed in part from the Fulbright website

MeeT The DePArTMenT

Graduate Student: Angela Loder

Staff Member: Bruce Huang Receives Outstanding Service Award

Dean Meric Gertler and Bruce Huang

From Left to Right: Susan Calanza, Byron Moldofsky, Mary-Marta Briones-Bird, Marika Maslej, Virginia Maclaren, Bruce Huang, Don Boyes

Saturday, September 17th, 2011 from 10:30am to 12:00pm Suggested donation: $5

UTAGA AnD ToronTo Tree ToUrS PreSenT:

hArBorD STreeT Tree ToUr AnD GeoTrIP

Join Professor Tenley Conway in a walk around the Harbord Street area. From an aerial view, this region of Toronto is barely visible below its canopy of diverse, old and large neighbourhood trees. What are the benefits, aside from aesthetic beauty, of having a dense canopy above residential and business areas, and how does socio-economic status and governmental policy facili-tate or restrict the creation of urban forests? These are some of the questions to be answered on the tour. It will begin at the South West Corner of Harbord and Spadina. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to:mainoffice@geog.utoronto.caor by calling the Geography Main Office at: 416-978-3375

If you would like to attend, please rSvP to mainoffice@geog.utoronto.ca or by calling the Geography Main office at 416-978-3375

View from 215 Spadina, the Robertson Building, Toronto

pg. 19pg. 18

I only joined the Department of Geography last summer, but I am truly proud and excited to become part of such a stimulating,

friendly and collegial community of faculty, staff and students. I am the second faculty member, after Scott Prudham, to have a joint appointment with Centre for Environment, where I teach half of my courses. Previously I was at McGill Uni-versity, where I conducted graduate and postdoc-toral research in human-environment geography. Before that, I had done a BA in International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, for which I wrote an honours thesis on a Canadian-Mexican initiative to promote local sustainable resource-use practices around the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. It was that work that got me interested in human-environment geography and field-based research.

My main interest is in rural livelihoods in tropical forest regions and their implications for conservation, development, poverty alleviation, and environmental change adaptation—my geographical focus is Latin America (to date my work has centered on Mexico and Peru). More specifically, my research focuses on how rural households make a living from the land and traditional resource use practices, how such practices impact the environment, and how households adapt their livelihoods to chang-ing environmental conditions. My earlier work, conducted in the Calakmul region, examined the role of household factors and government poli-cies in shaping land use and fallowing practices among small-scale shifting cultivators in an ejido outside of the Biosphere Reserve.

My research interests “migrated” south

to the Peruvian Amazon, following a trip that I made to South America in 2000. The change was not anticipated, but while visiting rural com-munities along the Ucayali River, one of the most recurrent issues raised in my conversations with local residents was the instability of the river; that

the river was always changing course. In some communities, people mentioned that they had recently relocated because the river had eroded all of their land; in others, people mentioned that they used to be located kilometres away from the river, except that when I was there their villages were located by the river’s edge. I was completely taken by this and became intrigued about the im-plications it could have for people that lived and made a living along the floodplain. What lessons could be learnt about human adaptation to en-vironmental change? I decided to make that the

focus of my doctoral dissertation. I used a major meander cutoff, as a ‘natural experiment’ to study the links between floodplain dynamics and livelihoods. More specifically, I examined the role of local residents in modifying the course of the river; the (short-term) ecological and economic consequences of the change; land tenure issues; and household coping strategies and vulner-ability to environmental and health shocks. As a complement to that work, I have been study-ing other aspects of livelihood in collaboration with colleagues from McGill University and the Universities of Tsukuba and Wisconsin-Madison. One of the issues we have examined is the role of floodplain fisheries as ‘natural insurance’ for rural households. We have also been working on a study on cooperative (reciprocal) labor in peasant agriculture.

Since my arrival last summer I have been devoting a lot of my time and energy to teaching and to establishing the foundations of a research program. I taught ENV 223 (Fundamental Environmental Skills) in the fall and I am cur-rently teaching GGR 341 (Changing Geography of Latin America) and JGE 321 (Multicultural Perspectives on Environmental Issues). With the assistance of an undergraduate student, under the work-study program, I put together a research proposal that will enable me to return to Peru this summer to continue to look at livelihoods within the context of rapid environ-mental change. I plan to expand the focus of this research to include issues such as: river dynamics, floodplain settlement, migration and displace-ment; the integration of upland-lowland resource use in livelihood, and others.

MeeT The DePArTMenT

When I tell people what I’m doing now (which, depending on when exactly “now” is, could involve the design

of high-performance buildings, writing about how we might transition to an electricity system with zero reliance on fossil fuels, or speculating on how to slowly reverse the acidification of the oceans once our fossil fuel binge is over), they are sometimes surprised that I’m in a geography department. In reply, I tell them that geography is concerned about relationships between humans and their environment, both physical and social, in the broadest sense, and that the geography De-partment is probably the only department where I’d have been allowed to do what I’ve done, and to have changed fields of interest as often as I have. Within geography, one has the freedom to pursue one connection after another, which can lead to a very wide-ranging journey and, in my case, back to where I started 30 years before.

When I entered university as a first-year student at the University of British Columbia in 1974, my intention was to become an architect. Architecture being solely a graduate program at UBC, I had to pick an undergraduate program, and quite literally by accident (I happened to have opened the calendar to the geography section one summer day after that first year), I discovered physical geography (the perfect mix of subjects for me) and enrolled in geography starting my second year. However, I quickly became fascinated by ice ages and early humans in North America, lost interest in architecture, and came to the University of Toronto to do an M.Sc. with an eminent geographer, Alan Jopling, who was involved with colleagues from anthro-

pology working in the northern Yukon. Ice ages being a climatic phenomenon, it made sense to take some more climatology, especially since one of the world’s most eminent climatologists, F. Kenneth Hare, was at the department. This (1978) was when I first heard about the “global warming” problem and I came to the conclusion

that it was going to become the environmental issue of the coming century. From 1980-1988 I worked exclusively on issues (initially as a Ph.D. student) related to the climate science of global warming. This lead to the question: What can we do about it? This lead to energy, and—because buildings account for about 1/3 of our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions—energy leads to buildings. One of the biggest factors in the en-ergy use of buildings is the initial design, which leads to architecture. So…by 2004, 30 years after

my initial intention to go into architecture, I was devoting every possible moment writing what I had thought would be a medium length book on the how to design ultra-low energy buildings. This book (A Handbook on Low-Energy Buildings and District Energy Systems, 701 pages, published by EarthScan) was published in 2006 and was followed by two other books (Energy and the New Reality, Volume 1: Efficient use of Energy, and Volume 2: Carbon-Free Energy Supply, published by EarthScan). The latter two books of course started out as one book, but as the writing progressed, that idea became impractical.

The focus of my research for the next many years will revolve around energy use and the question of how to rapidly (within decades) make the transition, both in Canada and worldwide, to a completely fossil-fuel free energy system. The research strategy will be to guide a team of graduate students in developing a series of renewable energy and energy demand modules that are driven by internally-consistent datasets for the real-time variation in temperature, wind, solar irradiance, and precipitation. I will also be investigating how to shift an increasing fraction of our heating and transportation energy needs to electricity. The feasibility of doing so depends strongly on the design of new buildings, the renovation of existing buildings, and making proper choices in the intensification of existing urban centres and the design of whatever new urban centres we build.

I was involved in the preparation of the chapter pertaining to energy use in buildings for the last assessment report of the Intergovernmen-tal Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in 2007, and in the Global Energy Assessment of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (based in Austria), which comes out later this year, and I will be involved in the next IPCC assessment report (which comes out in 2013). At the same time, I find myself drawn back to my academic roots as a climate-carbon cycler modeler; I prepared the chapter on climate modeling and a series of Excel-based climate-simulation modules for the second edition of Environmental Modelling: Finding Simplicity in Complexity (edited by UK geographers John Wainwright and Mark Mulligan, published by Wiley) and the chapter on developments in climate science since the last IPCC report for the forthcoming book, Future Climates (edited by former UK geographer Ann Henderson-Sellers, published by Elsevier). In truth, the latest science is more alarming than ever, and this adds yet greater urgency to the task of quickly phasing out the use of fossil fuels.

MeeT The DePArTMenT

Faculty Member: Professor Danny Harvey Faculty Memeber: Professor Christian Abizaid

Plantains and other agricultural products waiting to be transported to

the city by river-bus along the Ucayali River, PeruDanny Harvey stands in front of Long’s Peak, Colorado

pg. 21pg. 20

STUDenT FIelD TrIPS STUDenT FIelD TrIPS

ENV395: Ecology and Conservation in the Galapagos Islands, the Andes and the Amazon

article and photographs by jennifer shiller and christine leduc. jennifer is a major in environmental geography, minor in human geography, minor in visual art and starting an msc in physical geography in september at u of t. christine is a minor in physical geography, minor in zoology and a major in forestry.

In May of 2010, a group of 19 students embarked on a field course of a lifetime: ENV395, otherwise known as Ecology and

Conservation in the Amazon, Galápagos, and Andes. Few of us knew Geography Professor Tony Davis before we arrived at Pearson Interna-tional Airport, but very quickly after we met him we knew he would lead the class with enthusi-asm, humour and, most importantly, he would provide the answers to any questions that might arise on the trip.

Upon arrival in Quito, we settled into our hotel in Cumbaya, only 20 minutes outside of

the capital. Few of us knew each other before this course, but we connected with each other through our shared curiosity about this new place and our common environmental consciousness. Those of us who spoke Spanish became instant celebrities and provided a great resource for the rest of us.

The first few days of our trip were spent becoming familiar with Cumbaya. After the jetlag subsided, we explored the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) campus and the community we would call home for the next 30 days. The campus at USFQ is breathtaking, set against a backdrop of Andean Mountains and exotic biota.

We would meet for lectures a few times a week. Initially, lectures focused on the anthro-pogenic and environmental history of Ecuador, while later lectures had a more contemporary and ecological focus. In addition to Tony, we had several other lecturers. David Romo is a Professor of Conservation Biology at USFQ. He is native to Ecuador, so his perspective on the conservation issues and cultural history of Ecua-dor was fundamental to our learning experience. Also, he was a great tour guide! He would take us to marketplaces, show us the local fruits and teach us the local legends and traditions of the places we visited.

Our first overnight trip was to the Andes. We packed our bags, piled on the bus and headed for the flanks of Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador’s largest mountain. Our first hike took us to the Polylepis forest, a rather enchanting-looking for-est with peeling, crooked trees. Tony explained to us that these trees are a lot older than their size would suggest, due to the harsh environment associated with higher elevations and that their papery bark was an adaptation for protection against forest fires. This was the first place where we had a lecture outside of a classroom. It was an incredible learning experience to be in the lo-cation of your lecture topic, especially since these forests are in serious decline due to deforestation. We all felt an overpowering sense of conservation urgency as we took notes leaning up against these

magnificent trees. Climbing Mount Chimborazo was our big-

gest physical challenge of the entire trip and, to some, the most memorable. Along the way, Tony would point out vicuñas, a type of camelid, and towering lava formations. Some of us were just amazed to be higher than the clouds! The hike reached a peak in a large cave at approximately 4900 m above sea level. We all sat there for a moment, to absorb what we had accomplished and slowly made our way down. The next big adventure was a 7-day trip deep into the Amazon rainforest, at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, a remote location used for research and educational purposes. It was a trek to get there—we took a plane, a boat, a bus and another boat. However, the trips to and from the rainforest were one of the best parts of the experience. We saw all kinds of wildlife and indigenous communities while traveling on the river. Once at the station, we went on night walks, canopy tours, hung out on observation towers looking for birds and monkeys, ate lemon ants and conducted research projects. The research projects were great as-signments, as we had the freedom to explore our interests and incorporate them into the course. We also experienced first-hand the effects of hu-midity, bugs and what we called jungle fever, but we were still sad to go. At this point, none of us could imagine how this trip could get any better.

The next place we traveled to was the Gala-pagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 960 km west of mainland Ecuador. We spent a third of our trip on the islands, island hopping, hiking, snorkeling… and, yes, attending lectures. It felt very much like a vacation, but all these ac-tivities were fundamental to the course content. The Galapagos Islands are a biodiversity hotpot, which makes them a great place to see many different species, and, unfortunately, also means that it is under threat from humans. Also, island fauna have few predators, so they are tamer than most continental species. Translation: sea lions will try to play with you when you are snorkel-ing. A large portion of the course content was on plate tectonics and volcanism and what better way to learn than to hike on a volcano itself!

The value of this trip cannot be expressed in monetary terms and it was something different for each of us: it gave a face to environmental issues, it was a chance to meet like-minded individuals, it offered escape from the everyday, it was the best classroom we’ve ever had. This was an experience we are sure to remember every day and for the rest of our lives.

View of Mount Chimborazo from our accommodations in Achiknan

Curious baby sea lion investigates us while we were snorkeling off the Galapagos Islands

On September 6, 2010, 20 undergraduate students from the Geography Depart-ment met for the first time in the

Upper West Side for the GGR382 field course in New York City. One can only imagine the variety of transportation modes and routes taken in or-der to amass this group. Trains, planes and buses brought students with diverse interests together for a week exploring the city that never sleeps. Leading our group around Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens was Professor Robert Lewis and our teaching assistant Patrick Vitale. The first day’s late afternoon picnic in Central Park was a perfect setting to acquaint us and set the stage for the whirlwind week ahead.

Understanding urban landscapes is a major focus of many geography students. Lectures and readings aid in this understanding, but a higher, intangible comprehension emerges when on the ground, experiencing it first hand. Visiting the Lower East Side (including the Tenement Museum), Chinatown, Little Italy and Jackson

Heights helped illustrate the important role of immigration in shaping the urban landscape of New York City. The recently developed High-line walkway as well as the neighbourhoods of SOHO, Greenwich Village, the former Meat Packing District and Williamsburg, gave us concrete examples of diverse types of urban redevelopment and gentrification. Suburban developments in Queens, including Sunny-side Gardens Park and Forest Hills Gardens, highlighted the real-world implementation of textbook concepts such as Garden Cities. Iconic places including Rockefeller Center, Wall Street, the World Fair grounds, the United Nations, 5th Avenue, and the financial district were illustrative of the power relationships that change and shape the urban landscape and its inhabitants. Each of these locations has a story, and together form a coherent narrative of how New York’s landscapes and population have been shaped in the past and present.

Our classmates agreed that this field course

was a once in a lifetime opportunity to experi-ence the ideas and concepts we have studied in class, allowing us to see and touch them. After four eight-hour days of trekking throughout New York City, all twenty of us were exhausted and our feet heavy and sore. However, we were also very satisfied and grateful for the opportunity to experience the city this way. As two people who have been to New York City on several previous occasions, we can honestly say that the city will never appear the same to us again, and we have Robert, Patrick and an entire class of wonderful people to thank for that.

by chris gurski and michelle louli.michelle majors in environment and re-source management, and urban economic and social geography. chris majors in en-vironment and resource management, and human geography.

GGR382: New York

pg. 23pg. 22

In early September of 2010, nineteen students had the opportunity to start the fall term one week early. Though this may have cut short

our summer vacation, on the plus side, we began classes in the beautiful mountains of Sutton, Quebec. The ‘classroom’ section of the course was to be completed in one week, while we would, in groups, continue developing research papers throughout the fall semester with a final presentation in November.

Sutton offered an ideal setting for learning about field methods used in biogeography, fluvial geomorphology, soil science and other physical geography fields.

Our trip was supervised by Professor Joe Desloges, Professor Sarah Finkelstein and our TA Roger Phillips. All three have been running the course successfully for a number of years resulting in a well-organized routine. The trip started early on a Sunday morning in Toronto: we loaded up the equipment, piled into three vans, and took off. Learning began on the road as we used a field guide to track glacier landforms along the way, and got acquainted with our car mates.

Six hours later we were in Sutton, a small, quaint town, similar in feel to those in rural Ontario with the added towering beauty of a mountainous landscape unique to the Appa-lachians. Comfortable accommodations at the Hotel Horizon afforded us the added perks of a hot tub, swimming pool and tennis courts! Not that any of us played tennis… though we did all make good use of the hot tub and pool.

The first order of business was setting up the weather stations that would record data to be used later on in our assignments. There were quite a few hands at the ready and they went up fast. We were then introduced to our first famous Hotel Horizon dinner, a massive plate

of spaghetti and tomato sauce, which was quite filling.

Later that night a welcoming group meet-ing clarified the program for the week and what was expected of us. The meeting also gave us a chance to introduce ourselves: it was great to see people from so many different backgrounds and fields.

Over the next five days we hiked, took mea-surements, collected data, and explored beautiful Mount Round Top, as well as its accompanying streams. In addition, we developed our own research projects. For some of us, this was the first time collecting our own data.

We did have rain for about a day and a half, which made taking measurements a little wet, but resulted in great data for stream discharge, and made the hot tub that much more welcoming. The rest of the days collecting data went very smoothly, and ended on a very good and sunny note.

We finished off our week with an evening in town, showing off our dancing skills to the local Suttonions. Overall we had a great time and I would highly recommend this course to anyone

interested in further developing skills for field work in physical geography. The professors and the TA were great and were enormously helpful. Camaraderie is a great way to work, and so is having an outdoor classroom!

STUDenT FIelD TrIPS

GGR 390: Gallivanting in the Northeastern Appalachians of Sutton,Quebec

by anna agosta g’meiner. anna is a double major in physical geography and environ-mental policy and practice

Professor Sarah Finkelstein giving a lecture on the summit of Mount Round Top. In the background is the Canada/USA border. The tallest peak, Whiteface Mountain, is in New York and the mountain chain in front, the Green Mountains, is in Vermont.

photography by lip liew

In The Contours of America's Cold War, Mat-thew Farish explores new ways of concep-tualizing space as part of post-World War II

American militarism. He demonstrates how the social sciences were militarized in the early Cold War period, producing spatial knowledge that was of immediate use to the state as it sought to expand its reach across the globe. Geographic knowledge generated for the Cold War was a form of power, and it was given an urgency in the panels, advisory boards and study groups established to address the chal-lenges of an atomic world. He investigates how the scales of the city, the continent, the region, the globe and, by extension, outer space, were

brought together as strategic spaces or categories that provided a cartographic orientation for the Cold War and influenced military deployments, diplomacy, espionage and finance.

Farish analyzes the surprising range of knowledge production involved in claiming and classifying American space. Backed by military and intelligence funding, physicists, policy mak-ers, soldiers and social scientists came together to study and shape the United States and its place in a divided world.

Matthew Farish is an Associate Professor in the department.

FACUlTy BookS

The Contours of America’s Cold War(Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010)by matthew farish

Love in the time of AiDS(Co-published by Indiana University Press and KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2010)by mark hunter

Mark Hunter is Assistant Professor in Social Sciences/Geography at the University of Toronto Scarborough and Research Associate in the School of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Bringing together some of the most respected scholars in the discipline, Canadian Urban Regions: Trajectories of

Growth and Change is an innovative exploration of current trends and developments in urban geography. Combining theoretical perspectives with contemporary insights, the text reveals how the economic welfare of Canada is increas-ingly determined by the capacity of its cities to function as sites of innovation, creativity, skilled labour formation, specialized production, and global-local interaction. The text moves from

building a contextual framework, on to practical case studies about evolving political, economic, and urban changes in five of Canada's major cities - Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver - before finally moving on to a discus-sion of the future of the discipline.

Larry Bourne is a Professor Emeritus in the department, Senior Associate with the Cit-ies Centre and a Fellow with the Global Cities Program. Jim Simmons is a Professor Emeritus in the department.

CAnADiAn UrbAn regionS

(OxfOrd University Press, 2011)edited by larry s. bourne, tom hutton, richard shearmur and jim simmons

In some parts of South Africa, more than one in three people are HIV positive. Love in the Time of AIDS explores transforma-

tions in notions of gender and intimacy to try to understand the roots of this virulent epidemic. By living in an informal settlement and collect-ing love letters, cell phone text messages, oral histories, and archival materials, Mark Hunter details the everyday social inequalities that have resulted in untimely deaths. Hunter shows how first apartheid and then chronic unemploy-ment have become entangled with ideas about femininity, masculinity, love, and sex and have created an economy of exchange that perpetuates the transmission of HIV/AIDS. This sobering ethnography challenges conventional under-standings of HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

pg. 24

This book celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Department of Geography at the University of Toronto. It is not meant

to be a complete history of the department but rather a history of selected moments and events. Some of the 16 contributions are based on remi-niscences and some are based on archival research and interviews. Some are a bit of both. Chapter authors include current and emeritus professors, current and retired staff, and alumni.

Read about various periods in the depart-ment’s history (the early years, the middle years), geography and geographic education, the quantitative revolution in geography, GIS and cartography, the map library, geography at UTM and UTSC, the internationalization of geogra-phy, planning and geography, and a student’s perspective from the early 1990s.

Contributing authors: John Warkentin, Marie Sanderson, Andrew H. Clark, Jacob Spelt, Jock Galloway, Dick Baine, Matthew Farish, Michael Bunce, Thomas McIlwraith, Byron Moldofsky, Joan Winearls, Joe Whitney, Gunter Gad, Jan Masijauskas, Virginia Maclaren.

BookSReflections on the History of Geography at the University of Torontoedited by virginia maclaren and gunter gad

geoplanis prepared by the University of Toronto, Department of

Geography and Program in Planning and the University of Toronto Association of Geography Alumni (UTAGA).

100 St. George Street, Room 5047, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3Tel: (416) 971-3375/Fax: (416) 946-3886

Special thanks is extended to the front office staff of the Geography Department for their ongoing assistance and to the many

individuals who made contributions to this edition of GEOPLANEditors: Andrew Malcolm, Virginia Maclaren

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