I was up in Toronto last month for the Experience the Creative Economy conference at the UofT's Martin Prosperity Institute (see earlier post). While I was in town I had the honor and privilege of taking an impromptu guided tour of D.I.Y. urbanism in the city with a spokesperson for the acclaimed local bike lane champions and all-around unauthorized do-gooders The Urban Repair Squad.
Anti-bike signs on the TTC were replaced with a more bike-friendly message (above), and even some classic pieces, like these bike-lane commentaries and "pothole onomatopoeia" are a bit worn down but still doing their part.
As my URS liaison explained, "the group kind of fulfills an official function [...] Above all it asks questions about how urban design is used, and what it is used for."
We also saw some fantastic street art:
Above, Posterchild stencil and others. Below, a piece by Poser (is it?) in Kensington Market, and a slightly disregarded Banksy in an alley. (Click for larger images)
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