What makes a city great? Google will quickly show you a list of sites claiming to know the top 5, top 10 and best cities to visit.
The criteria must vary between the sites as different cities show up. I started to think about what makes Toronto such a great city. Living in Grimsby now, the view of the skyline on the water gives me the sense of Toronto having landmark buildings - the CN Tower and the Skydome (Rogers Centre) - along with being on the water. The CN Tower is recognizable in a way that the Eiffel Tower is - there's only one in the world. I find out that is how most urbanites feel too.
A survey commissioned by planning and design firm Sasaki Associates (2014) asked 1,000 urbanites in San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. what they love most about their city. The findings, which cover diverse aspects of city life, offer truly fascinating insights for urban planners, landscape architects, and architects. One example: 60 percent of residents of these cities say they will still be in the city five years from now.
1. Many people feel the history of a building is the primary factor that makes it iconic
2. Consumers across the country love to shop and eat - more than any other outdoor activity
3. Most people remember their favourite city experience taking place outdoors - either in a park or on a street
4. When it comes to transportation issues, people are most frustrated by traffic
Our pictures today are a pretty pot plant that came in to Coles yesterday. It is a traditional plant for Easter with the common name of lady's purse and slipper flower.
