The Ontario Minister of Transportation takes "a leap of faith that I’ll be able to get to the office on time." I take a leap of faith about whether my family will get to work alive. Ontario Premier will have blood on his hands after he tears out Toronto's major bike lanes. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/doug-ford-will-have-blood-on-his

There has been a strong negative reaction to Stan Cox's article in the New York Times about how he tries to reduce his use of air conditioning. Yes, AC is a necessity now in much of the world, but we still should try to design our cities and our homes to use as little of it as possible. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/yes-air-conditioning-is-a-necessity

Writers, close your computers! Media, take the day off! The North American holiday actually has its roots in an 1872 newspaper strike in Toronto, a fight over toxic working conditions and long hours. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/stop-the-presses-for-labor-day

Lindal Cedar Homes has updated Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian house designs and is selling kits. What immediately pops out is how faithful Lindal has been to the originals, and how good the originals actually were. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/lindal-cedar-homes-gives-frank-lloyd

Yet another study confirms that taking the stairs extends lives. “Physical activity in the form of stair climbing is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.” It's why we have to design our stairs to be easy to find and nice to use, in buildings that work for everyone of all ages. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/new-study-confirms-take-the-stairs

According to The Wall Street Journal, wall-to-wall carpeting is making a comeback. "With its reputation rehabbed, against considerable odds, carpeting is once again finding its way into bedrooms, family rooms, dining rooms and even the occasional bathroom." I am sorry; it is as nasty and unhealthy as ever and should not be in our homes. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/is-wall-to-wall-carpeting-really

I have been yelling at my kids for 15 years to drink beer from bottles, not cans, because of the epoxy lining made with BPA. Now, a new study finds that boys born to moms with high Bisphenol A levels are up to 6 times more likely to have autism. But hey, convenience is more important than health. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/new-study-finds-bisphenol-a-increases

A hundred years ago, everyone knew that you should stop the heat before it got in with what we now call "active solar protection," and they called awnings. We should bring them back for buildings, new and old. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/nice-shades-beat-the-heat-with-awnings

From my archives: When Ontario's Doug Ford was elected and Trump was president, I wondered why so many people were looking backward instead of forward, especially when, for many, those times were not so wonderful. Not much has changed since I wrote it. https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/is-nostalgia-stealing-our-kids-future

Type "regenerative design" into Google, and you will get an entire page of articles illustrated with Stephano Boeri's tree-covered condo in Milan. But plopping trees onto concrete structures does not make them sustainable, let alone regenerative. So, what is regenerative design? https://lloydalter.substack.com/p/sustainable-design-is-dead-long-live