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Hive storage gives you extra space for your wardrobe

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hive storageIt doesn't fit, and you never wear it. Yet you desperately want to keep it, because you're a sentimental fool (or a packrat, or just convinced that all those terrible band T-shirts will be irony gold in a few years). Is that your life, too? Don't despair - a new Toronto-based startup will help you free up some closet space, commitment-free.

Hive Storage works on the same basic principle as those PODS storage contraptions - except instead of a massive container, you get a six-foot-tall standalone closet on wheels, complete with shelving and clothing rods you can configure to your liking.

A few hours (or a few days) after dropoff, the Hive team will collect your closet full of castoff clothing, and whisk it off to a climate-controlled storage facility; if you ever need to access your stuff, call the company and they'll swing by with your Hive.

The $60-a-month service, aimed at GTA condo-dwellers dealing with a dearth of space, could present a timely solution to your out-of-season clothing storage. Remember, we're heading into fall, shorts and sandals weather is over, and soon everything will be cold and dead. You're welcome!

Photo by Gabriel Li in the blogTO Flickr pool


Toronto gets a shoemaking school

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shoemaking schoolShoemaking's something of a dying art in the current age of fast fashion, but there are a few folks cobbling together a revival in Toronto. Our city has a number of long-running repair stores and a handful of custom shoemakers - and now, you can join their ranks at what might be Canada's only shoemaking school. The Art & Sole Academy, the brainchild of a footwear designer, launches this fall, with day-long workshops on how to make your own pumps, ballet flats, sandals and more.

After founder Jennifer Allison spent the last few years working around the world in the footwear industry, she says, she wanted to bring what she learned back to Canada and "make shoemaking accessible to a general audience" - no heavy machinery required. The first few classes, which include all the tools and most of the materials needed (plus snacks), are set to go down at Goodfolk in October before moving to other cities in Ontario through the rest of the year. Workshops are $165-$475, depending on what type of shoe you're making.

Photo via Art & Sole Academy on Facebook

Street Style: U of T vs Ryerson vs OCADU

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street style torontoToronto's downtown campuses, with their diverse specialties and architectural personalities, are brimming with their own distinct student styles: polished and collegiate at U of T, fashion- and function-forward at Ryerson, and out-there and artistic at OCADU. In honour of back-to-school season, I paid a visit to each higher-learning institution to find out what the best-dressed student bodies are wearing this fall.

Check out all the looks in our style section.

Pan Am Games tickets go on sale today in Toronto

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Pan Am Games TorontoPan Am Games tickets go on sale today in Toronto, but don't worry if you're not online right at 10am. Ticket sales are by request rather than first come, first served. The request period extends until October 6th. During the period, organizers can determine the level of interest in each event and organize lotteries for those in which the demand outweighs the supply.

Tickets for the opening ceremony, which will feature a performance by Cirque du Soleil, range between $100 and $350. The sporting events themselves, on the other hand, are mostly less than $50, with some events starting at $20. You can visit Toronto2015.org to make your ticket requests. The games take place between July 10 and 26, 2015.

Upscale diner opens on the fringes of East Chinatown

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Saturday DinetteTaking over the former site of Hammersmith's, this newly opened diner on Gerrard has ditched the deep fryer in favour of a wholesome line-up of pot pies, liver and onions, and burgers with smashed potatoes and candied plantains on the side.

Read my profile of Saturday Dinette in the restaurant section

20 shots of meat, dumplings & dancing at Ukraine Fest

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ukrainian festiva torontolToronto's annual Ukrainian Festival went down this weekend in Bloor West Village. The event served as both a celebration of Ukrainian culture in Toronto and an opportunity to draw attention to the freedom movement back home. Thousands crowded Bloor St. between Jane and Glendowynne Rd., indulging in a variety of traditional Ukrainian dishes and live entertainment. There were sausages aplenty, as well as borscht, varenyky (dumplings), and a dramatic-looking spit-roasted pig. Spirits were high despite the turmoil in Ukraine as attendees feasted and flaunted their culture and heritage.

Check out all the eats and action in our Toronto Ukrainian Festival photo gallery.

The Best Dosa in Toronto

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Dosa TorontoThe best dosa in Toronto are not concentrated in the downtown core. In fact, you'll find the fermented rice and urad dal (black lentil) crepes spread thin across the GTA at South Indian restaurants from Mississauga to Scarborough.

For the uninitiated, the South Indian staple consists of crepes, often painted with ghee or stuffed with savoury fillings like mildly spiced potatoes, onions or paneer. They're accompanied by sides like sambar (a tangy lentil soup with vegetables) and a selection of tangy or cooling condiments, like coconut, tomato or coriander chutney.

Here is where to find the best dosa in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Indian Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Indian Restaurants in Mississauga
The best Indian Buffet in Toronto
The Best Sri Lankan Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Butter Chicken in Toronto

Hamilton street fest bulges with bands & food trucks

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SupercrawlFour days of music, art installations, vendors, and food trucks galore swarmed James Street North in Hamilton this past weekend for Supercrawl 2014. Steeltown music fans packed in to see Charles Bradley, Antibalas, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, The Arkells and many more on stage, while festival-goers and art-lovers were treated to circus performances, break dancing, large scale installations, and of course handmade goodies, craft beer, and more food truck eats than any one person could conquer alone.

Here are 40 of our favourite memories from The Hammer at Supercrawl 2014.


Queen St. restaurant puts its own reviews on t-shirts

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banuOver the past decade, Banu has doled out innumerable Persian meals on Queen West and given way to a sister spot, Kadbanu. They've also racked up their share of reviews; like any veteran restaurant, they've had the glowing, the middling, the snarky, and the downright incoherent. To commemorate their 10-year anniversary, the Mohyeddin family of restaurateurs, never afraid to call 'em like they see 'em, is selling a series of T-shirts printed up with some of their most outrageous online reviews.

Currently, the run of $20-a-pop shirts focuses on their Yelp reviews, which, among other things, warn diners to beware 'the "soup Nazi" treatment' from staff. ("We have a love-hate relationship with Yelp," explains co-owner Samira Mohyeddin.) They're starting with 10 designs - one for each year - but hope to add more as they trawl through reviews and social media pages for comment gold. "Actually, we have a really funny one from blogTO," Mohyeddin adds. To wear your love (or your loathing?) for Banu on your sleeve, inquire at the restaurant at 777 Queen St. West.

banu torontoPhoto via Banu on Instagram.

Roncesvalles Polish Festival

Today in Toronto: Rob Ford The Musical, Craft Your Change, Dan Adler, Art Battle, Root Hog or Die

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Today in TorontoToday in Toronto Rob Ford the Musical (I believe this is the second unique Rob Ford musical happening) will show its first preview performance at Factory Theatre. It runs until September 28th. Sheldon Bergstrom ("Shrek" in Shrek The Musical) plays Ford: role of a lifetime. Will recent developments give the production a more sombre tone? Let's hope this is the last musical to bear the Ford name.

Toronto Beer Week continues with Craft Your Change at Beer Academy, where you can drink up and shop for volunteer opportunities - total good vibes. Comic fans should catch Root Hog or Die at the Bloor: the doc follows zine-maker John Porcellino, with a Q&A to follow. For more events, click on over to our events section.

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo via Rob Ford the Musical

This week on DineSafe: Waterfalls Indian Tapas, Just Thai, Pancho's Bakery, Burger Brats, Liberty Shawarma

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dinesafeDineSafe shut down Waterfalls Indian Tapas and Grill in Kensington Market this week thanks to some insect infestation and food contamination issues. Even more surprising: Liberty Shawarma in CityPlace somehow escaped the same fate after racking up a whopping nine citations, six of which were deemed crucial.

Here are the rest of this week's stomach-churning results on DineSafe.

Waterfalls Indian Tapas (303 Augusta Ave.)
Inspected on: September 9, 2014
Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
Number of infractions: 10 (Minor: 2, Significant: 6, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to prevent an insect infestation. Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Pancho's Bakery (1017 Dufferin St.)
Inspected on: September 9, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Burger Brats (254 Adelaide St.)
Inspected on: September 9, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Urawa Japanese Restaurant (254 Adelaide St.)
Inspected on: September 9, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Just Thai (234 Church St.)
Inspected on: September 9, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Liberty Shawarma (4K Spadina Ave.)
Inspected on: September 10, 2014
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 6)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands before resuming work. Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Operator fail to thoroughly re-heat hazardous food item(s). Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder. Maintain hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4 C and 60 C. Operator fail to thoroughly cook hazardous food item(s).

Toronto gets a Norwegian inspired coffee shop

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kaffebar torontoToronto's newest coffee shop comes with a strong shot of Scandinavia. This minimalist, one week old cafe near Keele and Dundas West has a minimalist aesthetic, a La Marzocco espresso machine and a simple menu of espresso based drinks. There are also homemade baked goods like cinnamon buns, heart-shaped waffles and skolebrød.

Find out more in my profile of Kaffebar in the cafes section.

The top 10 photography classes in Toronto

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photography schools torontoThe top photography classes in Toronto range from full academic programs to one-time workshops designed to help folks get the most out of their DSLR. There's even phone photography classes if you're a fan of wasting money. Most reputable schools offer a variety of classes, starting with beginner-level instruction and going right up to advanced lighting and printing techniques. And, for what it's worth, money spent on instruction will result in much better photos than a few extra megapixels.

Open Classes

Image Works
Edward Burtynsky's printing shop is also an educational hub, offering beginner and intermediate photography classes as well as diploma programs in digital design and website management. Continuing Ed. classes run $290 per session and take place over five weeks. Diploma programs are $5,000 and take place over the course of 14 weeks.

The Developing Tank
Housed at the new Artscape Youngplace building, the Developing Tank is a casual photography school primarily designed to get amateur enthusiasts off of auto-mode and into the world of creative photography. Topics covered include basics like the workings of aperture and shutter speed, as well as composition and lighting. There are also advanced and private classes. The fall schedule has yet to be posted, but you can find more information here.

Henry's School of Imaging
Henry's School of Imaging is one of the biggest non-academic options in the city, with courses covering a diverse range of subjects from astrophotography to external flash to Lightroom. Basically everything is covered in one capacity or another. Basic classes run at $75 and multi-week classes go up to $275. Henry's also offers photo tours, if you want to get out of the classroom.

Toronto Camera Club
If you're interested in less structured learning opportunities, joining a camera club could be the way to go. The Toronto Camera Club is the oldest in the country (founded in 1888) and still holds weekly meetings on Monday nights. Educational opportunities include a lecture series, photo meet-ups, workshops, and mentoring programs. Membership is $100.

The AGO
The AGO offers a variety of educational programs over the course of the year, one of which is an intro to photography. Taught over the course of five weeks, the idea is to walk students through the basics of camera operation, composition and photo editing. Enthusiast photographers looking to try something new might take a life photography course instead. Prices range from $270 for members to $330 for non-members.

GTA Photography Classes
Another full service school, the straightforwardly named GTA Photography Classes offers a variety of instruction from general classes (basic photo skills) to specific skills like product photography and Photoshop. They also do summer camps for kids and do in-field classes on street photography in neighbourhoods like Kensington Market. Photo 101 classes are $250.

Academic Options

Perhaps you're thinking bigger when it comes to your photography plans. Short-session classes can take you relatively far if you stick with them, but if it's a career you're after or you're looking to devote yourself to photography as fine art, the programs on offer from Toronto's universities and colleges might be the way to go.

Ryerson
Along with the School of Image Arts, one of the best photography and film schools in the country, Ryerson also offers certificate programs from the Chang School. The instructors are top notch at both schools, and instruction ranges from photojournalism to fine art photography.

OCADU
Unsurprisingly OCAD's photo program is focused on the craft of photography as a fine art, and much of the education is oriented around situating photographic practice within the context of art history. There's plenty of hands-on work, as well, but given the focus on cultivating an artistic vision, the program ensures that students understand that their work doesn't exist in a vacuum.

George Brown
George Brown rides the line between open classes and a more academic experience. For those looking to brush up on their photography skills, there are a variety of specific classes to enrol in (everything from Digital Photography I to the Business of Photography). There is also a certificate program composed of nine courses, which provides students with the skills they need to try their hand at professional photography.

Online

The Luminous Landscape
Started by Michael Reichmann back in 1999, the Luminous Landscape has become one of the world's leading resources on photographic technique, printing and technical matters like resolution. Both the site and its forum offer are crammed with insight and knowledge about digital photography, much of which is completely free. There are also video workshops that you can purchase as well as field workshops all over the world.

Photo by Diego Sevilla Ruiz

What the new Cumberland Terrace might look like

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Cumberland TerraceCumberland Terrace has seen its better days. Walking around on its underground level, it's possible to imagine that it's 1974, the year the mall opened. There's something fascinating about this, but it also underscores the degree to which this prime piece of real estate is primed for redevelopment.

With plans in the works for about five years now, the latest on the property is that the developer has submitted a proposal to the city's planning department, one that represents a significant departure from the last designs for the site. Gone are the two towers of the last renderings for something a bit more modest.

Highlighted by a 54-storey condo, the plans by architectsAlliance also include redesigned retail space that would connect to existing buildings like the Hudson's Bay Centre and Holt Renfrew. The new mall will provide larger space for big retail, while the mid-black tower will feature a dramatic lobby with visible beams designed to divert load from the building to either side of the subway tunnel bellow (the Bloor-Danforth Line runs directly underneath the development).

Cumberland terraceThere's also a couple of hidden parking levels hidden above the podium because underground isn't an option due to the presence of the subway. Atop the the retail space there's a large green roof and recreational area for condo dwellers. Over all, it's a promising looking redevelopment proposal, and part of a efforts to radically transform Yorkville over the next decade.

Cumberland Terrace


Do you want to join the blogTO team?

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Now that beach weather is about to become a distant memory we're getting back to work and looking to hire a Listings Manager as the newest member of the blogTO team. This position is a one month contract (start date: ASAP) although there may be an opportunity to continue beyond the initial month in either a full or part time capacity. Interested? Read on to find out more about this role and how to apply.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

The main part of this role will be to visit businesses throughout the GTA (from Etobicoke to Scarborough and neighbourhoods in between) for the purpose of adding profiles of these businesses to the site. You will be required to take photos and write short summaries of each business which will include restaurants, cafes, bakeries, clothing stores, furniture stores, fitness clubs and other types of retail and service-oriented businesses.

You will also be required to take Instagram photos of certain businesses.

SKILLS YOU WILL NEED

The successful candidate will have the following skills, knowledge and experience:

  • Strong writing skills. A journalism or creative writing degree/background is preferred.
  • Photography capabilities. You need not have any professional photography experience but you need to have access to a DSLR and the ability to take good quality photos of local businesses.
  • You enjoy exploring Toronto neighbourhoods and discovering new stores and restaurants.
  • You are detail oriented and are able to meet deadlines.

HOW TO APPLY

Interesting in applying for this role? Just send an email to jobs [at] blogto [dotcom] with the following info:

  • Send us a bit of information about yourself (how long you've lived in Toronto, what neighbourhoods you have lived in) and your education and work experience. A link to your Linked-In or CV will be helpful here.
  • Let us know why you're interested in this role and how soon you can start.
  • Send us links to three great-looking Instagram photos you have taken at local businesses. Photos can be of a food or drink item, product they sell or interior photo.
  • Let us know what sort of smartphone you use for your Instagram photos as well as what sort of DSLR you have available to take photos for this job.
  • Visit three local business and take an exterior photo and write a short summary of each place. Send us the three write-ups in an email and attach the photos to the email sized at 590x393 pixels and 150k or less each. The samples should look something like this.
  • Briefly explain the mode of transportation options available to you to visit different neighbourhoods around the city.

This is a paid position at a level suitable to someone who is a recent (1-4 years) graduate from a University program. Thanks in advance to everyone interested in applying. We aim to respond to all applicants who send us a complete application as per the instructions above.

Vote: 12 new Best Of categories

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voteToday we're opening up voting in our latest Best Of poll. Now you can have your say in 12 categories including all day breakfast, dumplings, baklava and chocolate stores.

Take the best of poll here

Voting in the poll ends at 1pm this Thursday September 18th.

The top 10 Jewish bakeries in Toronto

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jewish bakeries torontoJewish bakeries in Toronto have dwindled in number, even in just my lifetime (RIP Open Window). The ones that remain, in many cases, have been around forever, beloved for upholding old world-traditions and supplying ceremonious and celebratory edibles that are forever intertwined with Jewish culture, religion and family life.

Aside from widely-recognized breads like challah and rye, there's a whole world of Jewish baked goods to be discovered: homely (er, rustic-looking) but delicious pastries, cookies, danishes and cakes, not to mention an array of festive seasonal treats that pop up, just like panettone at Italian bakeries, in time for specific holidays.

Here are my picks for the top Jewish bakeries in Toronto.

See also:

The best challah in Toronto
The best bagels in Toronto
The best kosher restaurants in Toronto
Where to buy kosher food in Toronto

Harbord Bakery
This long-standing institution has thrived in the Annex since 1945, specializing in Jewish staples like eggy challah and mandelbrodt. Holiday baked goods can be found at various times of the year, including honey cakes for Rosh Hashanah and sufganiyot (jelly-filled dougnnuts) for Hannukah, making it a festive supply shop for the most faithful. Week-round, find the deli counter stocked with prepared foods and sandwich fixings available by weight to enjoy with those seeded bagels and buns.

Kiva's Restaurant & Bakery
While two downtown bagel bars have a more singular focus, the original Bathurst and Steeles location covers a wide breadth of European baked goods and prepared foods. Since opening its doors in 1979, the place has gained a loyal following of folks who know it as a top source for fancy challahs, rye breads, bubka, rugalahs and cheese blintzes.

What A Bagel
The bagelria has expanded with multiple bakery-cafe outposts across the GTA, and while fresh bagels made on site might be the chain's raison d'etre, the bakeshops are also well-stocked with other Jewish delicacies, including braided challahs, danishes and bourekas.

Hermes Bakery
Located on Bathurst in an aging Jewish neighbourhood, this kosher bakery and grocer does brisk pre-Shabbat business on Fridays before sundown. Hot-ticket items include fresh baked challahs, desserts and other parve (non-dairy) essentials.

Grodzinski
The family of bakers has been perfecting its trade since 1988, bringing recipes from Lithuania to England and then finally to Toronto. Locations in Thornhill and North York continue to keep traditions alive, offering an impressive range of breads (everything from sweet bilkas and fancy loaves to multigrains and ryes) as well as confections and cakes.

Isaac's Bakery
Also on Bathurst, this kosher bakery accommodates carb-lovers and the ultra-orthodox alike by offering assorted baked goods and cholev yisroel (dairy products). Expect to find challahs and whole grain loaves available, plus a wide variety of Simcha-worthy desserts, seasonal specialties and custom cakes available to order.

My Zaidy's Bakery
Found in Thornhill, this bakery has expanded in recent years and is not only kosher, but also gluten-free and nut-free. Along with the daily staples like challahs, cheese danishes and palmiers, you'll find festive specialties like hamentaschen (trianglar cookies filled with poppy seeds or jam) and sufganiyot. Unlike most Jewish bakeries, this one stays open even over Passover, selling macaroons and unleavened pizzas.

Richmond Kosher Bakery
Taking over the Bathurst address formerly belonging to the longstanding Richman's Kosher Bakery, this recently renovated shop upholds the traditions of old-world baking, despite being under new management. In addition to the wide assortment of fresh breads and pastries available for grab and go, the bakery accepts special orders for shabbat challahs and tiered cakes for weddings and other mitzvahs.

Phipps Bakery Cafe
While not exclusively a Jewish baker or kosher for that matter, this Eglinton West bakery carries crown challahs regularly as well as timely holiday treats. For the new year, find traditional honey and apple cakes while at hannukah the sweet trays get the gilt treatment. Come purim you'll find poppy seed hamantaschen and in the spring you'll even find passover-friendly treats like macaroons.

Leah's
The St. Clair cafe isn't kosher either, but here you can have a little rugelach along with your espresso. Pareve baking is available for special orders, though I'd say check with your hosts firsts if you plan on bringing some along for shabbat dinner.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite Jewish bakery in the comments.

Photo of Grodzinski bakery by Jesse Milns.

New poll puts Doug Ford 15 points behind John Tory

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doug ford poll mayorAn Ipsos Reid poll, the first from a major company since the Ford brothers pulled their notorious campaign switch-up last week, puts Doug Ford tied with Olivia Chow trailing well behind John Tory. According to Global News, who commissioned the poll, the numbers for the main three candidates breaks down as follows: Tory leads with 43 per cent of the vote, Chow comes in at 29 per cent and Doug Ford is right there with 28 per cent.

It's noteworthy that these numbers are virtually identical to the last poll from Nanos, which included the younger Ford. As of September 3rd, that company had Tory with 42 per cent, followed by Chow with 28 per cent and the incumbent with 26 per cent of the vote. If these numbers from Ipsos are an indiction of anything at all, it's that it might indeed be possible to substitute one Ford for the other. Well, actually, given that Doug hasn't opened his mouth yet, that's still unclear, but if I were him I wouldn't be devastated by these numbers.

He's a long shot candidate, to be sure, but if he polls around what his brother was, there's a glimmer of hope for Ford nation. Just a glimmer, though.

Photo by BruceK in the blogTO Flickr pool.

5 things Toronto could learn from Copenhagen

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CopenhagenOver the least 50 years, Copenhagan has transformed itself from an auto-focused city into a paradise for cyclists. Every day, more people bike to work in Denmark's capital and its surrounding urban area than in the entire United States, despite the city having less than one percent of America's population.

Cycling detractors in Toronto often point to the weather, believing that cyclists will flee during a cold snap regardless of the available facilities (just like hockey players don't.) Copenhagen's winters are mild compared to Toronto, but the city still sees frequent snow and rain during its coldest months. Despite the frigid conditions, cycling remains attractive year-round, in part due to the quality of the infrastructure. Toronto, it seems, needs to find a way to make cycling pleasant in the cold as well.

Here are 5 ideas Toronto could borrow from bike-friendly Copenhagen.

Make cycling more attractive with innovative technology

Painted lanes, plastic bollards, and the occasional priority signal are the best Toronto cyclists can hope for in terms of technology. Copenhagen, meanwhile, is pioneering tech that not only benefits current cyclists, but makes riding a bike a more attractive proposition in general. Take the "green wave," for example.

Embedded in the division line between the bicycle and auto lanes, little green LED lights count down the time to the next red light. Stay ahead of the moving lights by cycling at a constant 20 km/h and the reward is an unbroken chain of green lights, fall behind and be prepared to stop at a red light (luckily, more than 100 intersections give cyclists a six-second headstart over traffic, so stopping isn't so bad.)

Add to that angled garbage cans for cyclists and specially flattened cobblestones that minimize bumps and slips while maintaining the city's historic character, and you will understand why the 41 percent of people in Copenhagen use a bike to move around the city.

Build useful (and fun) cycling infrastructure
Copenhagen's central city is criss-crossed with canals and lagoons, making reaching some island locations with just a single access point a challenge to reach, especially for cyclists. Today, just three road bridges cross the central harbour that divides the city in half (though six more are under construction.)

Opened this year, the lauded Cykelslangen or Cycle Snake is a winding, bicycle-only bridge that closed a missing link between two popular bicycle routes and diverted bikers away from a busy pedestrian crossing.

At 220 metres long, the bridge takes about two minutes to cross and provides panoramic views of the harbour. "I think it's a real urban experience," says Clotilde Imbert, an urban designer with Copenhagenize Design Co. in a video. "You turn, you turn, and finally you discover the harbour and the other bridge, it's magical."

Make bike lanes the safest part of the street
Sharrows, the little painted arrows that are meant to indicate where cyclists should ride, are a cop out. For a bike lane to be an attractive proposition, it needs to feel totally safe. In Toronto, too many painted lanes are used to protect parked cars, meaning that a door prize could come from either side, especially in traffic or close to intersections. Copenhagen's lanes are located on the inside of street parking (where it still exists) and are slightly raised from the road to keep out potential intruders. Door prizes are treated as a serious offence.

The city is also making a priority of widening its bike lanes to allow easier overtaking and conversational riding. Busy sections of track can be up to 4 metres wide (the Sherbourne St. separated lanes are 1.7 metres wide, for comparison) and bike lane design is uniform across most of the city, instead of the weird hodgepodge offered in Toronto. Cycling fatalities are rare in Copenhagen, despite most riders shunning helmets. Some riders even listen to MP3 players while riding.

copenhagen bike parkingImprove bicycle parking
Toronto's simple yet effective "ring and post" bicycle lock is a design classic. The trouble is, as more and more people choose to travel by bike, the tiny capacity of each ring and post can make it difficult to find a space, especially on popular cycling routes like College. Though it's legal to lock a bike to almost all Toronto street furniture, the result is a cluttered obstacle course for pedestrians and people who use mobility devices

Copenhagen likewise struggles to corral its masses of bicycles, but the city is working to mitigate the issue. A "Checklist for Bicycle Parking," issued by the local government and based on a set of citywide design principles, provides simple guidance to anyone building bike parking.

Racks should be a maximum of 30 metres from the intended destination and allow for at least 50 cms between bikes, the document says. In larger facilities, there should be adequate lighting and the layout should eliminate spaces where thieves could work unnoticed.

Find a way to build rapid transit quickly
In 2001, Copenhagen had zero rapid transit stops. By the end of the decade, the city will have 40 stations across four lines, almost two thirds the number of subway and RT stops operated by the TTC. The initial phase of the driverless, light rail network, which runs in a tunnel through the central city and on an elevated track elsewhere, was funded in part by selling land and building rights to private investors. The city gained a new neighbourhood, and the improved transit links lured new investment. The total cost was about $1.3-billion Canadian.

The second, $4-billion phase of the Copenhagen Metro will add two new lines: an underground city circle and a new line to the northeastern part of the city, both of which are due to open in 2019 (as it currently stands.) The cost of the second phase was split between the city of Copenhagen, neighbouring Frederiksberg, and the state government.

The costly Metro expansion isn't without its critics, however. Copenhagen is a compact city easily covered on foot or by bike, and some residents question whether the money could have been better spent elsewhere. Either way, the city has built itself a rapid transit system--quickly. Toronto, on the other hand, is still figuring out how to fund the Downtown Relief Line.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Lead photo from Design Boom. Subsequent photo Dan Lundberg/Creative Commons.

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