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Stefan Novakovic

@novakovicto.bsky.social
8K followers 750 following 172 posts

Writer + Editor | Architecture + Cities | Toronto + Elsewhere

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Reposted by Stefan Novakovic
Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Every time someone runs a tap, dishwasher or flushes we're sending heat down the drain, so why not use it? In Vancouver, the Sen̓áḵw development project is tapping into a sewer line to provide carbon-free heating and cooling @novakovicto.bsky.social www.begiant.ca/stories/idea...
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Reposted by Stefan Novakovic
Tom Ackers @tomackers.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
“Just as a medical school is embedded into a hospital, our design school is embedded downtown...” Very interesting article, and a nice example of adaptive reuse. Preferable to (often environmentally *and* fiscally irresponsible) prestige new builds in the education sector.
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Stefan Novakovic @novakovicto.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The high-rise home for the University of Calgary's Architecture School demonstrates that office-to-institutional conversions are a better bet than the much-hyped (but unrealized) office-to-residential boom. My case study for the future of downtowns in @archpaper.com www.archpaper.com/2026/09/hcma...
archpaper.com
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Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Would you live in a highrise built out of wood? These days it feels like buildings are mainly built with emissions-intensive concrete. But there's a climate-friendly alternative that Canada is poised to lead: mass timber. novakovicto.bsky.social www.begiant.ca/stories/idea...
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Stefan Novakovic @novakovicto.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
My @archpaper.com review of Indigenous House at @utsc.utoronto.ca - the architecture of reconciliation. www.archpaper.com/2026/09/univ...
archpaper.com
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Jocelyn Lambert Squires @jocelynsquires.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Checked out the newly built area of Humber Bay Park. It's easy to live in Toronto without knowing all the waterfront parks exist; it's a world most accessible to cyclists (or water recreation). The more we nurture a culture of cycling, the more accessible these gems are to everyone!
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The Local Magazine @thelocal.to · 11/09/2026
When she was fifteen, Diana Chan McNally was homeless. Today, the frontline worker and activist is running for city council in Parkdale–High Park. New from @emmapaling.bsky.social: thelocal.to/diana-chan-m...
thelocal.to
Toronto’s Most Well-Known Defender of Homeless Encampments Runs for Council | The Local
As a teenager, Diana Chan McNally was briefly homeless. She’s since worked in drop-in centres and become a prominent advocate for homeless people. In the race for Parkdale-High Park, she’s going to ne...
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Lincoln Institute of Land Policy @landpolicy.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"Building Postcarbon Futures" editor @joobilly.bsky.social will be in Los Angeles next Thursday for a conversation about climate, design, and the future of our cities.
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Dan Seljak @anotherglassbox.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Apologies for the heavy breathing but I straight up chased and caught up with this boat when I realised what it was… if you look/listen closely, you can join Joël for the @tosoarch.bsky.social boat tour today.
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Detroit Greenways Coalition @detroitgreenways.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Our online international bike and trail map now uses Google Maps labeling for Canada. While it doesn't show trails that far east, it still shows Lake Ontario. map.detroitgreenways.org
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Stefan Novakovic @novakovicto.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Great to see a preview of “Between Your Love and Mine,” my upcoming landscape architecture exhibit in @detroitnews.com. www.detroitnews.com/story/entert...
detroitnews.com
Detroit Month of Design returns with 'Between Your Love and Mine'
Detroit Month of Design returns with over 100 events including a new art installation about the U.S.-Canada border.
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
#HearThis Sharing 3 pieces of Black specific content with my kids this week. 1. History of Lynching in America 2. NYC Black Burial Ground 3. CMF to invest in Black, Racialized creators I think these stories are all worth #Amplifying h/t @thecityreporter.nyc @gwillow.me medium.com/@lanrickbenn...
THE WEEK OF AUGUST 30th
#HEARTHIS
SHARING 5 PIECES OF BLACK SPECIFIC CONTENT WITH MY KIDS THIS WEEK

“We are only given a certain amount of time to do what we were sent here to do. You don’t have to be around a long time to share the wisdom of a lifetime. You just have to use your time wisely, efficiently. There is no time to waste.” — by Mamie Till-MobleyIn the background, two images of crowds surrounding a lynching
In the foreground, an image of Redacted History’s Dr. André White

The History of LynchingQueens
They Paved a Historic NYC Black Burial Ground. Now It’s a Lot for Abandoned Cars.
The bodies of nearly 300 free Black people buried during the 1800s lie under the asphalt in East Elmhurst, Queens. The lot was used by an NYPD towing contractor.
by Greg B. Smith 
Aug. 24, 2026, 5:03 a.m.

An Elmhurst, Queens, parking lot sits atop a 19th century cemetery where the remains of hundreds of free Black residents lie, Aug. 17, 2026. Credit: Greg Smith/The City ReporterAug 13, 2026
CMF to invest $10M in 19 projects led by Black, Racialized creators
Toronto, August 13, 2026 — The Canada Media Fund (CMF) today announced the 19 projects selected to receive a total of $10,160,000 in production funding through the 2026–2027 edition of our Program for Black and Racialized Communities.

Nine of them will be produced in Ontario, seven in Quebec, and one each in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. Nine are documentaries, five are productions for Children and Youth, and five are Dramas.

View the selected projects

This year marks the first time that the Program for Black and Racialized Communities is open to projects in languages other than English and French, resulting in one funded project in Persian. Of the rest, 11 will be in English and seven in French.

Funding decisions were made by a jury of industry peers. The jury tasked with evaluating English-language projects was comprised of Grace Chin, Kirk Cooper, Ravida Din, Saffron Maeve, Abdul Malik, and Erica Meus-Saunders. French-language funding applications were reviewed by Cécilia Agnès-Keita, Juan Andrés Arango, and Anik Magny.

Our Program for Black and Racialized Communities supports audiovisual projects from production companies owned and controlled by Black and Racialized persons.
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Rodney 🚧🚇 @chanface.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Going to miss this
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Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
"The numbers were going down." Winnipeg’s Lutheran Church of the Cross will become a 30-unit residential complex for seniors. @novakovicto.bsky.social on how nearly a third of Canada’s 27,000 faith buildings could close by 2035–and how some could become housing instead www.begiant.ca/stories/idea...
begiant.ca
The push to turn Canada’s shuttered churches into housing
About one-third of Canada’s 27,000 places of worship will likely shut down by 2035. They won’t be empty for long
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Reposted by Stefan Novakovic
Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Nearly a third of Canada’s 27,000 faith buildings are projected to close by 2035. @novakovicto.bsky.social on how shrinking congregations and emptying churches could translate into surprisingly transformative opportunities to tackle the housing crisis: www.begiant.ca/stories/idea...
begiant.ca
The push to turn Canada’s shuttered churches into housing
About one-third of Canada’s 27,000 places of worship will likely shut down by 2035. They won’t be empty for long
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
The war will be won. There are simply too many people who have been turned onto bikes.
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
But def code of the day though indirect (then). @novakovicto.bsky.social got into that history a bit here.
azuremagazine.com
Why Exterior Stairs (Still) Shape Montreal's Urban Fabric
MSDL Architects translate Montreal's vernacular of spiral stairs into a high-rise context for the 21st century.
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Ximena González @ximenaka.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Mediocrity is a privilege.
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Lloyd Alter @lloydalter.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
This story about Harry Stinson is amazing, I have known him since he started with The Groaning Board restaurant. Development is hard; we started at the same time and followed parallel paths but at least I kept my house and found writing.
apple.news
He was once Toronto's condo king. Now he’s living in an abandoned knitting mill. What happened? — Toronto Star
Harry Stinson says the Ontario Securities Commission is on a “witch hunt,” and he's the target. The OSC says Stinson still owes $14 million.
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Toon Dreessen @toondreessen.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
#Architecture drives 17% of the ON GDP and affects infrastructure, housing, social wellbeing yet #Ottcity policy is designed to punish; marginalize, undermine; little or no effort is made to prioritize local talent and skill nor design leadership Via @novakovicto.bsky.social bit.ly/41VeBkG
bit.ly
Can Public Policy Fix Canadian Architecture?
An exploration of how the bureaucracy of procurement shapes design — and how civic culture shapes bureaucracy.
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Toon Dreessen @toondreessen.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Imagine today making a concerted effort to hire the best, to showcase Canadian talent to Canadians and international visitors. Imagine making #ArchitectureMatter @mark-carney.bsky.social @yasirnaqvicdn.bsky.social @brucefanjoy.bsky.social @novakovicto.bsky.social @alexbozikovic.bsky.social
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Jocelyn Lambert Squires @jocelynsquires.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
This is an amazing quote! Procurement is SO important.
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Stefan Novakovic @novakovicto.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
In EXPO, I go to Edmonton to find out how the Canadian city is building the best civic architecture on the continent. As city architect Carol Bélanger tells me, “whoever controls the procurement ultimately controls the design quality.” www.expothemagazine.com/expo-essays/...
expothemagazine.com
How Edmonton Became the Architectural Capital of Canada — EXPO the magazine
City Architect Carol Bélanger is reimagining municipal bureaucracy and changing the rules of procurement.
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Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Toronto’s skyline is famous for its boxy, blue-glass towers. But a quiet technological revolution is changing that. Read @novakovicto.bsky.social's look at how mass timber – also called engineered wood – might be the future of Canadian housing and infrastructure: www.begiant.ca/stories/idea...
begiant.ca
Would you live in a highrise made of wood? Inside Canada’s mass timber construction boom
Climate-friendly mass timber is speeding up construction and, surprisingly, improving fire safety
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Jonathan Goldsbie @goldsbie.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Toronto has a new park in the Port Lands, and it's celebrating the opening in style:
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Glyn Bowerman @glynbowerman.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
What the Carneys of the world ignore is even the business case for slashing environmental protections doesn’t work. I work for a small business. We won’t get foot traffic until the smoke clears. No one will buy a coffee, sit on the patio, anything. This hurts business, it’s bad for the economy.
A view of College Street and an empty patio, covered in a smoky haze
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Stefan Novakovic @novakovicto.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
In the fifth issue of EXPO, a look at procurement policy. An anonymous Canadian architect delves into the experience of public RFPs — including instances where government agencies end up breaking their own rules. www.expothemagazine.com/expo-essays/...
expothemagazine.com
Shouldn’t “Buy Canadian” Include Public Architecture? — EXPO the magazine
A nationally prominent architect reflects on the challenges of designing buildings abroad for Global Affairs Canada.
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Hello! 👋 I'm hoping to raise money for two Bay Area cat rescues. If you post a screenshot of you donating at least $20, I will answer a style-related question for you. But first, let me tell you about the rescues, why they're worthy of your support, and hopefully get you to adopt a cat. 🧵
Two gray cats. One has their pawn on a person's knee. Two cats sleeping next to each other.
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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Public land should serve the public. Sadly in Toronto, the parks department and library actively resist this kind of deal and no one makes them cooperate.
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Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
FIFA has prohibited Haitian World Cup jerseys with a depiction of the Nov. 18, 1803, Bataille de Vertières aka the triumph of the Haitian Revolution against slavery. Depraved. amp.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
Though Saeta and FIFA have not said publicly said what design element in the men’s official World Cup soccer kits prompted FIFA’s, a source told the Miami Herald that it’s the illustration of the Nov. 18, 1803, Bataille de Vertières with the Haitian flag embedded on the jerseys, which the team wore during their two warmup matches in South Florida last week.
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Stefan Novakovic @novakovicto.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
In the fifth issue of EXPO, a look at procurement policy. An anonymous Canadian architect delves into the experience of public RFPs — including instances where government agencies end up breaking their own rules. www.expothemagazine.com/expo-essays/...
expothemagazine.com
Shouldn’t “Buy Canadian” Include Public Architecture? — EXPO the magazine
A nationally prominent architect reflects on the challenges of designing buildings abroad for Global Affairs Canada.
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Public consultation on the future of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Current status: Open Consultation period: June 8, 2026 to July 24, 2026. tc.canada.ca/en/corporate...
Background
Located on the Toronto Islands, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has a unique governance structure. The airport is owned and operated by the Toronto Port Authority, a Canada Port Authority. The land on which the airport operates is owned by the Toronto Port Authority (78.5% of the land), the City of Toronto (20%) and Transport Canada (1.5%). The ownership structure and the airport operations are governed by a Tripartite Agreement signed in 1983 between the three landowners. The TripartiteAgreement includes provisions that:
• prohibit runway and landmass extensions
• impose aircraft noise restrictions, and
• limit the types of aircraft that may operate at the airport
In June 2026, the Province of Ontario passed legislation enabling the acquisition of City-owned airport lands.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of consultations so members of the public can share their views to inform the future of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Through this consultation process, the Government of Canada is seeking
feedback on key priorities, such as noise mitigation, environmental measures, community infrastructure (such as parks and housing), as well as economic benefits for Canada.Input and feedback received from the public and key stakeholders will be critical to inform the future of the airport and waterfront.
Feedback gathered through this consultation process will guide any future decisions.Who is the focus of this engagement?
All Canadians are welcome to share their views on the future of Billy Bishop
Toronto City Airport, including:
• residents of Toronto
• travellers
• stakeholders from the air industry
• local businesses
• waterfront users
• community groups
At the same time, Transport Canada will continue working with our partners to engage with Indigenous Peoples about the future of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
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Alexandra Lange @langealexandra.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
My thoughts on the mixed messages of the Obamalisk and its campus www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
The Obama Presidential Center Wants to Be Everything But a Library
Aiming for a merger of celebrity and community, the monolithic tower stands as a contradictory, even off-putting symbol of Barack Obama’s presidency.
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Toon Dreessen @toondreessen.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Meanwhile this does nothing for design literacy, for sophistication in design dialogue, something to eloquently captured by @novakovicto.bsky.social; this is a key role that the RAIC should be taking: to make design more well understood by Canadians 4/ www.azuremagazine.com/article/cana...
azuremagazine.com
Canada's Afghanistan War Memorial and the Crisis of Design Literacy
The controversy over the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan reflects a lack of institutional respect for democracy.
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Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
@novakovicto.bsky.social’s longread on how, from bus garages and fire halls to power stations, public pools and stormwater facilities, Pat Hanson and her design firm, gh3*, are bringing surprising grace and technological sophistication to hard-working civic buildings: www.begiant.ca/stories/peop...
begiant.ca
How Pat Hanson and gh3* make Canada's civic buildings beautiful
Pat Hanson is turning Canada's bus garages, fire halls and stormwater facilities into cutting-edge, sustainable design showcases
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
A month in hospital costs: $30K Month in prison: $9.4K Month in shelter: $6.8K Supportive housing per month: $3.8K Figures from @uhn.ca ‘s Dr. Andrew Boozary h/t @housingnowto.bsky.social
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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
The greatest piece of criticism I have read this year. Thomas de Monchaux on Adjaye, cruelty, overbuilding, and a kinder future architecture. nyra.nyc/articles/deb...
nyra.nyc
Debris of Separation
Two new museums, and the elephant in the room
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Jonathan Bernstein @jonbern.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
this is not true, and this guy doesn't speak for me! nymag.com/intelligence...
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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Fantastic panel to end Doors Open Toronto. Thank you @tosoarch.bsky.social
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Toronto Society of Architects @tosoarch.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
As always, @jocelynsquires.bsky.social has an excellent summary of our talk currently happening at UofT Daniels as part of Doors Open Toronto 2026!
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Jocelyn Lambert Squires @jocelynsquires.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
"Where do you see the most inspiring advocacy?" I love @novakovicto.bsky.social's outlook, there's a time for criticism and there's a time to look for the vision that can engage and energize people. That question does both!
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Jocelyn Lambert Squires @jocelynsquires.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Here at Architects Talk: Toronto's Identity, presented by @tosoarch.bsky.social for #DoorsOpenTO at #UofTDaniels! @novakovicto.bsky.social giving beautiful context on the question of, what is architecture in Toronto? Glorious to see the room so full ❤️
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Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Even amid Vancouver’s soaring condominiums and natural surroundings, Sen̓áḵw is a showstopper. But one of its most radical technological innovations is almost entirely buried underground. @novakovicto.bsky.social on the energy revolution shaping its development: www.begiant.ca/stories/idea...
begiant.ca
How Vancouver’s Sen̓áḵw will heat 6,000 homes with sewage
The scale and ingenuity of this Vancouver project is the next step in an energy revolution shaping development across Canada
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5th Façade - I’m on the 54th floor watching the ceiling. @thenca.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Good to see stories like this making their way to local media in smaller GTA markets. Kudos @novakovicto.bsky.social
auroratoday.ca
The rise of the citizen developer
Homeowners are building the 'missing middle' at a time when Canadians desperately need more housing options
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
The new Pizzeria Badiali on Markham in Mirvish Village has already recreated the Pizzeria Badiali line on Dovercourt.
Victorian house + larger bldns
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
For context, our city still has not achieved #VisionZero, the strategy approved by Toronto City Council to reduce traffic-related serious injuries and deaths to zero. Raise your hand if your neighbourhood still has 40 km/h speed zones beside schools. youtu.be/HtjfjIxHbqQ?...
youtu.be
Vision Zero Road Safety Plan
YouTube video by Transportation Services
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Jason Thorne @jasonthorne.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Who wants to join a “Love Parade!” A bike tour celebrating five iconic Toronto parks designed by Claude Cormier. The tour is a celebration of public space and a collective moment of remembrance honouring Cormier’s lasting contribution to Toronto’s park landscape. Details at LoveParade.eventbrite.com
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Infrastory @infrastory.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Infrastory is back with more posts this week - today’s is about how Toronto completely inverts expectations of what is possible for transit in car-oriented areas. Much to learn here for cities in North America and across the world! open.substack.com/pub/infrasto...
open.substack.com
The Toronto Model for Transit
Induced demand is real for transit too
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Be Giant @be-giant.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
To the left is a regular Montreal bus shelter on a hot day. On the right? One with a green roof. It’s nearly 3 degrees cooler. Here’s @novakovicto.bsky.social on how rooftop greenery is giving commuters natural insulation 🚌 www.begiant.ca/stories/idea... CC @etsmtl.bsky.social
Two heat mapped images of the roof of a Montreal bus shelter, with one red and showing a temperature of 27.5 C and the other green and showing a temp of 24.6 C
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Alexandra Lange @langealexandra.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Dollar General discovers the Gruen Transfer: “This new format is designed to be more open and inviting, resulting in greater browsing and treasure hunt shopping as customers are exposed to more categories as they navigate the store" www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/b...
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