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U of T Landmark Project to make St. George campus’s historic core greener, more walkable and accessible
Big changes are being proposed for the heart of the University of Toronto’s St. George campus.
The campus’s historic core, set in the middle of downtown Toronto, is set to undergo a transformation that would see it become greener, more accessible, sustainable and walkable.
Called the Landmark Project, the major revitalization initiative is expected to begin construction in spring 2020 and will be centred on Front Campus, Back Campus, King’s College Circle, Hart House Circle and Sir Daniel Wilson Quad.
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‘We have a crucial role to play’: U of T commits to leadership role in addressing climate change
Through research and education, as well as a growing number of sustainability initiatives, the University of Toronto is committed to playing a leadership role in addressing climate change – and is encouraging students to expand their knowledge of the issue.
U of T expert on how corporations are stepping up to tackle crises when governments around the world won’t
Today we’re facing a whole slew of social, economic and environmental crises – gun violence, climate change, gender inequality, job dislocation, food insecurity, plastic pollution and the opioid epidemic, to name just a few.
The responses from governments are often inadequate. Indeed, the problems are so complex that no single sector can address these challenges alone. Policies may not go far enough, or simply cannot address the entire issue. And, as we are seeing in the United States, governments may actually be pulling back on regulations meant to address these crises.
Why don’t more Torontonians bike to work?
Cycling to work is sustainable and good for our health – but in Toronto, less than 3 per cent of us actually do it.
Now, a new study led by post-doctoral researcher Ahmadreza Imani, Assistant Professor Shoshanna Saxe and Professor Eric Miller of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering suggests disconnected cycling infrastructure may play a role.
Forests for the future: U of T researcher seeks to make trees more resilient amid a changing climate
Katharina Braeutigam, a plant epigeneticist at the University of Toronto, wants to grow trees fit for a future climate.
By studying plants at the molecular level, Braeutigam looks at how trees respond to external signals such as drought, and how they record “memories” of stress. She also researches how they respond to internal signals – specifically those that determine sex.
Contamination-eating microbes developed at U of T to be tested in the field
For years, the University of Toronto’s Elizabeth Edwards and her team have been developing a potent mix of microbes that can chow down on toxic chemicals. Now, they are preparing to let them loose in the wild for the first time.
The bacterial cultures are designed to treat a set of contaminants known as BTEX – benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. BTEX chemicals are commonly found in soil and groundwater where crude oil and its products have been used, such as old gas stations and oil refineries. In Canada alone, such sites number in the thousands.
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