junctionist
Senior Member
First tries aren't often successful when lobbying or dealing with government. There's a learning process and persistence is key.
I think the charette shone a light on whether or not this forum membership could become a legitimate voice to influence urban design in Toronto.
The short answer is... not a chance. The lack of support for the charette, from the first call for help which yielded nothing, to the handful of members who actually bothered to comment on the submissions... speaks to what a collection of opinionated spectators this place will always be.
The designers should be applauded for their efforts, and the tiny volunteer working group (who committed many, many hours to this first attempt to rally some support) remained committed to the charette for months.
The handful of members who managed to offer a few words of comment and the hundred or so who worked up enough steam to click a vote button, was beyond disappointing given the collective hundreds of hours put forth.
Even the forum's own moderators couldn't be bothered to contribute a couple of words. I'd rate the member performance about a 1.8 out of 10.