The quote below is from junctionist in the Montreal thread of this site. I thought I would repost it here because he lists a number of public realm design elements Toronto needs to think about - not just for a few blocks of a few streets, but for main streets in the entire city, or at least its core.
"Montreal is a city that knows how to fashion itself well. When you see street after street without overhead wires, with unobtrusive traffic signals with black casings coordinated with the attractive, low-profile but well-made street furniture, consistently attractive and well-scaled street lighting, you might not think about these things. You might not notice the attention to urban design, or the fact that square after square has been renovated within the last decade with excellent designs, either. You might notice the fine design of the subway stations because it's a rare thing to see, down to the easy electronic payment system, sleek Modernist signage, intense calming blue lighting on platforms at the 'designated waiting areas' and even a pleasant, polished tone preceding announcements at stations.
But in the end, you just say "what a beautiful city". The history, architecture, and culture shines through. The refinement of the small details reassures you (even unconsciously) that the more noticeable stuff like the buildings, retail, institutions is great, too. There may be even more impressive cities out there, but many haven't yet achieved such a great job of presenting themselves, inspiring mixed emotions."
