Initiatives

Art=Waterfront is a coalition that supports linking existing cultural spaces in Toronto and building new ones by advocating for the creation of a municipal Waterfront Arts Corridor from Scarborough to Etobicoke. 

Tower Renewal Partnership is a nonprofit initiative that works with municipal, provincial, and federal governments to recognize the preservation of affordable housing as a key public policy priority and to promote tower neighbourhood reinvestment.

In collaboration with Docomomo Québec, ERA is conducting historical and technical research on the many ceramic finishes of Montreal Metro stations to develop a better understanding and appreciation of these original finishes in order to encourage their conservation, especially as this infrastructure undergoes repair and renovation campaigns.

The Frank Darling Book Project (FDBP) is an ERA-led initiative whose mission is to gather and publish information on one of Toronto and Canada’s most important architects: Frank Darling (1850-1923), and his firms. Through outreach, archival research, and travel across Canada, the FDBP team has prepared a robust visual and research database of biographical information on Darling, his partners and his staff, and the over 375 known architectural projects. The research methodologies for the project are scalable, and it is hoped that they will be applied to other lesser-known or overlooked Canadian architects. The first-ever monograph on Darling and Darling & Pearson Architects is expected to be published in early 2025.

The Friends of Allan Garden aspire to grow the park and conservatory from their heritage roots as a horticultural garden to become a year-round green oasis and vibrant destination at the heart of downtown Toronto.

The Culture of Outports uses research, design, and planning to help support livable communities undergoing economic and cultural change after the decline of the Northern Cod Fishery in Eastern Canada.

The Basins Project, a partnership with ARUP Canada, deploys cultural heritage practices as a framework to how we approach climate change, considering both the tangible and the intangible values of place.

Across Canada, many villages, towns, boroughs, hamlets and outports need creative approaches to assist their transition from resource-based settlements to diversified, cultural economies. Small is focused on leveraging cultural heritage values and assets in order to support liveable communities first.

The Centre for Urban Growth and Renewal (CUG+R) is a non-profit research organization founded in 2009 with the mission to engage in cross-disciplinary research initiatives fundamental to achieving livable and sustainable urban, suburban, and rural environments.

The Signs That Define Toronto sees ERA partner Philip Evans and architect Kurt Kraler team up with Spacing’s Matthew Blackett and 20 other contributors to reveal the history, culture, and stories of the city through its unique signage.

This book is a photo collection, interspersed with short essays and features by writers and ERA architects, that documents the sometimes beautiful, sometimes neglected collection of mid-century buildings that dot Toronto’s urban landscape.

The Ward Uncovered digs up the tales of things, using well-preserved artifacts from the City’s museum collection and items found during times of construction, to tell a different set of stories about life in this long-forgotten neighbourhood.

The Ward tells the diverse stories of this extraordinary and resilient neighbourhood through archival photos and contributions from a wide array of voices, including historians, architects, story-tellers, journalists and descendants of Ward residents.

In this anthology led by ERA, House Divided uses Toronto as a case study to unpack the affordability crisis and offers innovative ideas for creating housing for all ages and demographic groups.

Concrete Toronto (Coach House Books) takes readers on a guided tour of Toronto’s concrete architecture. A diverse group of industry experts of architects, university faculty, local practitioners, city planners, historians and journalists examine the unique and important qualities of Toronto’s concrete buildings.

In an effort to raise public awareness in support of conserving local modern architecture, ERA Architects published two books in 2009 and 2010 respectively: North York’s Modernist Architecture and North York’s Modernist Architecture Revisited.

Published in 2001, East/West is a guided tour of old stories and fresh perspectives on the architecture and planning of housing and urban development in central Toronto – including both success stories and perennial problems.

Starting in 2005, ERA has teamed up with different programming partners to host the Toronto The Good party. Originally conceived for Toronto’s inaugural Architecture & Design Festival, the event has morphed into a gathering of civic-minded residents to celebrate the rich history of the city.