A great place to see up-and-coming downtown.

A great place to see up-and-coming downtown.
I just finished a day-long conference and it reminded me of all Ryerson has to offer and what an asset it is to downtown revitalization.
The Food Security Centre sponsored the conference, an example of an organization that was at least ten years ahead of its time when it was founded by Ryerson faculty decades ago. Their dietitian program is also way out in front. Both are examples of what I argue in my book Food for City Building -- how a place that knows how to use food as a lever can work with food to meet a wide variety of goals.
That's even true for the cafe Balzac, which, unlike Tim's or Starbucks, shows the place has a little taste and a little appreciation for another up-and-comer, a Canadian company no less.
The walk around the quadrangle is lovely, especially in the spring at blossom time. The gay sculptures around the quadrangle and on Victoria are also quite the statement from the era when they were commissioned.
I must admit that it gives me a lump in the throat to see all the multicultural students there who are making their way here, a real testimony to Toronto's efforts at multiculturalism and inclusion.