Harmonized Furniture?

Here is an interesting and timely article. The city of Toronto has decided it may be time to unify all the "street furniture" (garbage bins, benches, bus shelters, etc.) in the city. The effect, they believe, will be one of beautification.

What does this mean exactly? I'm not too sure myself, but I suspect it means ripping out a lot of stuff to replace with new stuff; which means new contracts, new money, and new ad space. It may also mean the end of a lot of personalized benches and other art items that have been both gorilla and sanctioned by the city in the past. Could this be another blow against public art? Maybe.

It's also very suspect that this proposal to "harmonize" things like garbage cans would come within days of final report on the EUCAN "monster garbage bins". You've probably seen them: about 7 feet tall, impossible to walk around, and even harder to figure out (in terms of what's garbage and what's recycling). They are essentially giant illuminated billboards at sidewalk level, with a small garbage receptacle thrown in as an after though. I should post a picture of the pilot one near my place, so you see how disgusting and filthy its become, as no one can figure them out, they just sort of pile their garbage around one of the holes.

As suspected, the Toronto Public Space Committee is none too please about this. What did surprise me, is that the Toronto Business Improvement Association hates the idea too.
The Globe and Mail: Panel opens debate over unsightly Toronto streets