Latest news with #PaulHess
Toronto Star
03-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Condo towers with indoor gardens? Here are four ideas on highrise living Toronto should steal
Toronto's not like other cities. For decades, it has experienced rapid population growth and, even as the real estate market slows, is constantly changing with new towers rising to house our growing population. But all things considered, experts say the city is doing quite well at managing housing density in a thoughtful way. Unlike other growing places like Montreal or New York, Toronto is mostly a postwar city, which means it has to accommodate new density around a design that previously centred single-family homes and suburbanization, said Paul Hess, a professor and associate chair of University of Toronto's department of geography and planning. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'To transform those into highly dense places that have some of the kind of small grain character that we like is really hard, and there are not a lot of places that have figured out how to do that,' Hess said. Out of 40 urban areas around the globe, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat ranks Toronto-Hamilton as second at managing density and livability, only behind Hong Kong. Its 'vertical urbanism index' considers livability through social, economic, and environmental factors. Will condos ever create cool neighbourhoods? Why one developer sees a future that's more Tokyo than Toronto 'Livability is your life expectancy, accessibility to transport, schools, health; all that combination,' said Javier Quintana de Uña, the CEO of the Chicago-based non-profit. 'You guys score incredibly high.' Still, the city has faced challenges as new developments have led small businesses — and residents — to be priced out of communities, and some of the charm that once defined certain neighbourhoods has faded. When determining how best to incorporate social services and shared spaces into new developments, the answer is complicated by the fact that the city is home to people from so many different cultures and backgrounds who may have different needs, noted Meg Holden, a professor of urban studies and resources and environmental management at Simon Fraser University. 'Canada certainly has benefited from high rates of growth historically, but it's not comparable to European cities in that way; it's more comparable to cities like Singapore or Hong Kong … but it's still not comparable because Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver and Montreal have such a high rate of social demographic mixing,' she said, referring to the Canadian cities' cultural diversity and growing wealth gap. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Still, these experts say there are ideas Toronto can borrow from other Canadian and global cities that could make our increasingly vertical lives better. Singapore: Allocate public space in highrises People walk through the Green Oasis botanical promenade at the CapitaSpring's skyscraper in Singapore. David Goldman/AP While towers in the 1970s and '80s used to be more like silos, perceptions have changed. Developments are highly regarded 'if they succeed in creating community, mixing themselves with infrastructure that are accessible, physically and financially,' said Quintana de Uña. Singapore has been a pioneer in this, he said, and mandates developers provide public space residential towers. One development that broke the traditional mould in 2021 was CapitaSpring, a 51-storey tower combining residential and office spaces, as well as four storeys of open-air garden and a cycling path as part of the development. In England, another example is the London Sky Garden, which Quintana de Uña calls 'revolutionary.' The public garden — which also has restaurants and other attractions — is at the top of a tower that is more narrow at the base. The challenge with mandating public space in towers is that it could lead to smaller, less affordable residential units, Quintana de Uña said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Vancouver: Consider the open-air courtyard A development in Vancouver is looking to add indoor courtyards. Darryl Dyck/ The Canadian Press file photo Holden has conducted extensive research into 'neighbourliness' — social connections among neighbours in high-density areas. According to research she co-authored, outdoor amenity spaces are an aspect of design affecting quality of life. Courtyards, in particular, have the potential to improve residents' social lives, providing seating and inviting people to linger. Vienna House, a social housing, near-zero-emissions project in the works in Vancouver, is garnering attention for its design. (The development is named after the city, which is collaborating with the province's public housing provider, and where about a quarter of residents live in social housing). It will have 123 rental units upon completion — including 56 family units — around an open-air courtyard. 'That courtyard provides a sense of intimacy,' Holden said. 'If you've got a balcony and you're on the fifth floor, then you can let your children play below, but you can still stay upstairs and do the laundry or whatever you're doing, and so your kids are more likely to have some independence, to make their own relationships, a single parent is more likely to be able to have sanity in their life, et cetera.' San Francisco: Create a Legacy Business Program San Francisco's Legacy Business Program launched in 2015 in an effort to support small businesses with historical and cultural significance to the city. Anadolu Anadolu via Getty Images One potential way to support small businesses struggling in the face of new developments is to create something like San Francisco's Legacy Business Program, Hess said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW San Francisco launched the program in 2015 in an effort to support small businesses with historical and cultural significance to the city. Eligible businesses — which have to have been operating there for more than 30 years — receive marketing, assistance and specialized grants. Hess said Toronto has had one-off instances of helping business negotiate with landlords, but a more standardized approach could present another way forward. Montreal: Pedestrianize public spaces Montreal has 11 pedestrianized streets in the summer. Robert Skinner/La Presse Montreal has been working on programs to improve public space and pedestrianize streets in the summer, Hess said, to 'strengthen' older streets and 'keep them vibrant.' The city has 11 pedestrianized streets in summer, which Montreal says enhances pedestrian safety and comfort, improving quality of life and the city's vitality while boosting local retailers. A 'tiny example' of this in Toronto is Market Street next to the St. Lawrence Market, which becomes like a plaza in the summer, Hess said. Currently, Toronto is examining how to increase pedestrian space along Yonge Street between College/Carleton streets and Queen Street. It's also gearing up to start construction in Kensington Market to 'prioritize pedestrians while accommodating slow speed vehicle access for local residents.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Real Time Medical Systems Recognized in 2025 Best in KLAS Report for Second Consecutive Year
Earning a 91.7 rating, company is making an impact in post-acute care patient analytics for ACOs, health plans, and nursing facilities BALTIMORE, February 11, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Real Time Medical Systems (Real Time), the industry-leading, KLAS Rated, and HITRUST Certified post-acute analytics solution, has earned high marks in the Post-Acute Care Patient Analytics segment from KLAS Research in the 2025 Best in KLAS Report – solidifying its position as the market leader in post-acute patient analytics. The Best in KLAS Report recognizes software and service companies that excel in helping healthcare professionals improve patient care. "We are incredibly proud to have received high marks for post-acute care patient analytics for the second year in a row and are grateful for KLAS's rigorous research in identifying industry leaders and top performers," said Joan Neuscheler, Chief Executive Officer of Real Time. "This acknowledgement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare through innovative, data-centric solutions that empower providers to enhance patient care, improve clinical outcomes, and lead the way in value-based care for our nation's seniors." Real Time's SaaS solution equips health systems, ACOs, health plans, and nursing facilities with actionable insights into post-acute care – insights that have traditionally been difficult to obtain. By accessing live data from diverse post-acute electronic health records, the platform provides proprietary, real-time analysis that enables providers to identify critical clinical interventions promptly. This approach not only reduces readmissions and improves patient outcomes but also drives more effective, proactive care coordination across the entire continuum. In the 2025 Best in KLAS Report, Real Time stood out as the only post-acute care patient analytics vendor recognized in this category, earning an impressive overall performance score of 91.7 points out of a possible 100. Real Time also received straight A's across the report's customer experience pillars, including culture, loyalty, operations, product, relationship, and value. In addition, the company achieved a 100% score in the categories of "avoids charging for every little thing" and "keeps all promises." "Achieving a score in the 90s from customers is a remarkable accomplishment for any HIT software vendor, and Real Time has earned this distinction," said Paul Hess, Senior Researcher at KLAS Research. "Healthcare providers have told KLAS that Real Time stands out as a true collaborator, fostering strong, trusted relationships and offering technology that is seen as innovative and thoughtfully designed to address real-world challenges in healthcare." The 2025 Best in KLAS Report is based entirely on customer feedback from providers and payers, highlighting software and service solutions that have outperformed their competitors in key areas. To learn more about Real Time's market-leading post-acute analytics solution, visit About Real Time Medical Systems Real Time Medical Systems is the industry-leading, KLAS Rated, and HITRUST Certified Interventional Analytics solution that turns post-acute EHR data into actionable insights. Serving healthcare organizations nationwide, Real Time improves clinical, operational, and financial outcomes by reducing hospital admissions, accurately managing reimbursements, detecting early signs of infectious disease, automating antibiotic surveillance, and advancing care coordination through post-acute data transparency. About KLAS Research KLAS helps healthcare providers make informed technology decisions by offering accurate, honest, and impartial vendor performance information. KLAS monitors vendor performance through interviewing thousands of healthcare providers representing healthcare organizations throughout the US and here and there across the globe. KLAS uses a simple methodology to ensure all data and ratings are accurate, honest and impartial to help create market moving moments. Learn more at View source version on Contacts Keri DeSalvoSenior Vice President, Operations and Sign in to access your portfolio
