Chances are, whatever you’re doing right now, it’s either work or play. In a city without either one of these activities, nothing would happen. But it’s up to us to bring it to life in these ways. There are those who use and exploit the space, those who embellish and improve it, those who enjoy and appreciate it, and those who, literally, create it. The value of public spaces devoted to work and play is so obvious it’s often almost invisible to us. Our contributors examine everything from buskers to street preachers to early morning bird rescuers to graffiti cops. Spacing uncovers the impact of work and play on our outdoor urban environment, and how people bring the city to life 24 hours a day.
Outside of the cover section, the fall 2004-winter 2005 issue of Spacing highlights some of the best and worst aspects of Toronto city life and history. Hidden Gems focuses on the history of the Cedarvale Park pedestrian bridge, and the buried bridges of Crawford and Harbord streets along the old Garrison Creek. Public Enemy targets Toronto’s light pollution and how other cities are trying to return the dark night sky to urban life. Green Space features the reasons why our street-side trees are dying — and what the City can do to fix the situation. This issue also includes a new column on public space etiquette called “Ask the Manners Duck.” Yes, we said duck.
cover and interior spread photos by Matt O’Sullivan
