When: Thursday March 26, 2009
Where: Harbourfront Centre 7pm
Admission: $5
RSVP on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/thinktoronto
thinkToronto winners Mike Wilson, Jason Mills and Springboard creators Amy Mamtura, Cristina Matei, and Esther Hung discuss their winning submissions during View Points at Harbourfront Centre on Thursday March 26 (7 pm, $5). This exclusive discussion gives an unique insight into the thinkToronto competition, which received more than 100 entries as well as mounting exhibitions at Toronto’s City Hill and at 401 Richmond’s Urban Space Gallery. thinkToronto’s goal was to seek ideas from the next generation of city builders who want to challenge how we view Toronto’s public realm. The competition gave participants a platform to explore and experiment with Toronto’s urban landscape while generating a dialogue among Torontonians about creative and sustainable solutions in our shared common spaces. Winners will also take part in a discussion moderated by Shawn Micallef, Senior Editor of Spacing.
View Points thinkToronto Panelists:
Mike Wilson (Best of Show Winner) – Dubbed 5 Minutes, Wilson’s proposal is a pedestrian wayfinding program designed to connect transit users with local businesses and public amenities that lie within a five minute walk of transit stations. The introduction of wayfinding information at Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) stations would promote a multitude of environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Jason Mills (Two Submissions Awarded) – Mills thought of updating the red-and-white-striped bus and streetcar poles introduced to the city in 1933. For his redesign, Mills used the familiar TTC logo affixed to the top of the pole with back lighting, helping to alleviate the problem of riding past hard-to-see stops.
Springboard creators (Submission Awarded) – SpringBoard began as a fourth-year class project in the York Sheridan Program in Design. Co-creators Amy Mamtura, Cristina Matei, and Esther Hung drew inspiration from their daily commute. They conducted interviews with random subway passengers, and were intrigued by a man who suggested that networking on the subway would be a great way to find a job.
Spacing thanks its sponsors: One Development, Waterfront Toronto, Paul Johnson’s Right at Home Realty, TEDCO, Autoshare, Urban Strategies, Toronto Society of Architects, Urban Space Properties
photo by Ted Bassman