{"id":49178,"date":"2014-07-28T12:00:23","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T16:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/?p=49178"},"modified":"2014-07-23T15:12:02","modified_gmt":"2014-07-23T19:12:02","slug":"nxt-city-prize-walking-public-space-jane-farrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/2014\/07\/28\/nxt-city-prize-walking-public-space-jane-farrow\/","title":{"rendered":"NXT City Prize: walking through public spaces with Jane Farrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The\u00a0NXT CITY PRIZE<\/a>\u00a0is all about vision to reimagine Toronto\u2019s public spaces and inject a sense of energy, dynamism and reflexivity. With a focus on ideas coming from the next generation of city builders, The\u00a0NXT CITY PRIZE<\/a>\u00a0is an open invitation for all young people connected to Toronto to improve on the design of our city’s open spaces. The\u00a0NXT CITY PRIZE<\/a>\u00a0will be announced in mid-August, and the deadline for submissions is July 31st.\u00a0Spacing<\/em>\u00a0has teamed up with the\u00a0NXT CITY PRIZE<\/a>\u00a0to provide our readers with a series of Q&As with local and national city builders in the lead up to the announcement of the winning design.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"LINE-600-GREY\"<\/a><\/p>\n

TODAY: JANE FARROW, founding Director of Jane\u2019s Walk<\/h3>\n

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What public space improvements have you made?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I have been part of teams and community campaigns to make important improvements and modifications to the public realm that range widely in scale and scope. As Jane\u2019s Walk director I energized and facilitated hundreds of community workshops and walks aimed at establishing safe, unobstructed and enjoyable walking routes. As a consultant I have facilitated community input on significant park and public realm projects conducted in dense urban neighbourhoods such as Yonge\/Eglinton and Church\/Wellesley. As Chair of Active 18 I was an integral part of the initial community conversation that, continuing over many years, resulted in the creation of a new park, large public media arts centre, the restoration of a Carnegie Library building as the new home of the Theatre Centre, and a novel partnership with Artscape and the Triangle Lofts that preserved vital live\/work space in the area. The walkability studies I co-wrote with Professor Paul Hess of U of T were the first of their kind done in North America and the \u2018Walkability Checklist\u2019 we devised continues to be used around the world. As Policy and Campaigns Advisor to Park People, I advocated effectively for the removal of obstacles on behalf of residents who volunteer their time maintaining our shared green spaces.<\/p>\n

What public space improvements would you like to see in Toronto?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I would like to see the establishment and empowerment of a city department built around the culture of \u2018YES\u2019 aimed at helping people make their public spaces more accessible, connected, lively and vibrant. Modeled after an organization like NYC\u2019s Projects for Public Spaces, this body would champion their visionary approach to place-making – \u2018lighter, cheaper, quicker\u2019 \u2013 that highlights active citizenship, collaboration and rejuvenation. Neighbourhoods, like great cities, rise and fall on the basis of individual human relations. From the small social space of a park bench comes bold ideas and great cities.<\/p>\n

Another pressing need for public realm improvements is in innovative park design. Parks are our \u2018front porch\u2019, where neighbours connect and communities knit themselves together. With more people moving into the city every year, parks are under pressure to accommodate greater numbers of people and a wider arrange of events and programming from movie nights, art camps and farmers markets to quiet, friendly spaces for reading and kicking around a ball. Instead of putting up obstacles or ignoring the demographic shifts, designers and city staff must find ways to embrace this intense interest and engagement in our public realm, realizing it is the essence of good neighbourhood engagement. Let\u2019s facilitate people\u2019s love of trees, open space, park benches and recreation with creative community collaboration and great design.<\/p>\n

Specific public realm wish list items also includes:<\/p>\n