By Dimitrije Martinovic
(Dimitrije is a staff at FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE)

St. James Town is in the early stages of being revitalized. The overall goal is to bring significant improvements to the public and open spaces.

One of these public places scheduled for redevelopment is the St. James Town West Park, located on the East side of Sherbourne Street just south of Howard Street. It is a key thoroughfare and gateway to  the St. James Town Area. The park which measures 4200 sqm (by comparison Dundas Square is 3800 sqm and a Soccer Field is 4050 sqm), is used by area residents as: a place to relax; to enjoy nature; to sit and eat a meal; to spend time with a friend or to be a lone; to walk a pet; as a children’s playtime area; and to engage in sports and games activities.

In densely populated areas where the majority of residents live in high-rise dwellings, public spaces are a vital and integral component to the health and wellbeing of those neighborhoods. Research in many different localities and over many years has determined that public spaces offer people much needed opportunities for sociality and community building.

These considerations, become all that much more important in a place like St. James Town where the majority of residents is comprised of:
* immigrants
* visible minorities
* a high presence of children under 15 and single parent households
* a high number of children 0-9 years of age
* a high percentage of people 65 years and older

The design team charged with developing the plan for the St. James Town West Park is the City of Toronto in partnership with several designs and consulting firms including DTAH Design Team, LURA Public Engagement, and Nbising Consulting. To better assess just what the community needs in the way of a park, this team implemented a series of community outreach initiatives that included setting up and working with community ambassadors, public meetings, online surveys, Indigenous engagement, school workshops, and engagement with youth.

Because of the high percentage of youth in the area, a youth access group was created that comprised of individuals aged 15-24 from the Wellesley Youth Council, Jarvis Collegiate, youth from the St. James Town Community Ambassadors, and some second year University of Toronto, Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Design Program.

Bob Goulais from the Nbising Consulting, a firm focused on Indigenous engagement, coordinated an Indigenous Community Sharing Meeting on February 18, 2021 that had representation First Nations, Métis, Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe. They came together to reflect upon what the importance of Indigenous Place Keeping would look like in the park.  Their recommendations included: retaining the natural elements; ensuring the creative elements from the Indigenous perspective; symbolism; Indigenous planting and the teachings that go with that; elders needs and access; referencing the traditional pathways that were there long before settlers came; and finally ensuring animals and birds are a part of the picture.

Landscape design firm DTAH outlined a number of factors that eventually shaped their decision making in developing park designs. For example, observations of the park identified the area as having a lot of seating, which would be carried forward with any new designs. They also observed the existing circulation patterns and entry points that can be incorporated with new and enhanced future pathways. Another factor in planning was reviewing the different edges of the park and observing how activities beyond the boundaries of the park, influences how the park is used. For example, Sherbourne Street, which is a major street, has commercial influence. Bleeker Street, has a neighbourhood friendly edge, and Howard has both a commercial and nature edge.

The outcome of the consultations identified new areas of interest for the park including open grass and lawn area, seating and improvements to the garden area, drinking fountains, picnic areas, and bicycle parking.

Based on the analysis of all the consultations, a picture of the park has began to emerge. The natural edge on Howard St. could be a place for relaxation. The Bleeker St. area a place to meet and congregate with friends and neighbours. In the centre there is an opportunity create a community space with a various elements of play. With the new development at the corner of Sherbourne Street and Howard Street there is a further option to locate café amongst the larger trees scheduled for planting in that area. These areas could go on to be identified by the activities that would take place there.

After a consideration of all these consultations and factors, two general types of designs were proposed, each with a unique focus, One design envisioned the park as more of a Green Refugee, while the other design focused on the park as a place of Interconnecting Paths.

The concept design for the park as a Green Refuge prioritises a mix of lawns, trees, and planters, as well as play areas and a multi-use platform for concerts and presentations.

The concept design for the Interconnecting Paths model focuses more on how people use the park as both a gateway and a meeting place. Fewer lawns give way to a central plaza that becomes the activity hub around which all the other elements fan out from and recognises one the key aspects of the park which is a gateway, and cross-roads for people moving from one area to another, residential to commercial and recreational.

Landscape architects have a wide range of design tools that combine natural and built forms to enhance the function and experience of public spaces. From including something as specific as a skateboarding are for youth, to the installation of out-door lighting elements that boost safety and security.

More discussions are underway to determine the final plan for the park.

Blending form with function in design and application is always at the heart of architectural projects, adding the social and inspirational on the other hand can sometimes occupy less importance, but with a project like a public park in a neighbourhood as diverse as St. James Town it becomes quite a bit more crucial to get right. Rebecca Baird, a Nehiyaw (Cree) Metis artist known for her work dealing with themes of Indigenous history, identity and culture, has been involved in creating an artistic element in the park. Some her of previous work has incorporated images of natural forms (birds, animals, and plants) and spiritual teachings into contemporary settings. Some her artworks can be seen at Person International Airport and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Ideally the park serves as a place of refugee to many area residents, and concepts for redesigning the park must keep this notion in mind when implementing new or different features. New pathways would have benefit of guiding park users more purposefully to and from each of the designated areas, such as seating areas, relaxation areas, plazas, and play areas.  

In the words of Jane Jacobs, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody,”