Spaces of Exclusion? Exploring the Everyday Public Spaces in St. James Town

The purpose of this research paper is to explore how public spaces in low-income, high-density neighbourhoods may be utilized to encourage social cohesion. Toward that goal, St. James Town – an inner city neighbourhood of Toronto – was chosen as the case study. Most residents in SJT are immigrants from non-traditional sources, and a high proportion of them have arrived in Canada within the last five years. Based on their age and educational qualifications, it may seem that the residents of SJT should be a part of Toronto's "Creative Class", yet, their employment and housing conditions reveal a contrasting story. Living in residual housing, earning less than the Toronto average, and having little interaction with their neighbours in public spaces, severely thwarts their functional and subjective integration into the host society. As a result, SJT residents remain one of the major marginalised groups in Toronto.