The Contemporary Common: Reinvigorating the Public Realm through Enhancing Topophilic Relationships

Urban neighbourhoods are experiencing an increase in density, placing greater importance on a vibrant and invigorated public realm. By focusing on enhancing place-based relationships, the quality of public spaces can be rejuvenated, improving social relations while creating an enhanced sense of community. The contemporary common is a multi-faceted public space that functions as a unifying platform for social inclusion, collective culture, and civic inculcation. This is accomplished through the use of topophilic design, a place-based design methodology that focuses on the creation of interventions that facilitate the definition of place. These ideas are tested through the establishment of a community hub within St. James town. The common has the potential to revitalize the public realm, attempting to enable culturally-rich spaces. Creating this identity for Toronto's public parks can improve civic formation, ultimately establishing neighbourhoods resilient to the current carceral archipelago of Toronto's urban green spaces.