The Exiled Spaces of the City: Transforming Laneways into Community Spaces

This goal of this project is to re-imagine a derelict, underutilized, and exiled laneway in the Roncesvalles Village neighbourhood (alternatively known as ‘Roncy’), into a place that can be celebrated and used by the community. I imagine it to be a project that expands the street level excitement into the laneways. This project is heavily grounded in the practical. The idea for it flourished while standing on a rooftop of a building during a festival in the ‘Roncy’ neighbourhood. After spending the afternoon on the ground we retreated from the busy street to a private rooftop. From here, I was able to watch as people squeezed by each other enjoying street vendors and local artisans and music. But I could also see the intricate network of laneways that stood vacant and still amidst the heavy traffic on the street below. Since then I’ve spent countless hours wandering through the laneways in Roncy hoping to see activity, kids playing, informal economies, or seniors sitting and reading books. But alas, the only people I’ve come across are those looking through garbage and recycle bins in search of bottles to return for a few cents.