A collection of student projects from the University of Toronto course, URB342: Qualitative Methods for Urban Studies. This course is taught by Dr. Aditi Mehta from the Urban Studies Program at the University of Toronto.
Allan Gardens
Allan Gardens is located in Downtown Toronto, and is known for its large indoor botanical garden and strong indigenous identity.
Research Question: Why does the City of Toronto allow encampments in Allan Gardens?
By: Alessandro Montelli and Ipshita Varma
Final Paper - AllenGardens_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - AllenGardens_Map_2023W.pdf
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is not just a stand-alone entity, but a core part of an extensive art ecosystem in Toronto.
Research Questions: How does the Youth Council/Youth Programs at the AGO facilitate collaborations, enhancing AGO’s connection with Gen Z? How do digital platforms change the way the AGO interacts with Gen Z?
By: Annette Park and Heiyin Chan
Final Paper - AGO_2023F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - AGO_Map_2023F.pdf
Bellevue Square Park
Located in the heart of Kensington Market, Bellevue Square Park is a small urban oasis measuring just under half a hectare.
Research Question: What kind of consumer and business interactions occur at Bellevue Square Park? Have these relationships changed after the revitalization of the park?
By: Kristine Luangkhot and Rehan Vishwanath
Final Paper - BellevueSquarePark_2019F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - BellevueSquarePark_Map_2019F.pdf
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Research Question: What were the motivating factors behind Bellevue Square Park’s revitalization, and what is its relationship with broader changes in Kensington Market?
By: John Jerney, Amelia Ellis, and Gabrielle Cotton
Final Paper - BellevueSquarePark_2019W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - BellevueSquarePark_Map_2019W.pdf
The Bentway
The Bentway is a new kind of public space located under the elevated Gardiner Expressway.
Research Question: How is the urban design of the Bentway a form of experiment in hybrid urbanism?
By: Szymon Passendorfer
Final Paper - TheBentway_2019W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - TheBentway_Map_2019W.pdf
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Research Question: Who decides the programming of the space, if the location's intended uses are being met and who makes decisions regarding the space and what is happening on the ground?
By: Nicole Capogna and Emily Ciardullo
Final Paper - TheBentway_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - Bentway_Map_2023W.pdf
Berczy Park
Berczy Park is located in the St. Lawrence Market neighborhood, and is famous for its large fountain flanked with dog sculptures.
Research Question: How has the volunteer civic association group, Friends of Berczy Park, influenced the redesign of Berczy Park?
By: Yan Yu Nicole Lau
Final Paper - BerczyPark_2023F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - BerczyPark_Map_2023F.pdf
BMV Books
BMV Books is not only a place to buy books, but it is also a place where individuals gather to interact and connect with each other beyond their homes or workplaces.
Research Question: How does BMV differentiate itself to maintain its customer base?
By: Sokhna Gaye, Henry Greenberg, and Jacob Li
Final Paper - BMVBooks_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - BMVBooks_Map_2023W.pdf
Caffiends
Caffiends is a small, student-volunteer-run cafe with an emphasis on fair-trade and social justice, tucked away in the Old Victoria College building at University of Toronto.
Research Question: How does Caffiends contribute to Victoria College and the University of Toronto community? Does it facilitate and/or create a “sense of community”?
By: Felicia Ammaturo and Ramsha Naveed
Final Paper - Caffiends_2019W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - Caffiends_Map_2019W.pdf
College Park
College Park is a public park and skating trail at 420 Yonge Street. It is located in a middle-to-high income neighbourhood, surrounded by high-rise residential and commercial buildings.
Research Question: To what extent does the design of College Park discourage certain activities or uses of the space?
By: Jasmine Lam and Lewis Walker
Final Paper - CollegePark_2019F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - CollegePark_Map_2019F.pdf
Downsview Park Merchants Market
The Downsview Park Merchants Market provides a wealth of services to the Downsview area community and is situated in the middle of a large park complex.
Research Question: What are the underlying drivers of the Downsview Park Merchants Market resilience to development pressures?
By: Angelina Zahajko and Chloe Vaina
Final Paper - DownsviewPark_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - DownsviewPark_Map_2023W.pdf
Glad Day Bookshop
Located in Toronto's historically queer neighbourhood, the Glad Day Bookshop is not just a bookstore that displays queer media. The patio, cafe tables, drag brunch, workshops, and events make clear that the space serves multiple functions and purposes.
Research Question: How has the mission of Glad Day evolved?
By: Arden Irish, Lukas Brull, and Sophia Abolore
Final Paper - GladDayBookstore_2023F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - GladDayBookstore_Map_2023F.pdf
Graduate Students Union Pub
The Graduate Students Union Pub, located at 16 Bancroft Avenue, is largely frequented by graduate students that are also teachers' assistants, professors, department staff, or alumni.
Research Question: What are the patterns of use/movement present from individuals that attend the pub?
By: Ali Rabbani and Spencer Robertson
Final Paper - GraduateStudentsUnionPub_2019W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - GraduateStudentsUnionPub_Map_2019W.pdf
Graffiti Alley
Located in the heart of Toronto, Graffiti Alley is a renowned tourist spot for lovers of street art.
Research Question: What are the benefits and limitations of having a single authority, such as the West Queen West Business Improvement Area (BIA), to impose central management on Graffiti Alley?
By: Celine Lee, Ron Ma, and Kamila Seitkhanova
Final Paper - GraffitiAlley_2019F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - GraffitiAlley_Map_2019F.pdf
Joe Rockhead's Climbing Gym
At this location, the warmth of brisk movements, clashing voices, cushioned floors, and bright colours invite you into the cavern created by the climbing walls.
Research Question: How do individuals at Joe Rockhead’s Climbing Gym use its built space to facilitate community building?
By: Sunnie Hu, Connor Broughton, and Eric Fallas
Final Paper - JoeRockheadsClimbingGym.pdf
Alternative Cartography - JoeRockheadsClimbingGym_Map_2023F.pdf
Kensington Market
Kensington Market is a vibrant neighbourhood adjacent to Chinatown. At the surface, this neighbourhood is a quaint residential area (based on the number of single-detached homes), but these houses are also retail spaces, offering second-hand clothes, coffee, fresh produce, etc.
Research Question: How does the government delegate street art areas within the market, and how do graffiti artists interact with these spaces?
By: Daniel Endale, Haochen Feng, and Victoria McNabb
Final Paper - KensingtonNeighbourhood_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - KensingtonNeighborhood_Map_2023W.pdf
King Street West
Along King Street, between University and Spadina Avenue, different visions of what space is meant to be battle each other in an iterative and constructive process. This stretch of King Street represents the transitional zones between the Financial District and Entertainment District of Toronto.
Research Question: How is power spatially articulated by the different actors and forces that are exhibited along King Street? What is the dominant narrative that is told within the space and whose narrative is excluded?
By: Brandon Miles and Michelle Zhang
Final Paper - KingStreetWest_2019F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - KingStreetWest_Map_2019F.pdf
Lillian H. Smith Library
Lillian H. Smith Library is a Toronto Public Library (TPL) branch located near the University of Toronto and Kensington-Chinatown neighbourhood that is devoted to providing library services to children.
Research Question: Who is using the library space, and in what ways?
By: Jaime Ahn and Milica Zekanovic
Final Paper - NO FILE
Alternative Cartography - LillianH.SmithLibrary_Map_2019W.pdf
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Research Question: How do children use Lillian H. Smith Library?
By: Chanel Chin, Rebecca Sacco, and Xuanyu (Maggie) Wang
Final Paper - LillianH.SmithLibrary_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - LillianH.SmithLibrary_Map_2023W.pdf
Nathan Phillips Square
While the square may be seen as a major public centre and gathering spot in an ideal location, the area also boasts a rich, but often-forgotten history of a time when the space was home to an entire neighbourhood that served as an immigrant enclave before it was razed to be replaced by Nathan Phillips Square and New City Hall.
Research Question: Using a three-part methodology, what were the City’s motivations behind demolishing the "immigrant" ward area?
By: Michaella Ladha, In Chan (Ian) Hwang, and Alissia Dinucci
Final Paper - NathanPhillipsSquare_2019W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - NathanPhillipsSquare_Map_2019W.pdf
Link to interactive map: NPS and the Ward - Google My Maps
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a gated greenspace that is located at the northeast corner of Queen Street West and University Avenue.
Research Question: What was the intended use of Osgoode Hall? How is Osgoode Hall used by residents, workers, and visitors today?
By: Keona Fontaine, Maha Amjad, and Andrew Cheung
Final Paper - OsgoodeHall_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - OsgoodeHall_Map_2023W.pdf
The PATH
The PATH is a network of tunnels and retail stores where thousands of businesspeople walk through and out of it to escape the cold, but for the people for who call it their permanent home, the PATH is static.
Research Question: How does the physical and social environment of the PATH affect unhoused people living in it?
By: Cameron Miranda-Radbord and Andrew Wu
Final Paper - ThePATH_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - PATH_Map_2023W.pdf
Link to interactive map: Sleeping in the PATH
Queen's Park
Queen's Park is one of Toronto's most prominent landmarks as is filled with the energy of hundreds of pedestrians who traverse this park on their daily commute.
Research Question: How do external actors affect the use and movement within and around Queen’s Park.
By: Beck Cao, Ian Hodges, and Daniel Puppin
Final Paper - QueensPark_2019F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - QueensPark_Map_2019F.pdf
Richmond Hill Transit Centre
Richmond Hill Transit Centre is a dynamic station focused on servicing the movement of various commuters.
Research Questions: How effective are the space’s services and design at promoting comfort and significance for its users? How are local businesses affected by this space? And finally, how well does this space integrate multiple modes of transportation?
By: Kajol Angod and Jagrat Sandesera
Final Paper - RichmondHillTransitCenter_2023F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - RichmondHillTransitCenter_Map_2023F.pdf
Link to interactive map: https://storymaps.com/stories/41f9cd71f0ab449e97357595f2c1c238
Spadina Road Library
The Spadina Road Library is a branch of the Toronto Public Library, located just north of the Spadina Roas and Bloor Street intersection. Not only is it a place of knowledge, but it is also a place of safety for the Annex's vulnerable residents.
Research Questions: 1. How is the library used by the homeless or precariously housed? 2. To what extent does the library interact with other local spaces and organizations that provide outreach and harm reduction services? 3. And, how successful is the library at offering harm-reduction and social assistance services compared to other neighborhood organizations?
By: Isobel Heintzman and Jackson Davis
Final Paper - SpadinaRoadLibrary_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - SpadinaRoadLibrary_Map_2023W.pdf
St. James Town
St. James Town is the most densely populated neighbourhood in North America, and a majority minority neighbourhood.
Research Question: How does the community garden supplement food options in the food desert?
By: Anita Ifeadi, Rachel Sutton, and Michael Rose
Final Paper - StJamesTown_2019W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - StJamesTown_Map_2019W.pdf
Toronto Reference Library (Bloor-Yorkville)
The Toronto Reference Library is the City of Toronto’s main library branch, located 789 Yonge Street in the expensive Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, catering to a diverse set of users.
Research Question: What is the relationship between the elite Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood and main public library it houses?
By: Mishail Adeel and Seong Eun Joung
Final Paper - TorontoReferenceLibrary_2019F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - TorontoReferenceLibrary_Map_2019F.pdf
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Research Question: Despite Yorkville’s association with luxury-based commodification, how does the paradoxical nature of the Toronto Reference Library support the needs of all community members, due to the highly securitized and barrier-laden nature of Yorkville?
By: Udanya Singhabahu, Aidan Brogan, and Tyler May
Final Paper - YorkvilleTRL_2023F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - YorkvilleTRL_Map_2023F.pdf
Trinity Square Park
Trinity Square Park is a city-owned park located next to a historic church and the Eaton Centre shopping mall.
Research Question: How does the marginalization of homeless people manifest in the transformation of Trinity Square Park?
By: Aneeza Farooqui and Boya Hu
Final Paper - TrinitySquarePark_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - TrinitySquarePark_Map_2023W.pdf
University of Toronto's Landmark Project
The Landscape of Landmark Quality Project is one of the largest outdoor revitalization projects to take place on the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus. Besides improving campus experience for students, the project also has many environmental goals, including construction of Canada’s largest geothermal field.
Research Questions:
- How does the Landscape of Landmark Quality Project affect the site’s ability to foster positive interactions?
- How do the disrupted experiences of current student contrast with the idealized vision for future students?
- To what extent are efforts being made by U of T to minimize this contrast?
By: Ana-Maria Zamrii and Igal Cano
Final Paper - UofTStGeorgeCampus_2023W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - UofTStGeorgeCampus_Map_2023W.pdf
The Well
The Well is a mixed-use development in Toronto’s downtown core, located in the King Street West neighborhood, featuring a dynamic mix of residential, office, retail, and public spaces. Serving as both a destination and a passageway, it blends design elements that celebrates the area’s historic heritage with the needs of modern users.
Research Question: How does The Well incorporate the history of the King West area into its design, and does this reflect the broader community’s historical identity?
By: Julia Buczynski, Sharon Kim, and Jonathan Polach
Final Paper - NO LINK
Alternative Cartography - NO LINK
Yonge-Dundas Square
The Yonge-Dundas square area is best described as a large and open concrete site surrounded by dynamic LED commercial billboard displays overshadowing an equally dynamic movement of pedestrians and vehicles.
Research Question: To what extent is the Yonge-Dundas Square (YDS) a public or private space?
By: Napas Thein, Sijia Liu, and Xinyi Yu
Final Paper - Yonge-DundasSquare_2019W.pdf
Alternative Cartography - Yonge-DundasSquare_Map_2019W.pdf
Yorkville Neighbourhood
The Yorkville neighbourhood has transformed from a counterculture artist community to an exclusive, luxury area over the last 100 years.
Research Question: How has Yorkville’s historical development influenced its current urban landscape and character?
By: Kayla Tillekeratne, Wendy Zhang, and Fangshuo (Charlie) Chen
Final Paper - Yorkville_2023F.pdf
Alternative Cartography - Yorkville_Map_2023F.pdf
Link to interactive map: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IKCpLTkcKd-pYucNcSYf297ayl14WiDt?usp=sharing
Chinatown Centre
Located at the heart of Chinatown West, the Chinatown Centre Mall was built in 1987 and stands out as a three-story shopping complex with affordable housing above, overlooking the continuous flow of pedestrians on Spadina Avenue. The mall once thrived as a vibrant gathering place for the Chinese community during its peak years (Cheung, 2018).
Research Question: “How have new businesses in Chinatown Centre and their attraction of a different demographic affected older stores tied to traditional Chinese culture?”
Research done by: Libby Li, Evelyn (Yujin) Lee, Kaitlyn Chan
Final Paper - NO LINK
Alternative Cartography - NO LINK
St. George Food Truck Corridor
Food truck corridors in St. George are integral public spaces that provide quick food for Doff students on the go, particularly when they have little time to spare. On bustling university campuses, the sound of sizzling grills, the mingling aroma of diverse cultural foods, and the eye-catching visuals of food trucks do more than satisfy hunger; they represent the artistic elements of the school environment.
Research Question: How do food trucks on St. George Street play a role in cultivating campus culture and school environment?
Research done by: Ashley N. Isaacs, Alexander Yang, and Leo Gao
Final Paper - NO LINK
Alternative Cartography - NO LINK
Queen's Park
Located at 111 Wellesley Street overlooking University Avenue, Queen's Park is a historical park with cultural and political significance in a prime location – it is the site of the Ontario Legislative Assembly. It also hosts several homeless tents.
Research Question: How are the social, spatial, and experiential dynamics between homeless individuals and other users of Queen's Park expressed through interactions and perceptions? How do these dynamics underscore the ongoing contestation of public space in Queen’s Park?
Research done by: Nevan Kho, Chunxi Sun, Bin Cheng.
Final Paper - NO LINK
Alternative Cartography - NO LINK
Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre
The Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre (WNC), established in 1991, is a vibrant community hub in Toronto’s waterfront area that supports social inclusion, artistic expression, and cultural development by offering diverse programs for all ages.
Research Question: How does the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre’s art programming address the unique needs and priorities of its multicultural and multigenerational community?
Research done by: Weiyi Tao, Midhat Zain, and Youjia (Avila) Zhang
Final Paper - NO LINK
Alternative Cartography - NO LINK
Union Station
Union Station, Toronto’s largest and busiest transportation hub, is critical for urban mobility, accommodating over 300,000 daily users. However, its role in facilitating seamless accessibility for all individuals, especially those with mobility challenges and the elderly, requires deeper exploration.
Research Question:
Final Paper - NO LINK
Alternative Cartography - NO LINK