Mapping DefensiveTO is looking for volunteers to participate in an interactive public space project.

Mapping DefensiveTO is looking for volunteers to participate in an interactive public space project.

Led and developed by public space researcher Cara Chellew, Mapping DefensiveTO is the first of its kind to systematically map defensive urban design in Toronto’s public parks, squares, and privately owned, publicly accessible spaces (POPS).
Defensive urban design, also known as hostile, unpleasant, or exclusive architecture is an intentional design strategy that uses elements of the built environment to guide or restrict behaviour in urban space as a form of crime prevention or order maintenance. It's used to target people who use or rely on public space the most by restricting the behaviours they engage in. From benches with centre bars designed to keep homeless people from lying down, to ledges embedded with anti-skateboard deterrents, defensive urban design conveys the message "you are not welcome here."

The goal of the project is to gather data on the extent and pervasiveness of defensive urban design in Toronto while inviting community members to rethink how their public spaces are designed, and for whom. 

Participants are invited to attend a project orientation session on June 18, 2019 at CSI Spadina from 6pm-7:30pm. The meeting will provide an overview of the project and how to identify various forms of defensive/hostile architecture. Volunteers will then be split into groups and assigned locations to visit over the weekends of June 22-23 and 29-30.
If interested in participating, please fill out availability here: https://forms.gle/oxFvRYWqXaxu3T2z5 

Thanks!