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On January 11th, 2025, a diverse group of participants gathered at Bar Milton Parc Coop de Solidarité to collectively imagine what a better urban space might look like. What would our dream city look like, if there were no limits or constraints?
In small groups, participants were encouraged to draw, build, and art to bring their ideas to life.
In the span of two hours, four groups each discussed, created, and presented a model of their dream city. Themes that emerged included equal access to nature, safety, abundant housing, urban design centred around small communities, and resource sharing. Take a look at what we found!
Shareville
The vision
“All the public places like libraries and schools are connected by walking paths and biking paths and also free public transport.”
“There is mixed housing where there’s intergenerational living and also many different services that small communities share.”
“You have a small workshop that's shared by the 12 buildings that are nearby.”
“We have a community garden where we learn how to grow food and we share food and there would also be community kitchens.”
“Ideally there would be no money, it would just be completely a sharing economy.”
“The sharing economy is not only just with items but with the sharing of skills.”
The values
forming deeper connections instead of surface level
working together and sharing resources
protection for low-income folks
Agape
The vision
“Agape comes from a word Plato used to describe love. And it's a love that encompasses strangers and nature.”
“We know that we can sustain ourselves and don't really rely on import and export prices.”
“There is a river in the middle for swimming and travelling. There's no cars apart from utility cars.”
“There are community gardens where people can get their fruits and veggies and next to them there would be little dépanneurs where you can go to get everything else you need.”
“There are little voting centres in each dépanneur and people vote more regularly”
“We use solar energy for the whole city”
The values
accessible biking and lots of options for public transport
multi-use spaces
no social isolation
Intersection
The vision
“Our city is called intersection because it would reconnect with everything that is necessary in a city and connect the communities in it.”
“Our city includes lots of green space, living in common as a community, and good robust infrastructure and transportation.”
“We have a community kitchen, including a little coffee stand. Next to each kitchen is a public bathroom that is extensive and always clean. The waste from the bathrooms would feed into fertilizing the community gardens.”
“There would be thick bike lanes.”
“There would be sponge zones which absorb excess rain water so that we use it in our community gardens.”
The values
quality of relationships between communities
inviting public spaces and many parks
walkability
Octoville
The vision
“This is one of eight versions that are connected.”
“Some of the things that came out of our sharing were the winterization of cities. So that is why we have a whole underground, with metro lines and covered walkways for pedestrians.”
“There is a green space with a water feature underground so that we have a winterized, year round place where we can grow food. And our little greenhouse in the middle here keeps the sunshine coming down below.“
“We have waterways and bike paths. We have little commuters bike, canoe, and kayak.”
“We have middle density housing gathered around courtyards with community gardens.”
The values
access to arts and culture through community spaces
intergenerational and intercultural exchange
many co-op housing and independent businesses
Calls to action
At the end of the event, we asked participants: What role can you play in making these dreams a reality?
Getting more in touch with my neighbours, potentially starting a coop in my building or even simply saying “hi” more
Showing up with a good heart to share
Share the vision with more people, contact changemakers in the area to get on board with advocacy
Speaking up and being present where decisions are being made! show up to city planning feedback/comment periods, community meetings, etc
Formally or informally sharing resources
Creating little community initiatives with friends
Reflections from participants
I loved that similar themes emerged among all four cities - it makes me optimistic that like minded people are out there and wanting to make our visions real!
It really helped me clarify what “urban spaces” meant to me and define what I’d like to see in action! Now I can better communicate what I imagine
this event made me feel hopeful! and seen! and excited about whats to come!
Coming together with so many folks around a common vison gave me a lot of hope that we are not destined to live in the world as it is now forever. However, I do feel insecure about how to bring something like this to fruition.
Hopeful and creative. There’s so many possibilities when we feel empowered to create something new that fits our needs on the type of space we want to live in.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge that this gathering and the production of this zine took place on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the caretakers of these lands.
The built environment that we find ourselves within today is the intentional product of historic, and colonial, forces.
As the people who are inheriting these spaces, we invite readers to reflect on what our cities need to become most just and more equitable.
We cannot change the past and we cannot undo what has been done. But we can transform the buildings and structures that no longer serve us. Cities may be the product of politics and power, but they are also the site of resistance, transformation and community.
The visions that emerged from our event are creative, imaginative, and hopeful solutions. Why not try hosting a similar event yourself? All you need is a group of people, some craft materials, and a spare afternoon.
Thank you to all the participants for your creativity, enthusiasm, and visions.
Thank you to Talya Hope and Bar Milton Parc Coop de Solidarité for providing and facilitating our wonderful event space.
Thank you to Ocean Wise for funding through the Eco-Action Accelerator.
Thank you to our volunteers: Ava, Vanja, and Taylor.