Idea acf1897:

From a Bridge to a Wall and Back Again

Posted October 23, 2009

Posted by: The Amazing Place
Location: 4000 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough, ON
Category: Have other ideas
Cost: Big ($50,000 – $250,000)

From a Bridge to a Wall and Back Again

“The bridge gathers as a passage that crosses.” - Heidegger

Our Community: Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park (KGO) is a vibrant neighbourhood located in southeast Scarborough. Our community is wonderfully diverse with highly active and dynamic residents who come from all parts of the world, and a large First Nations community. We are one of the 13 priority neighbourhoods of Toronto, which means that the City has committed to improving the area through investments in things like community services and neighbourhood improvements. Residents, agencies and City departments are part of a Neighbourhood Action Partnership and work together in many ways to change KGO for the better. For more information about our community, visit: www.ourkgocommunity.com.

Our Idea: Located in the heart of our community on Lawrence Avenue stands a bridge that has become an overwhelming social, physical and psychological barrier. We want to transform that bridge (back) into a connector that brings residents from diverse communities together. Only 300 metres (984 feet) long, the bridge is nevertheless an enormous symbolic obstacle. In countless community forums, residents express deep discomfort with the bridge. Despite its relatively short span, the bridge feels inordinately long for pedestrians to cross, It cuts our community in two, with residents unwilling to cross the bridge to access events, activities and services that are located on the opposite side of the community. Many residents think of the bridge as unsafe. This bridge is an enormous barrier in our community.

We plan to transform this barrier back into a bridge.

In order to achieve this goal we have planned an art intervention across the bridge – along with a fulsome community participation strategy. We want to engage artists and community members of all ages in this art intervention. Professional artists will lead the artistic process, providing mentoring to community members in the arts. Community members will provide input and ideas around themes and content for the intervention. We envision murals running along the bridge on both sides of Lawrence Avenue East. These murals will be easily seen by drivers passing over the bridge. We want the bridge to be pedestrian friendly, which will encourage active, green transportation. In order to make this so, we want to include an art component that will not distract drivers, but that will engage pedestrians as they cross the bridge. Over the bridge are several street lamps. We’d like to see banners hanging from those street lamps. The banners will feature portraits of the community – important spots and important people. This symbolic bridging will become physical through a festival that will unite the two sides of the community on the bridge itself. We plan to engage a local theatre group to lead a procession across the bridge and to officially re-unite in the middle. The local theatre group will work with community members to make them a part of this procession and performance. And of course, we’ll be planning to shut down Lawrence Avenue for a one-day community street festival to celebrate the fact that we’re working to bridge the gap in our community.

Who We Are:

We are a collective of groups that have a strong working relationship and wish to collaborate on this exciting project. When we talk about collaborating in KGO, we refer to the key networks that work in harmony to provide social infrastructure for neighbourhood organizing. Our team includes:

The Amazing Place, a collaboration of diverse groups in East Scarborough that use a community development approach through art, story-telling, local history, heritage and participatory planning to help people in their community build connections, learn about the past, define the present and create a vision for the future.

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, Scarborough Arts Council and Mural Routes are lending their combined artistic expertise to this project to make this needed art intervention a reality.

Residents Rising is a grassroots resident’s association, of over 400 dedicated residents, whose purpose is to raise community awareness and participation among the people who need a way to connect with their community.

The Kingston Galloway Orton Park Neighbourhood Action Partnership is a City of Toronto initiative which promotes capacity building, connecting, coordination and communication. In KGO, the NAP is the vehicle by which local service providers communicate, plan and vision together to help create a thriving community.

The University of Toronto’s Department of Geography has been connected to the KGO community for several years through the active participation of members of the Amazing Place team.

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Desk Jockey

I love the way this project combines art and community and safety. I think it will appeal to a wide range of people of all ages and walks of life. I think this project will produce a healthier, happier community. I am also impressed with the community partners who are already working on improving their community. A great initiative all around.
October 24, 2009 @ 4:21 PM EST
cathsmail

this truly is an Amazing Place : ) with amazing people, amazing schools, and amazing people that work together to make a difference!!
October 24, 2009 @ 4:44 PM EST
Studio2

Yes. Art. Community. People. Diversity. Connection. Beauty. Bridge. Vision. Join. Vote. Love.
October 24, 2009 @ 9:35 PM EST
Qris1

How can such a short bridge cause such a divide? Let's fix this problem and make our community whole.
October 24, 2009 @ 9:53 PM EST
beierlein

It takes a group of dedicated individuals to put something like this in motion. I support their work with my vote on this project.
October 25, 2009 @ 9:26 PM EST
Waqar Khan

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. George Bernard Shaw
October 26, 2009 @ 3:46 PM EST
mrchung

definitely an achievable project. you have my support!
October 27, 2009 @ 1:56 AM EST
Ashley Toye

There is so much undiscovered talent running throughout this area. This project fosters artistic expression through strengthening the safety of the community as a whole. It will be something to remember.
October 27, 2009 @ 6:17 PM EST
Lynn

I'm excited by the proposed bridge project. A bridge is meant to act as a link. How sad then that this particular bridge acts as such a divide. Congratulations to the group of dedicated individuals whose vision of community is all-inclusive and who are willing to do all that they can to ensure that the bridge will in fact act as the link it is meant to be. An absolute yes to the bridge project!!
October 27, 2009 @ 8:27 PM EST
mrchung

This project is bound to succeed. With great people leading the project, an awesome support team and a supportive community, nothing can stop them!
October 28, 2009 @ 3:00 AM EST
marc

What a great idea! I like the idea of art not only linking communities across barriers but laying fertile ground for other unifying activities (like the festival). I hope this one wins. Marc Scarfone
October 30, 2009 @ 9:03 AM EST
brucefalcone

A really good idea is getting the bridge covered: either completely or partly.
October 30, 2009 @ 10:42 AM EST
Ellen

What a great idea - Can't wait to see the artwork, beauiful murals and banners. What an engaging and fun way to invovle people, while addressing the safety concern as well. I support this project wholeheartedly and am convinced this will be a memorable event for the community. All the best.
November 2, 2009 @ 3:19 PM EST
jendoelle

What a wonderful way to unify a divided neighbourhood, while instilling a sense of pride and ownership in the community. Fantastic idea!
November 3, 2009 @ 11:33 AM EST
MAH

I am really looking forward to hearing that this project is underway. If the artwork is anything like what has been done on Kingston Road east of Galloway, it will be an amazing addition to this wonderful community of caring volunteers and community workers. It is always a pleasure to help advance community projects to completion. Good Luck and thanks to all of you who are working on the project.
November 3, 2009 @ 1:03 PM EST
CllrAinslie

This will be an amazing project to break down barriers across a bridge. A bridge which is supposed to connect communities! Keep up the great work!!
November 3, 2009 @ 2:46 PM EST
programs

This bridge needs to be transformed. We need to do something that will engage the people living at opposite ends of the bridge, and will keep them interested in crossing their community boundaries.
November 3, 2009 @ 4:37 PM EST
BMacFarlane

The transformation of this bridge will be a rich celebration that reflects the drawings from an artistic well that runs deep with the people of many different cultures and life experiences that call this area home. Art transforms, enlivens and unites people. Boundaries are where you make them, art can disolve them, transform them into something very special and endearing.
November 3, 2009 @ 7:30 PM EST
CCC

I support the idea of covering the sidewalks on this bridge to improve safety, protect the art work and provide a covered walking area.
November 4, 2009 @ 10:22 AM EST
POR AMOR

As another artist/community development organization in the KGO area we fully support the need for this type of project and the amazing energy that art has to build community and make ppl feel better about where they live and taking part in being part of a actually community. POR AMOR has done mural projects in KGO and is part of the NAP -KGO branch and looks forward to helping and supporting this amazing vision, please vote POR AMOR
November 5, 2009 @ 1:36 PM EST

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