C-SIDE
Firgrove Community Redesign (2004)

C-SIDE COLLECTIVE: Josephine Akyeampong, Adrian Blackwell, Sebastiao Dinguana-Sivuilu, Keriann Fraser, Kofi Frempong, Lisa Hassan, Clairandean Humphrey, Colanthony Humphrey, Lashai Mingo, Ashley Nkrumah, Francis Nkrumah, Kyle Montague, Skye Sepp, Kizzy-Ann Taylor, Kika Thorne, Fatma Yasin, Shadya Yasin. Commissioned by AGO Teen Council, Metro-Ago-Go, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2004


After touring the neighborhood, taking photos and sharing stories: using a 8 foot x 12 foot aerial photo of the Jane Finch neighbourhood, the C-SIDE Collective (specifically residents between ages 8 and 16) placed cyan and red dots to indicate personal and collective responses to existing public space. We numbered the photographs, found their location on the aerial, then created a list of proposals for the neighborhood.

The map expands on these propositions.

Health + recreation: Bigger playground, bigger Rec Centre, with more rooms to separate programmes. We need a jungle gym, indoor gym with a real basketball court (no concrete floor!), pool renovations to the existing outdoor pool, an Olympic size indoor pool, baseball field. Sports injuries clinic.

Knowledge production: Kids library, employment services, media production lab, audio recording studio. Public art, more art expression in the communities, graffiti murals, sculpture.

Landscape + lighting: Better sidewalk, plant more trees, greenhouse, urban farm, create landscape to link the neighborhoods to each other and to the ravine. Pedestrian bridges to cross Jane St. Take down cameras, the trees were cut down to put up surveillance cameras. There is too much police presence, we want a safer area, we need a light system. Less police, more lights.

Building + waste management: Increase scale of new building. More townhouses and apartments with spacious rooms, more washrooms, add windows to each bathroom. Non-commercial space to eat and hang-out. Progressive waste management, recycling, composting: more garbage cans, different placement, stairwell cleanup.

Commercial: Closer stores, weekly organic farmers market and homemade goods exchange. Create a street life with retail on Jane Street.