The big concern with our condo explosion is that we'll lose the sense of neighbourhood and community that Jane Jacobs and others have so valued about the city.
Nowhere is this concern stronger than for CityPlace, the instant condo precinct that many have predicted will be
next decade's St. James Town.
It seems
Concord Adex, the developers behind
CityPlace, may have been listening to the rumours. For the second year running, they've been the major sponsor behind Cityfest, a community celebration in the middle of the development intended to build a sense of community.
According to “reputation manager” Samia Makhlouf, “There was a demand among condo residents for networking events, events that allow neighbours to connect and meet one another, and events that build community. We wanted to accomplish this in a more creative way. Cityfest is a great celebration of what I think life in Toronto—and life at Concord CityPlace—is all about: music, culture, and art.”
With DJs, food and various other festive things provided by sponsors such as Starbucks, Molson Canadian, and Tim Hortons, Saturday's event at Canoe Landing Park was aimed at what Concord Adex and their reputation managers at PR firm Fleishman Hillard called out at “vibrant young professionals,” “social innovators,” “undergraduate and graduate students,” “fun-loving family and friends,” and “diverse neighbouring communities.”
The event drew 5,000 people last year, which was the event's first. This year, organizers estimated the crowd at about 4,000, which is still a sizeable proportion of the area's
13,500 or so residents, and a sign nt nly that they're doing somehting right, but that there may be a sense of community at CityPlace after all.
According to Makhlouf, organizers remain enthusiastic about keeping the event annual, and are looking for volunteers to help with next year's.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Samia Makhlouf