A radio piece on
Marketplace looks at innovative sound design in Toronto's Corso Italia neighbourhood. Thanks to the area's BIA, who attached speakers to neighbourhood lampposts, there is music playing along 6 blocks of St. Clair West from eight in the morning to 11 at night.
An excerpt from the radio broadcast transcript:
"
Bob Moon: The main drag in any urban neighborhood is its moneymaker. So naturally, those areas are always trying to figure out how to make their moneymaker make more money. Beautification is a big part of it -- planting flowers, picking up trash. And in one little neighborhood in Toronto, Canada -- an area called Corso Italia -- the beautification is of a more audible variety."
"Marketplace's Sean Cole just moved there, and he wanted us to hear the scenery."
"Sean Cole: A day or two after I first moved here, I was strolling down the main
drag in Corso Italia, St. Clair Avenue West. It's a real old-timey,
Mediterranean-y marketplace with cafes and bridal shops and a
gelateria. And I thought to myself "Wow, somebody's really pumping the
music in their car. You can hear it everywhere." And then I looked
around and realized, that's not a car. It's
a lamp post. In fact, every lamp post for about six blocks has a
speaker attached to it, playing the same song. We're talking about
half-a-mile of unsolicited tunes, from eight in the morning to 11 at
night.
And
I couldn't help wondering, who's DJ-ing this little dance party? Turns
out it's an initiative of the Corso Italia BIA, or "Business
Improvement Area."
listen to radio broadcast/read full transcript
hereoriginal source
Marketplace