Kensington Market

"I particularly remember visiting Kensington Market in Toronto for the very first time. The positive experience of quality in Kensington Market was embedded within the never-ending layers of life evident within the ins and outs of the stores and quite literally onto the streets. It is this aspect of the physical space where a sense of community, diversity and humanistic connections is established. As one of hundreds of people who was at Kensington that day, I was still able to feel a sense of welcome and belonging. I felt connected to the space as I walked down the sidewalk, enjoying the music, the food, different cultures and simply the people. Kensington Market offered human connections independent of the aesthetics of space, it was within the ‘chaos’ of the streets that allowed these layers of narratives to overlap and be experienced, everything all at once." (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.230). Google Map link: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kensington+Market,+Toronto,+ON/@43.654834,-79.4072525,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x882b34c23d02c2eb:0x472d5132915be00c!8m2!3d43.6545236!4d-79.4014566!16zL20vMDI3X3A2?hl=en

"Kensington Market in Toronto is a unique place where the above elements intersect. Layers of history, non-confirming land uses, buildings that are not to code generate spaces where livelihoods meet diverse cultural and authentic experiences. This is a place impossible to design from scratch, not to replace but it is in the absence of over-prescribed uses and areas protected from gentrification from community land trusts are we able to allow for pockets of uniqueness to emerge in the banality of developer driven urbanism." (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.221). Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/6dW2HKkb6GP4wv3D9