Defining Space in the City

What is big enough? There is no answer to this question simply because of the conflux of choice, need and desire.

Living in Toronto, or any city, is defined by walls and windows, neighbourhoods and buildings, property lines and zoning by-laws, streets and sidewalks. These are generally static conditions and yet through our inhabitation of and interaction with public and private space, boundaries are manipulated and personal living space is a blur of real, perceived and virtual space.

Personal and socio-economic factors determine where we live whether it be desirability or familiarity of neighbourhoods; affordability; proximity to work and schools; types of housing; parks and shops; transit; entertainment; crime, etc…

Ultimately what is “Big Enough” is a function of cost, typology and neighbourhood. As architects and homeowners, we work within the complex set of rules, policies, economic considerations and organic and personal factors that define our dwellings. As a populace we shape Toronto, but as individuals and families it is Toronto which shapes the way we live.

The Altius exhibit explores the socio-economic factors of Toronto neighbourhoods in the context of the notion of space and combined with the viewers personal insight we ask the question “What is big enough?”