[LikeHamilton]

Bayfront out in front of Canada’s public spaces

Teri Pecoskie
July 26, 2011
Bayfront Park was named one of the country’s top public spaces by Spacing magazine.

The waterfront park, near the foot of Bay Street North, was ranked third on a list of the top five public spaces in the Greater Toronto Area. Discovery Landing in Burlington also made the cut, ranking second in the GTA.

“They’re both really good public spaces,” said magazine publisher and co-founder Matthew Blackett. “They’re a nice escape from the bustle of the city, yet they’re close to the city. They also really function well in the colder months of the year.”

Spacing — a Canadian urban landscape and lifestyle magazine — assembled a panel of 135 urban design and architecture experts to compile the list of Canada’s top 100 spaces from more than a dozen urban regions across the country. The two local parks were selected because they evoke their respective cities and are accessible year-round — two important criteria for making the cut, Blackett said.

For Blackett, it was important for the magazine to focus on the country’s best public spaces in the launch of its first national issue this summer, since they’re places where people come together collectively and build a city’s identity.

The rest....

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...-public-spaces