Augusta+Ave-+Kensington



**Research Statement ** | **Background ** | **Critical Position ** | **Data Collection ** | **Opportunities ** | **Resources **

Work in Progress:

I did my panorama on Toronto’s Kensington Market, more specifically between the points A and B of Augusta Ave. Through my research and experience of the market, I’ve decided to portray the activities and highlights of the market in my panorama. I tried to include the sights and sounds of Kensington through the use of type. The text is also meant to be an example of an excerpt of conversations people have when they’re strolling down Augusta. Kensington represents community, and a place for people to shop for fresh foods, or simply have a coffee at an outdoor café. I used the black and white background and colour to emphasis certain aspects of the pathway I was walking upon that stood out and had a certain value attached to it. My main objective was to bring out some of the many things you may come across when walking down Augusta Av.

Research Statement
Experiencing Toronto's Kensington Market, I've found that the most important part of the market is community. It's the people, local vendors, and visitors that shape the market and make it an extremely diverse and open place to go and connect with others socially. For my project I will be focusing on ways to utilize Augusta's physical space and what can be taken away and added to improve the sense of community and making it more accessible. Also I want to look at why there are "dead" parts of Augusta, and how these parts can be transformed to be as happening as some of the hotter spots of Augusta; extend the community.

Background
For my public space, I've decided to dive into the realm of Toronto's Kensington Market (more specifically, Augusta Ave).

Kensington Market is on the list of one of Toronto's oldest and distinctive neighbourhoods. Known for it's multiculturalism, it's fresh food, and hub for arts and culture. Walking down Augusta you'll find many specialty food shops, eclectic clothing stores, outdoor cafes, music, conversation and visual art from the tops of the buildings right down to the street. Kensington is a place friendly to cyclists and pedestrians, and is place to spend a sunny afternoon to enjoy the neighbourhood, not to mention a major tourist attraction. One of the great things about Kensington is the independent vendors. Local independent clothing designers, shop owners and restaurants are sometimes only known to the Market, giving the neighborhood a sense of community. A place away from the big city, but somehow in the center of it.

In it's history, Kensington has changed a number of times. Originating in the 1790s, when large amounts of immigration started to take over the neighbourhood, to the early 1900s where the market shifted and became relatively all Jewish in community. Only around the 1950s after the war was when multiculturalism really started to shape the market and transform it into what we know today. The community of Kensington is ever changing and continually growing around the people who live there and people who visit.

Critical Position
articulate your stance on a identified issue/concern

Data Collection
media type="custom" key="4470179" media type="custom" key="4470721"

**Observations:**
//Observation time between 12:00pm - 5:30pm//


 * lots of people with shopping bags (to buy food/groceries)
 * lots of cyclists and pedestrians (they dominate the market)
 * heavy pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks
 * very friendly and social environment (bound to run into someone you know, or you're bound to meet someone new)
 * very relaxed
 * the area revolves mostly around food, with either fresh food in the market, or coffee shops/restaurants/etc.
 * there is an artistic side to augusta, with it's jazz clubs/venues, artist studios, artwork on the sides of buildings, etc
 * a lot of health conscious food stores/eateries
 * lots of outdoor patios
 * loud music from store to store, restaurant to restaurant
 * live buskers (street performers)
 * smell of fresh food
 * sounds of conversations
 * lots of parked cars on the sides
 * there seems to be the most people roaming augusta from noon to around 2:30, or "lunch time"
 * it gets a lot quieter after about 3:30-4:00, music dies a little, less people roaming

Sights & Sounds
media type="custom" key="4470487"
 * //(One Minute of Augusta)//**

Problems:

 * Too many cars, the pedestrian/cyclist dominated area feels more overwhelming with all the automobiles that line the street and stay parked there all day
 * not enough room on the sidewalks
 * In need of more bike racks, bikes were being tied up to fences
 * In need of better mapping (maps are covered with graffiti)

Ideas:

 * The street should be pedestrian/cyclists only. No cars, no trucks, no motorcycles, just a large area for walking/cycling
 * utilize the new space sans automobiles by putting in more bike racks, more benches and sitting areas
 * provide better mapping of the area, or directory of some sort. If you're looking for something specific, it will highlight the areas on a map
 * alternative parking (besides green p)
 * free transportation buggies, to take you to different parts of the market

Opportunities
future directions that this topic may take

Resources
http://www.kensington-market.ca http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Market http://www.toronto.com/attractions/listing/000-213-802 http://murmurtoronto.ca/kensington/ http://kensingtonmarket.org/