28 Aug Summer at 8 80 Cities: Activating Public Space, Building Community

By Camila Uriona, 8 80 Cities Communications & Admin.  Manager

As summer winds down, we reflect on a season filled with energy, collaboration, and impact. From hosting international placemakers to launching new community spaces, our team has been busy putting our mission into action—creating cities for all.

Global Placemaking Summit & Rooftop Social

In June, we proudly supported the 2025 Global Placemaking Summit hosted by PlacemakingX in Toronto. Our team led sessions on streets as places, placemaking with the unhoused, and school streets. We also hosted a rooftop social at 401 Richmond, welcoming placemakers from over 30 countries to celebrate the power of public space.

TowerPOPS: Transforming Underused Spaces

After a year of deep engagement with residents, we launched two new TowerPOPS sites:

• Cooksville – Mississauga (67 Hillcrest Ave): A former parking lot reimagined as a vibrant space for play, rest, and connection.
• Rockliffe-Smythe – Toronto (190 Woolner Ave): A welcoming, inclusive gathering place co-designed with the community.

Each site features:

• Natural-material planters and furniture
• Age-inclusive and accessible design
• Programming such as live performances, drum circles, lending libraries, and BBQs

These spaces are more than pop-ups—they’re platforms for placemaking, placekeeping, and social connection in communities with high proportions of newcomers and racialized residents.

Welcoming Civic Leaders: KECC Toronto Studio

In August, we hosted 20 civic innovators from across the U.S. for our Knight Emerging City Champions (KECC) Toronto Studio. Over the course of three days, participants engaged in workshops, walking tours, and storytelling sessions designed to spark ideas and foster connections. Program Directors Kyle Kutuchief (Akron) and Charlene Bradley (St. Paul) joined us in Toronto to experience the program firsthand.

Highlights included:

• A traditional opening ceremony led by Selina Young and Gramma Liz
• Workshops by Helpful Places on civic tech and community engagement
• A history tour of Evergreen Brick Works
• A community dinner at CSI Spadina hosted by Len Senater
• A Chinatown tour with the Toronto Chinatown Community Land Trust
• A surprise zine presentation by participants: The Active8, symbolizing new beginnings
• We closed the studio with an engaging and insightful keynote by our founder, Gil Penalosa, on “Cities for Everyone”

Caledon Public Art Plan: Sparking Creative Conversations

We’re thrilled to partner with the Town of Caledon to develop a Public Art Plan, a key recommendation from their Parks and Recreation Strategy. This summer and fall, we’re engaging residents through pop-ups, walking tours, focus groups, and surveys to shape a culturally responsive and equitable vision for public art. We kicked off community engagement at Bolton’s 49th Annual Midnight Madness, gathering input amid music, food, and festivities. This work is just getting started! Stay involved through pop-up engagements, a public art walking tour, focus groups, and a community survey.

Looking Ahead: Ontario Community Changemakers Studio & More

Applications for our Ontario Community Changemakers (OCC) Toronto Studio closed with a record-breaking 350+ submissions. We’re now curating the fall studio agenda and look forward to welcoming our 2025 cohort in October. As we are in different phases of our various projects — implementing design ideas, hosting workshops, engaging in conversations with the communities we serve, and building relationships with current and future clients, funders, and partners — we continue to enjoy the camaraderie, collaboration, fun, and laughs within our team.

Stay Connected

Whether through placemaking, public art, or civic leadership, our work continues to center community voices and create spaces where everyone belongs. Follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on upcoming events and opportunities. We would love to contribute to your community through our innovative approaches and services.