The Globe and Mail has noted that “Pop-Up” projects or initiatives that are run on a temporary basis in city centres at relatively little expense have come a long way and seem to be catching on around the world. From Copenhagen temporarily closing Strøget Street to cars in the 50’s to Paris currently playing with a range of installations guiding citizens and assisting with ecological initiatives, innovative urban trials are becoming all the rage. Copenhagen never re-opened Strøget Street to traffic and city official in Paris are encouraging feedback to determine which “Pop-Ups” should in fact be made permanent fixtures.
Toronto is no stranger to “Pop-Up” projects. Whether we are looking at closing down the streets at major hubs like Yonge and Dundas for tens of thousands of fans to watch the opening night of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey season or decorating our city for one night a year during Nuit Blanche, we are getting that hang of these types of projects.
Toronto could use a little more colour and incorporate more creativity into our buildings and public spaces. It is for this reason I love the magic that happens during art festivals like Luminato and Nuit Blanche. During these special times you will find installations ranging from tens of thousands of “feathers” decorating halls to giant balloon clowns suspended high above in the alleyways of our business district.
May I make one small suggestion. Seeing as we go to so much trouble and expense to decorate our city during these occasions, could we please keep some of the creations in place longer than one night or for one week? I realize there is something special about having all of the decoration installed for such short periods of time and not everything is fabricated for permanent display. But, for some public art that is so well done and a city that could use some flair, why not keep at least a few of them around for a little while?
Why not have citizens vote on what projects they like best or keep at least one or two installations in place on a permanent basis after every festival. Could you imagine how this would transform our city in just a few short years?
I hope our city takes even more chances over the coming years with creative experiments, but if nothing else, I do hope we hold on to a few of the brilliant ones we have already created.
Jordy Gold is the OpenCity Projects Editor and is a sustainability consultant. He has worked and studied in Geneva, Lund, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Jordy learned from the Swedes how to cycle in all conditions and can be seen on his bike 365 days a year throughout the core of Toronto.
First Photo: ‘Rescue Bubble’ created by Tomer Diamont for Nuit Blanche 2009. Photo by City of Toronto.
Second Photo: ‘Soon’ created by Jane Pollard and Ian Forsyth for Nuit Blanche 2011. Photo by Ben Marans
Third Photo: ‘Sargasso’ by Philip Beesley for Luminato 2011. Photo by Luminato.
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