Transformation that Responds to the Needs of a Marginalized Community
Jane Finch Mall+ Redevelopment
Written by: Gail Shillingford, Principal of Masterplanning and Urban Design, and Director of Urban Development.
With over 30 years of experience, Gail is passionate about creating inclusive, sustainable communities. Her expertise in master planning, urban and landscape design has led to award-winning projects worldwide. Gail’s collaborative approach prioritizes community engagement, particularly for underrepresented voices. She believes in pushing the boundaries of design to create resilient, equitable, and thriving communities.
“If there is an opportunity to participate in a project that truly embodies the BOLD+HUMAN philosophy that B+H aspires to, this project perfectly fits that description.”
– Gail Shillingford
The Importance of Diversity
B+H was invited to participate as the Landscape Architecture Lead in the Mixed-Use Redevelopment Master Plan for the Jane Finch Mall. This community hub serves as a central service and amenity, while also being the heart and hub for social and cultural interchange and collaboration. The community is predominantly Black, with a strong Caribbean influence. On any given day, you can enter the mall and see people, particularly the older generation, gathering and sharing stories. As you walk through, you can take in the aromas of spices and cultural foods.
The B+H Landscape team was brought on board not only because of their design talent and capabilities, but also because they represented diversity —a qualification necessary to successfully engage with a community concerned about gentrification and fearing that their cultural, social, and economic perspectives would not be understood.
Intensification – Finch LRT Line
The future of the Jane Finch community will entail changes that will make the area more accessible and bring about new, higher-density mixed-use development, including the redevelopment of the Jane Finch Mall. The change is driven by the implementation of the Finch LRT line and the addition of future stops at the Jane Finch intersection.
B+H, as the Landscape Architecture lead, with a team of consultants, was retained by Urban Strategies to develop a mixed-use masterplan for the site, which includes the transformation of the commercial/retail use within a new residential context.
Unprecedented Engagement Process
Over the 2021-2022 period, an unprecedented pre-design engagement process was undertaken with the team of city builders and over 1,000 community members to learn about the community, their experiences, priorities, ideas, and hopes for the future of the mall. This process to date has included three rounds of community engagement using a variety of platforms: outreach by residents acting as “animators”, one-on-one surveys, small group discussions and focused workshops with a range of stakeholders and visitors held in a dedicated Mall storefront space, walking tours of the mall, and two online community wide update meetings held in December 2021 and July 2022.
Through the engagement process, we learned that the public realm needs to play a critical role in maintaining and celebrating the people, culture, and existing and new community services and amenities. Places to connect and bring people together; having a community anchor that supports people’s needs; and creating a welcoming, inclusive, flexible, and vibrant place that reflects the community and supports people of all ages, incomes, backgrounds and abilities, are considered high-priority landscape design considerations.
During the Landscape Design Workshops, Gail Shillingford and Celine Li engaged with the community, interacting with highly graphic and compelling image boards and engagement tools to understand what was important to the community. As a native Caribbean herself, Gail was able to “speak the same language”, connecting with the seniors and youth alike.
Through the engagement process, we recognized what the site needed to prioritize.
What was Important to the Community:
- Integration and not gentrification
- Community benefits – jobs, education, new services and amenities
- Maintaining community identity, a sense of place and belonging
- Maintaining what the mall represented – the central hub and heart of the community
- Maintaining and enhancing the social capital and culture of the community
The community expressed a desire for the “colour and culture of the Caribbean” to be reflected in both the landscape and architectural design. They sought a variety of quality open spaces, including:
- A large gateway plaza facing Finch that represents the community’s identity, featuring art, trees, seating, an open marketplace, and space for music, dancing, and performances, all supported by retail and a community-run center.
- Two flexible park spaces: one that provides an open area for spontaneous activities, family gatherings such as barbeques and picnics, ball play, and other community programming; and another dedicated to children’s play and activities adjacent to a daycare, complete with flower gardens for seniors and seating under trees.
What the Future Looks Like
The jfm+ process has led to a proposal for incremental changes on the site, which will introduce:
– New homes, shops, services, and community facilities designed with transit-oriented densities.
– A diverse range of parks and open spaces.
– Pedestrian-friendly streets that are green, with cycling paths and landscaping.
– Spaces throughout the site that will connect people, promote community life, and support daily needs.
Over time, the transformation highlights the significance of this site as a gathering place, offering new opportunities for the community to come together and celebrate its rich diversity, history, and culture. It begins with the intersection and a new signature development that will offer both indoor and outdoor spaces for community interests.
This development marks the beginning of a pattern that can evolve, creating opportunities for small businesses, expanding a network of people-oriented spaces, and introducing new parks and services.