The Re-animation of Public Spaces in Regent Park

By Dimitrije Martinovic
Dimitrije is a staff journalist at FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

The Revitalization of Regent Park is in the final stages. The old Regent Park buildings now occupy only one narrow sliver along Gerrard Street - and that too is being demolished - and soon only the new buildings will remain.

The old narrative of what was once Regent Park is being replaced by a new a set of descriptors -  “A neighbourhood of choice” full of parks, new streets, attractive community spaces, and buildings – this is the new Regent Park. The revitalization of Regent Park has allowed for the re-animation of public space in new and more inclusive ways.  Here are just a few of these spaces.

In the Big Park, located on the north side of Dundas, in what was once an area with only benches to sit on, there is now a welcoming art installation at its entrance, a children’s playground, a community bake oven, a community garden, a dog park, an outdoor splash pad and an aquatic centre.  

The Regent Park Boulevard is a new street that runs adjacent to the Daniels Spectrum Arts Centre and Courtyard. The Regent Park Boulevard links the Big Park to the north of Dundas, to the Regent Park Community Field located in south Regent Park.  The Boulevard has become a place to linger, to chat with friends, to shop, and to get something to eat.  The boulevard has the feel of a town square, an old world piazza, a central meeting place.

The Regent Park Community Field serves both as the playground for the students of Nelson Mandela Park Public School and for sporting activities related to the Regent Park Community Centre. The field has also been adopted by the community and has become a place for informal family gatherings and pickup games of soccer, cricket, and volleyball – all happening simultaneously involving children and youth of varying ages. There is even an area for toddlers.    

Not to be outdone, the Regent Park Athletic Grounds located just to the east of the Regent Park Community Field, was designed for more intentional uses by sporting teams. The athletic grounds feature a running track, a basketball court, a multi-purpose field for soccer, flag football and other organized activities including boxing and aerobics. As part of the Regent Park Athletic Grounds, to the south, you will find an ice-skating rink and change rooms which converts to a skateboard rink in the summer.    

Here are some of the people we interviewed about the Regent Park revitalized spaces.

Roumelia Makahloufi who was in the children's playground with her son Adam Kaheniene said, “ The kids they like this the most, they enjoy the splash par the most especially in the summer, and they play soccer in the field.” Adam said. “I like the park because it has so much fun things, it has a swimming pool and outside water park, and its really fun.”

Regent Park resident Najid Khogalis reiterated the significant importance of the amenities now present in Regent Park, such as, “the pool, splash, and field for kids, they really enjoy it, especially this summer after the long lock downs, and the kids they really enjoy and the take their energy out and this is really important after sitting at home, bored and we really appreciate the changes at Regent Park.”

Personal Trainers Winston Ing and Daniel, both used the Regent Park Athletic Grounds to continue their fitness programs, saying the outdoor facilities allowed them to make new connections, and promote the benefits of physical activity.

Mohamed Hasan, Yousafa Abdul Raheem, and Sumaya Ahmed on the other hand had more of a social interest in going to the park, to meet and be with friends, to get a little bit of exercise, and just to be outdoors.

Whether you are in the picnicking in the Big Park watching children cool off running in and out of the splash pad area, sipping a coffee while chatting with friends on the Regent Park Boulevard, playing pick-up volleyball in the Regent Park Community Field, or watching joggers or a basketball game in the Regent Park Athletic Grounds, these revitalized spaces have contributed to making Regent Park a community of choice.