By Mario Toneguzzi

With increasing vacant commercial space in Canadian cities, it’s becoming even more important to find creative and useful ways to ‘activate’ those spaces so they don’t become a blight in those communities.

TURNING IDEAS ABOUT PUBLIC GOOD INTO CIVIC ACTIONS

Rob Shields and Jim Morrow, with the University of Alberta, have released the Activating Space Field Guide, which is written for individuals and community groups that need help with turning ideas about the public good into civic actions. It can also benefit city leaders and planners who need proof that the reuse of empty spaces can enrich the lives of community members.

The research project was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and by the Kule Institute for Advanced Study, University of Alberta.

“Activated spaces build community. They are places where people come together to provide for each other. And when people gather, they have adventures, form relationships, innovate, and build resilience. Regardless of outcome, activated spaces are creative. For many people, the biggest barrier to testing ideas or finding purpose is a lack of a place where they can engage a community-at-large. Yet cities have empty spaces ready for use,” said the report.

“All it takes is cooperation, social partnership, and a willingness from property owners and city officials to open doors. The ideal activated space is central, cheap, and flexible. But activating space is about being creative with whatever resources are available. Therefore, if a space can be made to work, then it is for the best. Finally, an activated space must always give back to the community. Everybody who activates a space must leave it better than when they found it. The same principle applies to people and neighbourhoods. Activated spaces improve well-being and, when all said and done, everybody and everything needs to be in a better place.”

Shields is HM Tory Chair and Professor, Faculty of Science - Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at the U of A. Morrow is Research Associate with the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies at the U of A.

Shields has always been interested in abandoned spaces in cities with research on abandoned strip malls and uses in cities.

Morrow said the longer that a space is empty the more likely it is that it will never be rented again. That becomes even more of an issue today with commercial space sitting empty in many major Canadian markets. For example, the report points out that in Montreal, one in six retail units are vacant.

“My biggest problem is that the cities have largely abandoned large sections of them. You can even see it in small towns - main streets,” said Morrow.

“In addition to being places of business, which is what I’m trying to get people back to, is that they’re places for people to meet and form social connections. If they don’t have that ability to have this kind of serendipity of being together then it becomes very hard to build a culture where people will actually just stop and do a shop too.”

When communities grow and have social connections, the communities thrive and the economics will come along.

TEMPORARY USE, REUSE, PROGRAMMING & COUNTER-PROGRAMMING

The Field Guide offers four strategies for activating space: Temporary Use; Reuse; Programming; and Counter-Programming.

“Business as usual is not an option. Shops and industrial sites have been vacated because consumerism and conventional approaches to development no longer work. So common purpose and social partnership must take the initiative,” said the report.

“For neighbourhoods to be vital, vacant spaces must be activated and put to use. Otherwise, it will be impossible to shop locally or support community needs.”

Morrow said the obvious consequence of vacant space is blight.

“Urban space has been reorganized for the benefit of rent extraction, real estate speculation and gentrification. And they’ve neglected community needs . . . It’s just not good business,” said Morrow.

“Through our research we’ve learned you have to have one third, one third, one third. So you have to have one third retail, one third business, like office space, and one third residence. That number reappears every time. And we’ve also learned that things have to be cheap, central and flexible,” said Morrow, of thriving communities.

The report said people have always made space for temporary events. In the Arab world, impromptu souqs and bazaars have been a part of urban life for more than 3,000 years. Temporary use has a variety of forms. It also has no limits on how long it can last. But there are common features. For example, temporary uses are usually cultural rather than commercial. And it works best for events to happen in large open-air venues, like recreation grounds or religious sites, added the report.

“Every city has empty shops and vacant lots. These spaces are usually abandoned because of a lack of commercial appeal or a failure to get permission to redevelop. They can also go to waste because nobody wants to make a long-term commitment,” said the Field Guide.

“High streets and urban sites can be brought back to life through reuse. It can be done by loaning a vacant space to a community organization at little or no cost. In turn, the occupants use the space for local needs, such as the arts, creative startups, or places for people to gather. Reuse only works if it has willing partners. The occupants have to acknowledge that the space is not theirs to keep. Property owners need to be flexible with leases and conditions. And city officials must grant temporary use permits and help occupants limit their financial obligations.”

It is not enough to occupy a space. A use is also necessary. Otherwise, nothing happens and there is no benefit to the community, said the Field Guide.

“Long-term use is a form of risk management. It is the reason that cities require feasibility studies and banks give developers lengthy loans. Yet, for all its benefits, risk aversion eliminates spontaneity and makes it difficult to find use for empty spaces. Programming works in the meantime. Simply put, it organises activities— such as art shows, skill-sharing classes, or markets—that are brief or changeable. And by planning for the short-term, occupants and organisers can quickly respond to local needs. In action, programming allows organisers and community members to experiment with ideas. More specifically, because they are not constrained by long-term commitments, they do not have to make decisions based on feasibility or risk. Therefore, they can get creative and learn about what is possible through trial and error,” it said.

“Many places are designed for a single use. After all, high streets were made for shopping and factories for machinery. Yet it is also possible to counter-programme a site to work around infrastructure already in place. Counter-programming thrives on adaptability and informality. Organizers who are flexible about how they use a space can accommodate different activities. Likewise, if circumstances change, a location can be quickly refit for other uses. Counter-programmed spaces work with materials at hand. They are not curated to suit a particular style. Instead, they use resources that are economical and commonly found. And this ability to scrounge makes counter-programming collaborative because organizers need to go into the community to source materials and local knowledge.”

Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary has 37 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, city and breaking news, and business. For 12 years as a business writer, his main beats were commercial and residential real estate, retail, small business and general economic news. He nows works on his own as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Email: mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com

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