Planting Imagination: Community Co-Design for Chinatown Toronto | Impact Report

Abstract

Planting Imagination ran from April 2021 to March 2023 (during a pandemic recovery period) in Toronto’s Chinatown West neighbourhood. It brought together a group of local Chinatown community organizations and Toronto Metropolitan University researchers to recruit 60 diverse ‘Chinatown Activators’ (CAs) and six Facilitators from across the community.

Community Facilitators and Activators used virtual reality (VR) technology to co-design a local community garden and develop new visions for the future of Chinatown. This process strengthened community solidarity to enable local residents to more readily steward the future of the built environment and respond collectively to challenging events like the pandemic.

栽培想象于 2021 年 4 月至 2023 年 3 月（疫 情恢复期间）在多伦多西区唐人街举行。 它 汇集了当地多个唐人街社区组织和多伦多都 会大学的研究人员，并从整个社区招募了 60 名多元化的唐人街项目参与者 和 6 名协调 员。 社区协调员和唐人街项目参与者利用虚拟现 实 (VR) 技术共同设计当地的社区花园，并为 唐人街的未来发展新愿景。 这一过程加强了 社区团结性，使当地居民能够更有能力地管 理建筑环境的未来以及集体应对疫情等具有 挑战性的事件。