Frequently Asked Questions

Creative placemaking is the practice of leveraging the power of art, culture and creativity to catalyze change, growth and transformation of place.

Our success is driven by our ability to work effectively across disciplines to align values, leadership, investment and public policy. Artscape initiatives often start with an exploration of what combination of art, culture, and creativity might add value to a building, development site or neighbourhood. We invest considerable time and resources in pre-development, during which we assess projects’ potential through exploratory meetings, community needs and market assessments, feasibility studies and the formation of advisory and steering committees. We look at how the project can support community and economic development and serve as the social heart of the neighbourhood. We also work to ensure that our projects are economically and environmentally sustainable.

Artscape projects are built “from the ground up” with the support of their local communities. We rally artists, designers, urban planners, community activists, environmentalists and government officials, as well as community, economic, and real estate developers around projects where all parties benefit. Steering committees containing representatives from the creative sector, residents, community leaders, and local BIAs help define the project vision and drive development momentum. These engagement processes are not an exercise in blue-sky thinking—we build hard-working teams invested in the outcome of each project. This multi-stakeholder approach allows us to design projects with a quadruple bottom line (i.e. that deliver cultural, economic, social and environmental benefits).

Our development projects are designed to be financially self-sustaining once the front-end capital has been invested. New projects are opened after raising one-time capital investments and are sustained through planned revenues generated from below-market rents, memberships and user fees. Long-term debt is kept to a minimum.

Creative placemaking is about far more than simply bricks and mortar. Every day, Artscape carries out multiple processes that contribute to our overall goal of supporting artists to thrive in our city. It’s a complex undertaking that is supported by every Artscape department. We aim to help artists thrive through being a great landlord and property manager (with well-defined policies and agreements; a great property management team; clear complaint resolution process; Community Stewardship Plans; Tenant Charters; research like our Tenant Census and Affordability Analysis) and contributing to the conditions for tenant and owner success, via Community Value Exchange programs; entrepreneurship development and capacity building; collaboration and programming opportunities; and advocacy in the form of communications and community relations.

Our facilities known as community cultural hubs are mixed-use creative places developed on the basis of community consultation and run according to a shared vision, which we renew regularly in stakeholder consultation processes. Each year, these properties host tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of arts and cultural events.

Artscape comprises Toronto Artscape Inc. (TAI; established 1986), Artscape Non-Profit Homes Inc. (ANPHI; established 1994) and Artscape Foundation (TAF; established 2004).

BC Artscape (2014) is an independent affiliate.

Artscape staff occupy advisory roles in the Regent Park Arts Non-Profit Development Corporation (RPAD; governing Daniels Spectrum), the Wychwood Barns Community Association (WBCA), and condominium boards involved in some of our projects (Artscape Youngplace, Artscape Triangle Lofts).