by Gordon S. Grice

In our last issue, The Right Angle Journal examined Public Space—how it’s designed (or not designed) and how it’s used. In this issue, we tackle the subject again, this time with a focus on how public space serves our communities and our neighbourhoods.

Our interest in the subject was re-ignited by a film screened at the Architecture and Design Film Festival in Toronto, in November, 2025. Kensington Market: Heart of the City, by Toronto filmmaker Stuart Clarfield, is described as “a richly textured portrait of one of Toronto’s most storied neighborhoods.” It is, in fact, an homage to a neighbourhood with a valuable heritage that is in grave danger of losing its unique vibe, as well as a heart-felt account of a process that affects urban neighbourhoods everywhere: gentrification.

In this issue, we look at public space from the standpoint of the kinds of local activity it can generate. First, in an interview with our editor, Stuart Clarfield discusses his Kensington Market film: What has he gained from the process, and what would he like his audience to draw from it? Second, Architect Bill Birdsell describes a park in Guelph Ontario that has found the key to inclusivity. Third, Architect–Planner Christopher Moise describes planning opportunities in Ottawa that are frequently lost, due to lack of rigour or awareness, but may be found in European cities. Lastly, the editor reflects on loss that occurs every day in public spaces, reminding us of how communal space can sometimes foster the loss of identity and purpose, in the form of urban loneliness. If our public spaces can’t entirely eradicate this problem, we as designers can at least be aware of it and do our best to provide relief.