WALK HERE: is a community-building project and public artwork that helps revitalize, green and connect Dupont|Bloor West neighbourhoods in Toronto, by creating an art-embedded walking system throughout the at-risk community that pulls it together as a place and reconnects the area to the city at large. The walkway works to expand the sense of neighbourhood, visually and culturally enrich the area, create destinations for walks, encourage exercise, create public space, green space and public art. It helps foster neighbourhood relationships and keep more eyes on the streets making the area safer, engaged and vibrant. Intended as a vehicle for neighbourhood aspirations and as an engine of urban vitalization, this signature local project works to create an enhanced sense of place, establish a stable element in an area under-going rapid change and provide a way to re-integrate the area with the city at large.

Walk Here was founded in 2002 as an Urban Intervention Art Project by Dyan Marie with DIG IN (Dupont Improvement Group: Improving Neighbourhoods) and the Dupont / Bloor West Community. On Canada Day 2005, Walk Here opened the first three installation at Wallace Emerson Park at the DIG IN Festival. Walk Here won the 2005 City of Toronto’s Green and Beautiful Award. In 2006 Walk Here added The Tile Project, a public are installation with contributions by over 100 artists representing 40 countries.

Each year Walk Here intends to add projects and events that build the walking route.

Route

Walk Here begins at Wallace Emerson Park and intends to connect Wallace Emerson Park with Campbell Avenue Park and via Lappin Ave with a pedestrian overpass bridge.

Further we plan that the walk will continue from Campbell Park down Campbell Ave. to Wallace Ave and stretch along to the Wallace CN/CP rail overpass and the West End Rail Path from the Junction to King. This link will connect our neighbourhood both south and west.

Also we will work with the Parks Department and its efforts to develop a bike path along the hydro corridor north of Dupont that will help connect our neighbourhood to the east.

It works as an engine for revitalizing the parks and the community at-large.

Walk Here is a community action project for Dupont/Bloor West, an area struggling with entrenched social concerns and a fragmented physical make-up. Incorporating public art with new public space, streetscapes and green places, Walk Here will establish an art-embedded walkway that will connect Wallace Emerson Park with Campbell Avenue Park and bridge the rail lands with a pedestrian overpass. Intended as a vehicle for neighbourhood aspirations and as an engine of urban revitalization, this signature community artwork will create an enhanced sense of place and re-integrate the area with the city at large.

Walking improves health – both body and mind, it provides opportunity to focus attention on the local where things can be noticed and changed, walking builds community, makes neighbourhoods safer and more vital; small business are improved and can support their families and provide local jobs; neighbours become friends…. WALK HERE is an effort to encourage walking throughout the neighbourhood.