Toronto, ON (November 16, 2022) – The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, in collaboration with The Daniels Corporation, Entro, Lemay and MASSIVart, today released highlights from A New Bottom Line: The Value & Impact of Placemaking. The interdisciplinary study, conducted by academic researchers and industry leaders, examined the effects of art installations, cultural programming, interior design, wayfinding, place branding and architecture in public and private spaces.
“This research opens up new possibilities for evidence-based design of cities, buildings and spaces,” said Dr. Louis-Etienne Dubois, Associate Professor at the School of Creative Industries at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University. “The study provides a strong empirical foundation to inform design and decision-making, and helps us understand the immediate and enduring benefits of implementing placemaking for retail, real estate, transit and public spaces.
The study revealed that people are 50 per cent more likely to spend time in spaces with creative placemaking. It also found that locations with placemaking interventions caused increase in personal connection to the built environments, along with a sense of safety, relaxation and emotional stimulation. Placemaking interventions also increased a person’s likelihood of sharing information about the space with others.