Mitton Village parkette is a laboratory for community building

While critics may see a simple parking lot, this shared space acts as a vital thermometer for measuring the true warmth of neighbourhood revitalization.

Revitalization has to start somewhere. Back in 2018 the headlines told the story of businesses leaving Mitton Village. That same year a City Advisory Committee hosted a Cars & Guitars event in the parkette area to garnish public input and build a little momentum. The following year a group of neighbours threw the first annual MV Block Party in that very parking lot parkette area. In the years to come the City Advisory Committee worked alongside MV citizens to expand the parkette space into a neighbourhood commons that could be enjoyed by all.

Over the years this parkette has become symbolic of the wider revitalization of Mitton Village. It has become the central hub for community events like Neighbourhood Connects' annual end of school party, the annual Christmas tree social and other community gatherings. It provides a resting space for pedestrians and tables for eating, talking and general socializing.

Yet this parkette space is more than a symbol; it's also a great thermometer. It can measure the temperature of one's support for community revitalization. I've heard many people dismiss the parkette as a foolish investment and a useless space that only attracts homeless. Some neighbours only see the negative and complain about it. Just yesterday a city councillour mocked the parkette and caricatured the space as a drug den.

In this way, the parkette is a good thermometer to measure how a person truly feels about the work of neighbourhood revitalization.

It's easy to support the obvious success stories like the MV Block Party, but it's the small acts of resilient love that are the heart of revitalization. When someone sees the parkette space as a valuable asset for revitalization, I know that they see the real work being done. Because the parkette is a micro-unit of the entire neighbourhood: it's a space outside of our homes and cars where we can gather and connect in our own neighbourhood.

And this is what is happening; it just doesn't make headlines. You see, the real work of revitalization is quiet, like a seed germinating and sending out roots. The teenagers eating pizza at picnic tables isn't a big story. The group of 30 neighbours sharing hot chocolate and cookies doesn't warrant a letter to councillors. The couple sharing coffee under a shade sail isn't exactly breaking news. But these are the small acts of placemaking and revitalization that happen because of what this parkette provides.

So the next time you or someone you know is about to unleash a diatribe of disgust toward our neighbourhood parkette, take a second to consider what such feelings imply about your/their understanding of the hard work of community revitalization. Nobody promised it would be all roses and sunshine; but one thing is for certain: it has to take place somewhere. It requires space. And the parkette is our laboratory for community building. It is the microcosm of a wider movement toward revitalization. I cannot wait to see where we are in another five years!