The back of a building tells a different story that often goes unnoticed from the street. In places like Pink Alley / Alley Oop in Vancouver, what begins as a plain building can open into a more expressive and active laneway space shaped by art and everyday use.
This change highlights the potential within these in-between spaces when they are rethought through design and small interventions. The way we use the back of buildings can completely change how we experience the city.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #UrbanDesign #Placemaking #PublicSpace #CommunityDesign #CitySpaces #HiddenSpaces #Toronto #InBetweenSpaces
Laneways may seem simple, but they’re used in many different ways, by diverse groups of people.
Designing for different needs means considering accessibility, age, and culture, and recognizing that not everyone experiences space the same way.
Small design choices can make laneways more inclusive, welcoming, and usable for everyone.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #CommunityDesign #CoDesign #Placemaking #CommunityBuilding #NeighbourhoodLife #PublicSpace #UrbanDesign #CommunityLed #SharedSpaces #InclusiveSpaces #Accessibility
During our Laneway coLabs 2025 in Riverside, we worked with the community to reimagine an underused laneway through a collaborative design process.
What was once an overlooked space has been transformed through art and shared care into a more welcoming and active part of the neighbourhood.
This before and after reflects how small, community-led changes can shift how public space is experienced and valued.
Stay tuned to find out which communities will be part of our 2026 Laneway coLabs.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #Riverside #PublicSpace #UrbanPlanning #Placemaking #CommunityDesign #CoDesign #TorontoLaneways #CommunityLed #SharedSpaces
Laneways often get labeled as “sketchy,” but that label usually comes from a mix of perception and the way a space is experienced.
If a laneway feels hidden, poorly cared for, or unfamiliar, people are more likely to read it in a certain way, even before they fully enter it.
Design can reinforce those impressions, or help shift them by making a space feel more open, used, and connected to everyday life.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #CommunityDesign #CoDesign #Placemaking #PublicSpace #UrbanDesign #NeighbourhoodLife #SharedSpaces #InclusiveSpaces #Accessibility
Our very own Danielle Goldfinger will be speaking at the 2026 #EvergreenConference to share how the Laneway Project is helping to create more inclusive, connected, and vibrant public spaces through small-scale, community-led design.
Get your tickets today and connect with practitioners across the country who are working to create more climate-resilient, inclusive, and joyful communities!
@EvergreenCanada #EvergreenConference
#TheLanewayProject #LanewayCoLabs #Placemaking #CoDesign #PublicSpace #UrbanDesign #CommunityLedDesign #Neighbourhoods #TorontoEvents
Over the past few months, we’ve been reviewing applications for Laneway coLabs 2026 and getting a glimpse into the ideas, energy, and care communities are bringing to their laneways.
While every laneway is different, strong applications tend to share a few things: a site that can support change, and a community ready to collaborate and be part of the process.
coLabs isn’t about polished designs; it’s about people coming together to shape their space.
Stay tuned to see which communities we’ll be working with this summer.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #CommunityDesign #CoDesign #Placemaking #CommunityLed #PublicSpace #Laneways #UrbanDesign #CommunityBuilding #NeighbourhoodLife
We don’t start with design.
When communities apply to Laneway coLabs, we don’t ask for ideas. No murals, no planting plans, no lighting concepts.
Instead, we look for something harder to see: a group of neighbours willing to show up, build trust, and shape a space together.
Because co-design doesn’t start with design. It starts with people.
This is Fieldnotes #3, where we share what we’re learning from the work on the ground.
🔗 link in bio
Laneways are often thought of as leftover or in-between spaces. But in many neighbourhoods, they are part of everyday routines where people walk, pause, connect, and share small moments with neighbours.
These everyday encounters matter. Spaces that allow people to gather, move, and interact can support belonging, well-being, and stronger communities.
Laneways have the potential to act as a social infrastructure that supports connection in daily life.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #SocialInfrastructure #CommunityDesign #Placemaking #CommunityBuilding #PublicSpace #UrbanDesign #NeighbourhoodLife #SharedSpaces
Co-design is about actively shaping priorities, ideas, and outcomes with the community. Through Laneway coLabs, we work side by side with communities to imagine better public spaces. Your voice, your ideas, your creativity.
From ideation workshops to final design approval, decisions are made collaboratively. The result isn’t just a revitalized laneway; it’s stronger social connections and lasting community ownership.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #CoDesign #CommunityLed #Placemaking #TorontoCommunities #ParticipatoryDesign #NeighbourhoodCare
We’re excited to be part of “Start at the Park: Reimagining Toronto’s Public Spaces, 2010-2030”, a great project by @parkppl
Come explore how communities across Toronto have transformed their parks over the past 15 years and join us to help shape the next chapter of green, joyful, inclusive spaces.
📆 Thursday, March 5, 2026
🕖 5:30 – 7:30 PM 📍 Urbanspace Gallery, 401 Richmond St. W, Toronto
RSVP through the link in our bio.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewaycoLabs #CommunityDesign #Placemaking #PublicSpaces #TorontoParks #InteractiveExhibit #CoDesign
Learning doesn’t only happen indoors. Through creative and hands-on experiences, laneways become places where people learn by doing, sharing knowledge, and caring for their surroundings together. These everyday moments help build skills while strengthening connections to place.
#TheLanewayProject #LanewayRevitalization #ConnectedCommunities #CommunityDesign #LearningSpaces #HandsOnLearning #CommunityDesign
