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How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline? Read the challenge brief

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Mission #1 Explore Vibrancy Find out more...

Visionary developers take derelict buildings in Toronto and transform them into vibrant art center

About a decade ago, in my home town of Toronto, a 150 year old distillery that shut down was transformed into a vibrant arts district.
I think the Distillery District revitalization could be model example of taking an old derelict area and transforming it into a vibrant center for art and commerce.  It's truly inspiring!

In brief, in the 1990's a one hundred and fifty year old distillery in Toronto's East end closed.  It had a second life as film location, but it's future was uncertain.  

A decade later the 40 historial buildings were renovated and transformed into stores, artist studios, a theatre (housing one of Canada's most important theatre companies), cafes, galleries, and restaurants.  

Before this, it was an area of town that was rarely ventured into.  Today, it has become a hub of activity.  Whenever we want to meet in the East end for a day of fun, galleries and good coffee, we head to the Distillery!  

You can find the full story on the website here:
http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com

Mission #1 Explore Vibrancy Find out more...

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Tim Fong

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November 18, 2011, 10:22PM
This is similar to the idea of incubating local businesses in a city to serve the city and attract new sources of income from outside of the region....I'd incorporate the impact of art as a component, definitely.
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Ilana Sclar

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November 09, 2011, 10:10PM
Love this Inspiration because it builds upon history and adds new life and energy, rather than erasing the old and creating new. The spirit of renewal and restoration will allow for life to emerge while maintaining the pride and character of the city roots. Great stuff.
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James McBennett

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November 09, 2011, 02:55AM
Inspiring 'Responsible' Developers who live for both social value and for Profit seem to be rejuventating. One can look back at quite a few, but to mention one name, check out James Rouse and his famous Festival Marketplaces relevant to this discussion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Rouse
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Meena Kadri

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November 08, 2011, 10:21PM
Great local insight, Gillian. Tip: you can make the link to the Distillery District a live link by hitting the Update Entry button & following these instructions: http://bit.ly/oi_link Great to have you onboard!
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Sarah Fathallah

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November 08, 2011, 10:14PM
Great example Gillian! I'm sure stories of neighborhoods and districts can also help understand how to tackle this challenge at the scale of an entire city.
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