In this course we have developed tools for looking at the social, economic and political meaning of different spaces. We have explored who is affected by these meanings and the corresponding distribution of resources. We have also developed skills to examine how these spatial segregations and values are created and reproduced. This paper is an opportunity to apply your new skills at social/spatial analyses to a contemporary local issue that interests you.

Identify a recent (2014 or 2015) conflict over space in the Greater Toronto Area. Please find a newspaper article, on line discussion, radio report or other public media source as a starting point for identifying an appropriate conflict. Attach a copy of this article or clearly reference the source in your paper. Examples of an appropriate conflict might include the debate about bike lanes in Toronto, or a conflict surrounding the building of new homeless shelters in a particular neighbourhood. Think about a space you care about in the city and conflicts that have arisen over its use.

Explore two to three conflicting views about the meaning of a particular urban space. (there may be more positions on the conflict but for the sake of clarity in this assignment please stick to 2 or 3 main viewpoints.) You should identify what these positions are, think about who might be holding them and why, and analyze who is affected by the different possible outcomes of this conflict.

Finally take a well reasoned position on this conflict. After discussing the different positions explain why you have chosen a certain approach to the conflict.

This paper is based both on academic and scholarly material and on your own analysis. You will need to draw on at least three scholarly sources outside the classroom material. I recommend looking for articles that are directly about this or a similar conflict, and/or articles that are about the same kind of space (whether or not they discuss a conflict), and/or articles that may discuss conflict of this kind even though they may be in a different location or context.

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