Community-campus Connections: Exploring The Potential Of Collaborative Planning Between York University And Its Neighbours

Community engagement has been a core element of York University’s mandate for several years. However, does a conceptual gap prevent university-community engagement from being actualized? The purpose of this project is to embark on an iterative exercise that brings the Jane-Finch community’s engagement concerns directly to the University administration, thus advancing the understanding of challenges and opportunities that exist with respect to community-university partnerships at York University. By focusing on the implications of upcoming development projects on the Keele campus, this project investigates the scope of community engagement concerning land use planning for the Jane-Finch neighbourhood adjacent to York University. Despite measures taken to create a dialogue between the University and the Jane-Finch community – initiated on both the University and community fronts – this project revisits the discussion as a review and re-evaluation to spot opportunities for improvement and progress. With the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension nearing completion, alongside York’s renewed commitment to community engagement, it is now more important than ever to review the University’s community engagement approach. As York University enters a new era with large-scale land-use development occurring on the Keele campus, the current condition of community-university engagement must be evaluated to identify challenges and opportunities for improvement.