Aura & Perception: A Guided Walk

Woodbridge represents one of four historic villages situated within the City of Vaughan. These early settlements provided the groundwork for the beginning of a rich cultural heritage. Using walking as a medium to explore green-spaces within the context of Woodbridge can aid in critically examining the role in which green-space can play in shaping the context of a particular community. My project functions as an outlet to express this empathy towards green-space and allow participants to further value and defend green-space within their own towns or cities. Engagement of place through walking allows for the nuanced attention to a place which can be influenced by the diverse history of the surrounding natural environment using visual culture as a direct way of presenting this history. This project will encompass ideas of how the green-space of the Humber River trail within the William Granger Greenway can be incorporated within an urban community and how the culture of the community can be shaped by the landscape surrounding it as well as being able to recognize that the natural world can coexist within an urban setting rather than exists as two separate entities. I critically engage the general public to be able to create a meaningful dialogue surrounding each individual’s perception of a space. Residents of Woodbridge are going to be engaged with throughout this project as a means of providing a baseline of individual knowledge regarding the town and the importance of green-space within an urban setting. This includes determining if individuals have ever interacted with the Humber River Trail and how their perception of this space can be further developed through each walk. I view this project as a responsibility to convey this significant piece of shared history where participants can acknowledge the land within the city in a positive manner as well as to further develop the role that green-spaces can play in teaching and learning the historical narratives of a community. Ultimately, moving through space will invite participants to build awareness of the green-space surrounding them and to be able to better perceive, appreciate and defend green-space from further urban development.