A Map of Toronto's Cultural Facilities - ERA Architects Inc.

6.0 A Cultural Facilities Analysis
6.1 Introduction
The following is an initial cultural facilities analysis based on the database mapping, comparing
the delivery of cultural facilities to the City’s north, south, east, and west districts with Cityowned
and non-City owned facilities.
The first telling piece of information that the map reveals is that non-City owned cultural facilities
significantly outnumber City-owned facilities. Of the cultural facilities captured on the
map, 30% are City-owned and 70% are non-City owned. For each City-owned facility, there
are more than 2 non-City owned facilities. Secondly the map reveals that 67% of all cultural
facilities are located in the City of Toronto’s South District.
Thirdly the map reveals a different emphasis between the City-owned and non-City owned
facilities and their responsibility towards the four specific cultural roles. Of the four cultural
roles, it appears that the City of Toronto has a prominent facility based responsibility for
Cultural Memory Sites and Hubs, while the private sector operates the large majority of
Incubators and Showcases.
Cultural Memory Sites include heritage buildings, musuems and cultural collections and it is
appropriate that many of these facilities be in public ownership. They include facilities that
have been in long term ownership such as St. Lawrence Hall and many of the City-owned
museum sites.
Hubs are a second area of responsibility for the City of Toronto. They consist of community
centres, libraries, parks, theatres and other types of public spaces which serve as cultural venues.
Almost 40% of non-City owned Hubs are owned by universities, colleges, the school
boards, and by various faith groups. Almost 60% of cultural facilities that serve as Hubs are
reliant on some form of public support either directly as in the case of City-owned facilities and
schools or indirectly through legislated property tax exemptions.
Both Incubators and Showcases are much more the responsibility of the private sector than the
public sector. In the case of Incubators, the artist is the driving force who is responsible for
conceiving the idea and then realizing it.
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