The Bentway is a new public space and programming platform that is both “of the city” and “about the city”. Through the lens of arts, culture, and recreation we explore the changing landscape of Toronto and urbanism on a global scale.
Discover our shared experiences and explorations below!
current programs
Dominoes
September 22, 2024
Dominoes brings together Torontonians in a joyful act of community-building, as 8,000 human-sized dominoes weave and fall along an epic 2.5km journey through downtown neighbourhoods. Join us for this communal celebration as we transform the urban environment for one exceptional day!
-
Softer City
toIn an increasingly hard city, how do we soften the barriers that separate us? The Bentway’s summer public art exhibition invites you to a series of soft encounters, where “softness” is embraced as a collective strategy for building a socially connected city.
-
Bentway Staging Grounds
On view nowBentway Staging Grounds is a site of active, environmental learning that continues The Bentway’s creative work along the Gardiner Expressway. Visitors are invited into a living laboratory for urban ecology, with experimental gardens that use rainwater run-off from the highway above to support the growth of flowering plant species.
-
Waterfront ReConnect: Pixel Story
On view nowPixel Story references the multitude of vantages, scales, speeds, and distances at which to view the Expressway, enticing passersby to move forward towards the waterfront, or pause to reflect on its diverse stories.
-
Waterfront ReConnect: Boom Town
On view nowBoom Town employs vibrant colour, playful characters, and environmental lighting to enliven the York Street intersection, improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.
recent publications
Dive Deeper into Beyond Concrete
(with Frontier)
The Bentway’s 2023 Beyond Concrete summer season explored the urban ecosystem beneath the Gardiner Expressway, where human-made infrastructure intertwines with flora and fauna. The relationship between concrete and nature is complex and interconnected. In this story series, we heard from experts around the world who engage with these themes in their daily work and have unique perspectives.
Play Provocations
(with Daily tous les jours)
Play Provocations is an exploration of how to expand the definition of play, both who it is for and what it can do. An output of The Bentway’s Summer 2021 program, Playing in Public, the publication was created with Daily tous les jours, and both examines program learnings and suggests discoveries that can inform the work of others ‘playing’ in play.
Street Summit – Live Magazine
(with Frontier)
Live Magazine is a project by Frontier, a Toronto design studio, that offers smart distillations of stimulating gatherings. Each issue gives readers insight into an event’s most powerful ideas and conversations. This issue took place at the Bentway’s 2022 Street Summit, where we took to streets and public spaces to think with others about city life.