Cool by Design: A conversation about The Bentway’s latest report on the power of shade

The Bentway invites the public to a free panel discussion on March 31 to mark the launch of Cool by Design: The Power of Shade in Public Space, a new report that reframes shade as a vital element of public health and social infrastructure as northern cities confront rising temperatures.

Explore the power of shade in public space at this free public talk, co-presented by The Bentway and DIALOG. This event celebrates the launch of Cool by Design, The Bentway’s new report examining how shade shapes health, comfort, and everyday life in cities adapting to rising heat.  

On March 31 from 4pm-6pm ET, join us in celebrating The Bentway’s latest publication, which builds on the City of Toronto’s Thermal Comfort Guidelines, developed in partnership with DIALOG and Buro Happold, and draws from applied research, artistic experimentation, and on-the-ground insights generated through the Sun/Shade summer season of public art. Grounded in The Bentway’s unique site beneath Toronto’s longest urban canopy, the Gardiner Expressway, the work offers practical lessons for how shade can be intentionally embedded into the city’s future. 

“Parks are not just recreational amenities–they are frontline infrastructure for climate adaptation.”

– Dorsa Jalalian, Associate & Senior Urban Designer, DIALOG

This panel convenes leading experts—including landscape architect Fadi Masoud, environmental journalist and author Sam Bloch, and associate and senior urban designer at DIALOG, Dorsa Jalalian—to place the report’s ideas into dialogue. The conversation will be moderated by CEO of The Bentway, Ilana Altman. Panelists will explore how thermal comfort data, public art, and community use intersect to reveal shade not as a passive condition, but as an active force shaping how people gather, move, and care for one another in the city. Together, let’s reflect on how designers, artists, policymakers, and residents can  contribute to cooler, healthier, and more socially connected public spaces.

“For almost 10 years, The Bentway has served as a collective downtown porch… And now Cool by Design brings this wisdom to the rest of city, presenting shade as a soft infrastructure that can be re-engineered into the urban realm as a form of climate change adaptation.”

– Elizabeth Pagliacolo, Editor in Chief of Azure Magazine

supporters

This event is co-presented with DIALOG

Special thanks to School of Cities – University of Toronto

Thank you for the invaluable contributions from artists, designers, The Bentway Sun/Shade Advisors, and community partners who supported Cool by Design: The Power of Shade in Public Space. Much like the public realm itself, this work relies on trust, accountability, and reciprocity.