Little Jamaica is one of Toronto’s most beloved and culturally rich neighbourhoods — a place animated by Jamaican, Caribbean, and broader Black cultural contributions, alongside the long-standing presence of many other communities. Yet in recent years, the combined pressures of rising residential rents and delays in the Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction have displaced numerous small businesses and destabilized the corridor’s cultural life. In response, the City of Toronto sought to articulate a new vision and tangible strategies to safeguard and strengthen the community’s future.

Developed in tandem with the Cultural Districts Program Proposal and Framework — also authored by Jay Pitter Placemaking — the Little Jamaica Cultural District Plan positions public joy as foundational cultural infrastructure. It shifts the focus from conventional preservation to the living cultural fabric of the neighbourhood, mapping and celebrating intangible heritage such as stories, music, foodways, daily rituals, and shared memories. These insights informed a set of tangible strategies — spanning housing, retail revitalization, safe streets, green spaces, and community amenities — that reflect the aspirations of both current and future residents of all identities.

This work builds on the City’s initial cultural plan and a $35 million investment in Toronto’s $9 billion cultural sector, signaling a bold new era of cross-divisional collaboration and cultural sector revitalization. Drawing lessons from Minneapolis, San Francisco, and other leading cities, the framework is deeply grounded in Toronto’s own policy landscape and place-based realities.

Process & Impact Highlights include:

• Conducting an extensive literature review of 75+ cultural district precedents, policies, and funding models.

• Leading collaborative working sessions across Economic Development & Culture and City Planning divisions to build cross-disciplinary capacity and break      down silos.

• Designing and implementing a city-wide campaign and survey, with a focus on reaching communities beyond the downtown core.

• Identifying top cultural district priorities — including cultural production spaces, civic spaces, and housing—through participatory research and stakeholder engagement.

• Partnering with community organizations to co-lead 15 participatory panels, surfacing shared and divergent priorities across cultural sectors.

The project was also honored with a Heritage Toronto Public History Award for its comprehensive and innovative method of connecting intangible cultural heritage to the built environment — a recognition of how this approach was both unprecedented and exceptional. In recognition of her role leading this work, Ms. Pitter was awarded the Dr. Daniel G. Hill Award from the Ontario Black History Society and the Leadership Award at the Harry Jerome Awards.

By centering public joy, the Little Jamaica Cultural District Plan reimagines placekeeping as a practice of collective flourishing: one that honours the cultural memory of the past while creating conditions for new expressions of identity, creativity, and prosperity. This approach transforms cultural planning into a structural tool for building cities where joy, belonging, and cultural life are sustained as essential urban infrastructure.