# Toronto Public Space Committee

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The **Toronto Public Space Committee** (**TPSC**) is a [volunteer](/source/Volunteering)-run, [non-profit organization](/source/Non-profit_organization) located in [Toronto](/source/Toronto), Ontario, Canada that defends the city's [public space](/source/Public_space) from corporate and private forces, including [cars](/source/Automobiles) and [outdoor advertising](/source/Outdoor_advertising). The TPSC argues that public property, such as [sidewalks](/source/Sidewalk), [bike paths](/source/Bike_path), [parks](/source/Parks), and [squares](/source/Town_square), should be the independent and cultural “counterbalance” to the [profit](/source/Profit_(economics))-driven [private sector](/source/Private_sector).

As a grassroots organization, the TPSC is financed almost entirely on [donations](/source/Donations), as well as various contributions in kind from its members, such as [seeds](/source/Seeds) and gardening tools. The TPSC uses a model of [consensus decision-making](/source/Consensus_decision-making) at its monthly open meetings. The structure of the organization is currently undergoing a re-evaluation by its members.

In 2005, TPSC was called Toronto's Best Activist Group by the local *[Now](/source/Now_(newspaper))* magazine.[1]

## Campaigns

The TPSC is consistently involved in local [Toronto City Council](/source/Toronto_City_Council) affairs affecting city space. In recent years, the committee has formed various campaigns that aim to educate and lobby citizens, bureaucrats and politicians on matters such as anti-postering bylaws, tree protection, mobile (or truck) advertising, TTC subway video ads, and [billboard](/source/Billboard) advertising.

Other campaigns the TPSC spearheads are less political, but stay true to public-space advocacy. The committee hosts [guerrilla gardening](/source/Guerrilla_gardening) outings in the spring and summer; growing [native plants](/source/Native_plants) and [flowers](/source/Flowers) in small crevices and decrepit planters in downtown streets. In 2005, the TPSC's Downtown De-Fence Project won a Clean and Beautiful City Appreciation Award.[2]

## *Spacing*

Main article: [Spacing (magazine)](/source/Spacing_(magazine))

**Spacing**, a 3-times-yearly magazine focusing on issues affecting Toronto's public realm, was originally published by the TPSC in house until it was spun off as a wholly independent magazine after the first issue. The two organizations support each other on occasion.

## See also

- [Public space](/source/Public_space)

- [Billboards](/source/Billboards)

- [Culture jamming](/source/Culture_jamming)

- [Critical Mass](/source/Critical_Mass_(cycling))

- [Guerrilla gardening](/source/Guerrilla_gardening)

- [Spacing (magazine)](/source/Spacing_(magazine))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [NOW Magazine - Newsfront in Toronto, OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 2, 2005](http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-10-27/cover_story18.php) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20051104005639/http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-10-27/cover_story18.php) November 4, 2005, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Clean and Beautiful City Appreciation Awards 2005](http://www.toronto.ca/cleanandbeautiful/2005_awards.htm)

## External links

- [Toronto Public Space Committee](http://www.publicspace.ca/)

- [Space Cadets (eye weekly article)](https://archive.today/20060221103818/http://eye.net/eye/issue/issue_11.17.05/features/tpsc.html)

- [City Beautification Ensemble](http://www.beautification.ca/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Toronto Public Space Committee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Public_Space_Committee) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Public_Space_Committee?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.