Understanding+Phase+of+TTC+Commuter+Culture

//Statement// Semi Public Space such as the Toronto Transit Commission suffers from lack of public dialogue, has limited commuter pride and fails to integrate regional communities to the core of Toronto.

//Background// Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is a semi public space because it operates with a mix of elements which in some ways make TTC a authoritative enterprise (due to its rules, regulations and as it requires payment for entrance to facilities and services) and in other ways it is also a largely public domain due to the people who use the TTC on a day to day basis. In 2004, TTC reported to carry approximately 1.4 million riders on any business day of the week.The problem arises partly due to this dissection, that the TTC and its commuters must define the relationship between them and what their roles in this space look like.

//Critical Position// Due to the large presence and usage of the TTC in the daily lifestyle of so many people, the type of social interactions and behaviors that take place in this space are a valuable reflections of culture. According to my observation first and then research, I have found reason to believe that on the TTC, there is lack of public dialogue and limited commuter pride which stem from the 'feeling of strangeness' within the TTC system.

I use this word, "stranger-ness" to make two points about the culture in Toronto. Firstly, it is the strangeness that commuters feel in relation to other commuters who ride the TTC together. There is a dysfunctional model in effect that is represented by the avoidance of eye contact and refusal to acknowledge fellow human beings around us. Commuters alienate themselves from each other and therefore put a damper on a space that is so rich with possibilities of interaction. Secondly, it is a strangeness that emits itself from the feeling of being in the place that is not commuter domain. It is the inferiority of commuters in the face of TTC authority, which regulates the premises, disbands any activity that needs groups of people to congregate etc. Is the TTC a public domain or are commuters simply users. In essence, I mean to differentiate the feeling you get when you live in your own house from that when you live in someone else's. You are less likely to do as you please, put up your feet and relax, grab whatever you please from the fridge to make yourself a sandwich. Similarly, if commuters do not feel like the TTC is public domain, they are not encouraged to communicate freely, use the space as they please, and grab symbols of the TTC and treat them as their own property.

Public pride for the TTC is bare, and for the amount of people who ride the TTC, its social embrace is very limited. Limited to wearables and merchandise sold by the TTC itself. It is not embraced by the public, and therefore sustaining the stranger-ness in a space that should feel like 'home'. In the big picture, this feeling causes the absence of cultural knowledge of the TTC in the minds & hearts of commuters.

//Future Opportunities// Because of the volume of people in Toronto that utilize the TTC's services and inhabit its premises, there are far-reaching future opportunities that present themselves for both the TTC and the city. The platform of the TTC already has a constant flow of people and this means that any changes that may want to be implemented will reach masses of people. One thought that comes to mind is about social traditions which build up the morale of the community, celebrate the activity of riding the trains and buses, and in turn produce symbols of culture that bind us all, no matter how different and diverse we happen to be. It can also become a medium through which cultural values are transformed, values that currently act as set backs to together-ness. I speak of values such as "personal space" that can be dismantled to bring us closer to one another.

//Concept Map// View Concept Map for a visual of how concepts, research and observations link to one another.

//Field Research// I found the activity of field research to be quite a nerving exercise despite the countless amount of times I have traveled in the TTC. The activity of observation was easier to conduct than the photographing aspect. The first few times I took my camera onto the TTC, I was virtually too fearful to take any photos due to the rigid stares from commuters, which just so happened to actually help further my concept. In order to make my next attempt more successful, I called upon a few of my friends to pretend that I was taking photos of them, but really I had offset my camera to catch real interactions on the subways. The route which I sought to cover was from Kennedy Station in the East to the junction at Yonge/Bloor, where I switched onto the Yonge line heading south to Union.

//Data Collection and Analysis through Photo Documentation : Flickr// media type="flickr" key="13706149@N04" ARG0="&lang=en-us&format=rss_200" width="432" height="432"

20/20 Visual Essay //A Pecha kucha Presentation using Slideshare//

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//Resources//

[1] "A Warmer Soupy Butt TTC Anagram Map." __TTC Subway Rider Efficiency Guide__. September 2007.  About this resource: Website consists of interesting facts about TTC such as station quirks, tip on how to ride the TTC, how to celebrate transit. Special notice about the Anagram Map and the letter issued by TTC's chair Howard Moscoe.

[2] Bracken, Kevin. Lori Kufner. "Trick or train subway party" __Newmindspace__. 2006. September 2007  About this resource: A source for events such as the Subway Party taking place in public spaces in Toronto.

[3] "Getting on Track." __NOW Magazine__. August 2007. September 2007.  About this resource: New Plans for TTC interior/exterior design

[4] Heti, Sheila. "Stealing Glances: What are we afraid we'll see if we look into a stranger's eyes?" __Spacing__. 2005 September 2007.  About this resource: Spacing Magazine article talks about the social dysfunction caused by the fear of staring at strangers in Toronto.

[5] Hew, Carolynne. "Subway parties." __Zed Gallery__. December 2003. September 2007.  About this resource: The Morning Rush hour Subway Party held by a group of activists.

[6]"Is Traditional Activism a Dead Medium?" __Remarkk!__ March 2007. October 2007.  About this resource: Dicusses the passion, thoughtfulness and the importance of public space in society.

[7]McLuhan, Marshall. "TTC - The Bitter Way" __Blogger__. February 2006. October 2007.  About this resource: A blog about the Anagram Map and intellectual property.

[8]Pasta e Broccoli. "commuter train." __Flickr__. July 2007. October 2007  About this resource: Photo shows the physical closeness of people on the subways in Mumbai, India.

[9] Rix, Robin. "Mumbai Makes Do: Transit Ideas from India." __Spacing Archive__. 2005. September 2007  About this resource: Spacing Magazine article talks about Mumbai's transit system, and what Toronto can learn from it.