Tennesha Joseph
Are You Afraid of the Dark? | Toronto, Ontario
Born and raised in Scarborough, Tennesha is an aspiring community planner who hopes to help historically disadvantaged communities obtain adequate urban services. She believes in participatory/bottom-up approaches to planning that center the knowledge, dreams, fears, and experiences of marginalized groups who lack power and representation in the urban decision-making process. As an Ontario Community Changemaker, she is committed to using the everyday experiences of vulnerable groups like women and girls, who have traditionally been left out of the configuration of cities, to create more inclusive public spaces. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Ryerson University.
About the Project
The project entitled “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”, is an interactive playscape for women and girls that combines LED-lighting technology and seating to activate public space, promote inclusion and enhance safety at night. From eating to chit-chats this space is meant to allow women and girls to have somewhere to hang out that provides more safety and protection at night. This project aims to show how place-making efforts in the City of Toronto can be more responsive to the needs, concerns, and everyday experiences of women and girls.