How do we create and fight for great public spaces?
This unique and timely book introduces youth to what public space is, why we need it, and how best to use it. It also underscores the need to create, preserve, and protect public space. Readers will learn what makes successful public spaces work, the ins and outs of sharing and designing them, the issues surrounding teenagers in public spaces, and much more. Watch This Space offers a clear answer to the question of why is public space is important: because it belongs to all of us.
Honours
• Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Nonfiction Finalist
• Red Maple Award Finalist
• White Raven Award, International Youth Library Honour Book
• Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Selection, National Council for the Social Studies and the Children's Book Council
• Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Best Children's Books of the Year Selection, Bank Street Children's Book Committee
Reviews
“A thoughtful, intelligent approach to a topic many teens may not even realize they care so much about.”
— Quill & Quire
“Dyer arms her young readers with good information, practical solutions and the responsibility to act now. The challenge to educators and librarians is getting Watch This Space into the hands of every engaged, civically-minded youth.”
— CM Magazine (Highly Recommended)
“Watch this Space should be required reading for all young people, their parents and anyone who lives in a city.”
— Christopher Hume, urban affairs columnist for The Toronto Star
“All too often, we forget that the most inspired cities are the ones which attract all people, especially young people, out of their homes and into the streets, plazas and parks. Watch this Space compresses all kinds of intelligence from academia into a first-rate, enticing book for teens about why public space matters. This is a book that equips teens to become advocates for beautiful public space wherever they may be in the world.”
— Lisa Rochon, Architecture Critic, The Globe and Mail
“Watch This Space is a great resource for both teens and adults because it looks at and asks hard questions about what it truly means for something to be public space, and why it's increasingly important to value our public places--whether they are streets, parks or civic buildings.”
— Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation