TORONTO – Not only was it the 10th annual 1UP conference but it was also its largest to date, with almost 200 students across two days coming together from across the province to design solutions for some of the most pressing urban challenges.
Hosted by Urban Minds, this year’s conference explored the future of transit development and how it can be made safer and more inclusive, explains a release.
In partnership with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), students, in teams, took part in a hands-on “Design Jam,” where they were tasked with designing bus stops, streetcar and subway platforms.
They developed concepts that responded to real-world conditions and considered a wide range of users, from daily commuters to families and new Canadians.
Teams then pitched their concepts to a panel of judges, including TTC staff and industry leaders.
Team 2, comprised of Jonathan Lee, Lucas Klemmer, Alice Tulloch, Benjamin Gray, Filip Simonovski and Isaac Osei, was named this year’s winner for their concept “Platform of the Future,” which reimagines the subway station experience.
“The team’s design focused on transforming the transit waiting experience through cost-effective retrofits that use existing Canadian technologies, including repurposing underutilized concourses into vibrant community hubs, deploying real-time passenger counters to better distribute crowds, and enhancing accessibility through new tactile wayfinding elements and announcement subtitles,” the release describes. “Judges praised the proposal for its blend of practicality and user-focused design, highlighting its potential to meaningfully improve the daily transit experience for riders.”
For Lee the experience was not only fun, it was “an amazing opportunity for youth to get involved and learn about city building,” he said. “Youth have unique perspectives, so it’s important they have the chance to contribute to making their cities more responsive to people’s needs.”
The conference brought together a range of industry professionals from across the GTA.
“The best way to build healthy cities is by engaging communities and listening to diverse perspectives, especially young people,” said Francis Guanlao, a partner with RAW Design. “It’s important that we remember what it was like being a student and support initiatives genuinely committed to uplifting the next generation. Early exposure like what’s offered at Urban Minds’ 1UP Conference can be transformative.”
In addition to the Design Jam, students took part in an interactive career fair, speaking directly with planners, transit leaders, architects and housing advocates.
