Developers Providing More Public Art

In cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, private developers are increasingly including public art in their development proposals in order to secure the right to build bigger or taller than zoning laws would ordinarily allow. Some developers take a very enthusiatic approach to municipal public art policies, even spending more than is required. Others perceive this type of program in more punitive terms as just another tax.'"Public art helps to mediate between the enormous scale of buildings and the human scale," says Karen Mills, managing director of Public Art Management, a Hamilton consulting company. "It's also a great way of stimulating communication. Developers who have done public art before recognize that it really adds value and distinction to a development."'

Thanks to Geoffrey Singer