This month's issue of Canadian Architect features prominent projects by University of Toronto alumni that show the significant role architecture can play in building safe, healthy communities.

In "Something in common," Writer Paige Magarrey interviews architect Tania Bortolotto of Bortolotto Design Architect about her firm's design of the Community Centre Lounge , a 130-square-metre space in Scarborough's McGregor Community Centre. Funded by the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program, the City of Toronto's Priority Neighbourhood Investments, and the United Way Youth Challenge Fund, the lounge is now being used for a lunch program, a youth photography course, mentoring workshops, and youth council meetings.

"Bortolotto worked with 30 youths from the Dorset Park Youth Council, an organization committeed to developing anti-gang and anti-violence initiatives," writes Magarrey. "Not only did the teens help to establish a community connection to the project from the very beginning, they also helped Bortolotto and her team to prioritize which features were most important to the actual users."

In "Park and Re-creation," writer Alex Bozikovic looks at the massive urban renewal project underway in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood. The firms of a number of U of T alumni are playing significant roles in this revitalization, which will see a mix of market and social housing thanks to a partnership between the Daniels Corporation and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC).

Bozikovic reviews some of the buildings already completed, such as One Cole by Diamond Schmitt Architects ("a signpost of the good design and urbanism that have shaped this project"), and previews buildings soon to come, such as a TCHC tower being designed by Daniels Associate Professor Pina Petricone's firm Giannone Petricone Associates. (The tower has "an adventurous spirit and promises some very creative but economical brick detailing," he writes.)

"Social-housing clients deserve buildings and civic neighbourhood blocks that can effectively serve their needs," writes Bozikovic. "With this latest version of Regent Park, the people are getting what they need—and happily. And Toronto is learning how to appreciate the bold and thoughtful architecture that it deserves."