Luxury Condos and the Role of Amenity Spaces in Processes of Disconnection

Over the past 20 years, Toronto has seen a consolidation of wealthy neighbourhoods in the inner city facilitated by the condofication of selective pockets of the city (Lehrer & Wieditz, 2009). Throughout these processes, the common areas and amenity spaces have continuously shifted to satisfy the needs and wants of investors and wealth elites looking to purchase a high-rise home. From hotel-style concierge services, to decked-out gyms, yoga rooms, and pool-side cabanas, amenities have taken on a ‘resort-like’ quality with an emphasis on lifestyle over community.

This paper will look to examine the impact that amenity and common spaces of condominiums in Toronto have on the disconnection of residents from the wider city. By conducting interviews with residents, concierge employees, and property managers of 30 buildings in the Toronto area, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which residents interact with their high-rise neighbours, neighbourhood and the wider city. We will also look at the role of amenity and common spaces in physically bounding the social interactions of residents through internally-hosted functions and events. It is assumed that this research will contribute to a better understanding of the atomization and individuation that occurs in urban centres through the form of the high-rise building. By gaining a clearer understanding of residents’ views on political action within and around their space, and their ability to (dis)engage from their surroundings, we hope to provide a better understanding of the role amenity and common spaces play in the interactions taking place in today’s cities.