iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Six cities, multiple engagements—from closing out the Creative City Summit in Calgary, to convening a small CityLAB session focused on Altadena’s post-fire recovery in Los Angeles, to an author event at the UC San Diego Bookstore bringing together folks from across the university & community.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Transit-oriented development isn't particularly transit-oriented if the average transit user can't afford to live in it. Building high-cost housing around stations while pushing transit-dependent residents further away from them is a contradiction overlooked by status quo planners & advocates.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Here’s my second public joy principle. Public joy doesn’t mean we have to feel joyful about public space crises like encampments, transit safety or violence at festivals. It’s a value & practice that helps us navigate fear, discomfort & anger while choosing connection, hope & collective flourishing.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This year’s Word On The Street was more jammed than an ’80s basement party. Book signings are one of my favourite parts of these events. I ask each book buyer to tell me something about themselves or public joy. I learn so much plus it turns the usual autograph dynamic into an authentic exchange.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Toronto Foundation has moved and I’m pleased that we’ll be collaborating on the first engagement (invite only) in their new space. I’m especially excited to announce that the evening will also mark the launch of the Public Joy Fund.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Transforming a parking lot into housing where 51 people can experience collective flourishing is top-tier public joy and a powerful public space precedent. #PublicJoyFramework Source: Andrew Boozary MD

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

From housing to parks to road maintenance, Mayor Mamdani is delivering a master class on impactful and transparent governance that goes beyond values-based messaging. He leverages qualitative, place-based storytelling (alongside actual numbers) to demonstrate daily impact. Exceptional leadership.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Yesterday, during an IG Live with my Jacksonville collaborator Kady, I shared my gratitude for 100-person cohort engaging with the Public Joy Framework in James Weldon Johnson Park — the city’s first park. Implementation at this scale will enable deeper documentation and evaluation of the framework.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Long day. Longer game. Also, I’ve read a few comments across platforms re: bright eyeshadow not being “professional.” Odd ‘cause I’m a boss.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The first Public Joy Residency is launching in Jacksonville. My Public Joy Framework will be the foundation for PlacemakingJax’s Public Space Lab, and I’ll guide a 100-person cohort as they apply it at James Weldon Johnson Park. Excited to spend time in the city translating my framework to practice.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Here’s my first Weekly Public Joy Highlight — a series celebrating the people, places, & practices that illuminate public joy. ✨ This week I’m celebrating my friend Prasanna Ranganathan, a lawyer & advocate for more accessible public spaces and public life, bringing incredible swagger to the runway.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I just completed the draft of my upcoming Mindful article, “Belonging Begins in the Body.” In the piece, I explore three concepts that support dignified belonging. Excerpt: Lingering is a gentle yet radical act of asserting one’s presence and right to truly be in public. Article to follow.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Healthy Spatial Entitlement Reflection: Recall the first time you were corrected as a child for occupying space “inappropriately.” How does that shape how you occupy space today? This week, where might you shrink yourself—and how can you prepare to occupy that space in a more healthy manner?

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Of all the concepts I’ve developed, Healthy Spatial Entitlement is the one I’m most proud of. Taking up space isn’t inherently positive—there are healthy & unhealthy ways of occupying space. Understanding this nuance is vital for the repair of civic life across physical, digital & imaginative space.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Comparing putting a pedestrian crossing outside a residential care home to offering driving lessons outside a pub is alarming, particularly from someone with “inclusion” in their bio. It reflects underlying ageism and a lack of thinking re: mobility equity, systems & accessibility precedents. 🧵

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I am so proud of him. Wishing Greg, other superstar teachers, and all of the students on my timeline an amazing year ahead. Also, how cute is this lil welcome sign he made for his students and posted on his door?

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Celebrating my Greg as he begins his 24th year of teaching. When he’s not busy being my part-time wingman, supporting me and my practice, he’s busy being one of the very best elementary school teachers out there.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

At every reading of Black Public Joy, I share my mother’s public space rules I was raised with growing up in public housing. Then I invite the audience to share the public space rules they were raised with.What has been striking is how many people of all identities relate.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Word on the Street is one of my favourite Toronto festivals. Excited to be participating in this year’s “The Cities We Live In” conversation on the Neighbourhood Stage. We’ll be exploring housing, belonging and the future of public space. If you’re in T.O., please save the date.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

JUNO Award-winning electronic producer and DJ BAMBII dropped “Level Up” yesterday, and it’s already appearing on numerous Spotify New Music Friday playlists worldwide including: France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland and Egypt. She also landed #19 right here in Canada. Great job, baby girl. ❤️

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Sharing this Jamaican fish soup with my Chinese Canadian neighbour who turns 60 today. Wild salmon & snapper instead of the traditional fish head, with pumpkin, Scotch bonnet peppers, yam, sweet potato, green banana, okra and dumplings. All ingredients from local Caribbean & Portuguese biz owners.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The cross-partisan solidarity Canada is demonstrating in response to Trump is being overpraised. I understand the threat. I’d like to see that same level of solidarity around housing, safe streets, active transportation, healthcare and protecting public assets. Praising basic behaviour…

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The patio is the hardest-working small-scale urban infrastructure type. For its relatively small footprint, a patio does the following: ~ Acts as a real time Yelp review, allowing people to assess the vibe & quality of an establishment before committing. ~ Legitimizes and facilitates lingering. 🧵

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

A woman from Vibrant Communities whom I’d never met gave me this beautiful ceramic tonight after an event hosted by BAND. I talk a lot about becoming better co-stewards of each other’s public joy. Tonight, she was a co-steward of mine. What a kind thing to do. #PublicJoy

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

The second pillar of my Public Joy Framework is Cultural Infrastructure. Public joy transmits cultural memory and intergenerational joy, circulates through cultural practices, builds resilience beyond histories of harm, and creates possibilities for the shared co-creation of culture.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

“Far from perfectly designed parks and plazas, and on street corners without the charm of hipster twinkly lights, we have known that joy emanated from within us. The block party, the slow bicycle ride, and that subway dance that went viral was what it was. Because we were there.”

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

This is one of the laziest, least ambitious parkettes I’ve ever encountered. It exemplifies the limitations of public infrastructure that doesn’t prioritize a sense of place or public joy. Here are five small interventions, informed by my Public Joy Framework, that could have made a difference. 🧵

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Today Prof Sandberg treated me to lunch to celebrate the publication of my book. I actually give him a shout out in the acknowledgments. Although it’s been 15 years since he was my grad school advisor, I’m still givin’ favourite student energy. His praise still carries considerable weight with me.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

My Toronto Star take on festival challenges: 1. Crowds aren’t the problem; poor spatial planning is. Many festivals have outgrown the car-centric streets and spaces where they began. Their growth needs to be matched with permanent pedestrianization, better design, and placemaking approaches.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I’ll be joining CBC Radio’s Just Asking today at 5 p.m. ET to talk about third spaces. Folks can call in with questions—which I love because questions invite curiosity, listening, and the opportunity to build ideas together. They also help to mitigate polarization & encourage broader participation.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Hope your week is off to a great start. Esther and I just wanted to remind you that public joy doesn’t simply emerge from good design and public policy. It is something we co-steward together. #PublicJoy #costewardship #community

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Really appreciate Black Public Joy reader reflections. Some readers are most struck by what Lisa describes as “taking joy into our own hands” as we navigate public life while others connect deeply with examples of how Black communities have created places & practices of joy throughout history.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Public joy is not simply an individual feeling. It is civic, cultural, and spatial infrastructure.Let’s unpack how it operates as civic infrastructure: ~ Indicates whether people feel safe, a sense of belonging, and freedom of expression in public space; 🧵…

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Here’s the moment my neighbour Carmen came over with Gus, her sweet dog, and brought unexpected public joy into a heavy conversation. My friend Sapphira, shown here with Gus, is an architect shifting her practice toward spaces of grief after the recent loss of her sister to gender-based violence.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Factors that shape excellent public spaces beyond design: ecological & historical context responsive policy balanced safety approaches social plans centring co-stewardship maintenance budgets & plans physical, cultural & economic accessibility a lil messiness daily public joy rituals & practices

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

As an author who’s also a public space practitioner, my work extends beyond the page through public joy practices centred on reverence & gratitude, honouring people who’ve helped shape public spaces. Here's one of those moments with Minnijean Brown-Trickey who helped desegregate American schools.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I’m pleased to share that Black Public Joy has been named to the 2026 Toronto Book Awards longlist, alongside a number of impressive authors and titles. As always, I’m grateful not only for the recognition, but for the community of readers who’ve really supported this work. #BlackPublicJoy

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Toronto currently has the second worst air quality in the world. And this is what it takes for our government to gently suggest we drive less. No major policy changes. No investments in public or active transportation infrastructure. This is the environmental version of “thoughts and prayers.”

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

One of the images from my daughter’s Winners brand shoot. Her stylist, Biba Esaad, pulled designer pieces, and artist Ember Sough brought her photos to life with his illustrations. I loved being her assistant for the afternoon before she headed back on tour in the UK.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Full article and link to series here: www.azuremagazine.com/article/publ...

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Part 3 of my Azure series is out. I explore Healthy Spatial Entitlement through an experience I had with unhoused youth during my Public Joy pilot project last summer. In many ways, the experience brought my practice into conversation with my work alongside incredible unhoused youth decades ago.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Black Public Joy has officially made its way to Buffalo. It was part of a thoughtful gift exchange. I'm continually grateful for the incredible community of readers who've embraced this work—not only reading it, but carrying it across cities and gifting it to friends and colleagues. Thank you.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Co-stewardship is a principle of my Public Joy Framework. We are partially responsible for one another's dignity, safety and flourishing in public space. A co-stewardship practice is, “if we arrive together we leave together.” The Nolan Wells case reveals the complexity of this principle & practice.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

As we head into another critical mayoral race, with a contender who’s been able to build significant financial support, capital P progressives need to be more nuanced than telling folks to ignore their critique of Olivia Chow to avoid a worse option. Y’all have a serious communication problem. 🧵

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Feeling incredibly fortunate to be booking well into the fall. I’m honoured to be heading to Calgary this October as the Closing Forum speaker for the Creative City Summit. Grateful to the Creative City Network of Canada and the City of Calgary for the invitation.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Let's explore the difference between belonging and dignified belonging. We all yearn to belong. But sometimes belonging comes at unhealthy costs, including self-silencing, shrinking, concealing parts of our identities, tolerating disrespect, or compromising our values. #PublicJoyFramework

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I also share a couple of images developed during a design charrette. I translated stories and insights from my book into a few tangible design guidelines and applied them to a Vancouver-based Black youth tech hub. This work was generously supported by Urbanarium and designers in their network.

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Jay Pitter @jaypitter.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

In this piece, I answer key questions about the book’s origin, my research, and my assertion that all public joy is more than cultural expression or emotion but rather infrastructure.

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