Laurie Nehme

Urban Design & Cities

How do we connect emotionally and sustainably to the cities we live in? 🌱 Urban Life explores this through two pieces centered on Toronto: a field guide to the Harbourfront and a student-focused housing app, Warmlee.The Field Guide documents the rhythms of life at the Harbourfront of Toronto using photography, mapping, and observation. It highlights how weather, wildlife, and urban design intersect — urging readers to see overlooked public spaces as vital to wellbeing and environmental balance.It is ultimately about rethinking how we co-create sustainable living systems by learning about the overlooked aspects of some of Toronto’s natural spaces across Lake Ontario. By connecting the Field Guide to the housing application I am able to showcase a solution to physical problems and the importance of natural and often overlooked public spaces through digital (animation and application) and physical (Field Guide book and site research) mediums that encourage city navigation, exploration, and connection to others.

“This book explores the Harbourfront’s changing shoreline through mapping, photography, and site observation.From seasonal plant life to urban movement, it reflects on how natural and built environments coexist in downtown Toronto. A visual and reflective journey through one of the city’s most overlooked public spaces.”