Javeria Hassan
Thesis: Souk in the Suburbs
Environmental Design
2025
This project reimagines a neglected suburban plaza by introducing a pedestrian promenade as a civic spine, transforming a landscape once dominated by cars and excess parking into a network of human-scaled, walkable spaces. Inspired by the spatial energy of souks and marketplaces, the design is established in between existing shops and restaurants in Mississauga's Ridgeway Plaza with large and intimate spaces that cater to all ages. Through clear wayfinding, social encounters, and everyday gathering spaces, monotonous suburban plazas have the potential to transform into places of vitality for the community.
“If all drivers are pedestrians, but not all pedestrians are drivers, why do we limit the design of suburbia with an auto-centric lens?”