Spacing gets a growing rep for relevance

[Toronto Star photo by Rene Johnston] Left to right, Shawn Micallef, Anna Bowness wih 2-month-old daughter River, writer Dale Duncan, Matt Blackett (in centre holding a button) Holland Gidney, and Dylan Reid.

Getting attention paid is a real struggle for small magazines; they cannot afford to advertise and press promotion often seems to elude them. But sometimes, excellence and persistence pays off. A great example is that on the front page of today's Toronto Star is a glowing story about the growth, influence and respect that Spacing magazine has achieved in the city. Inside, it's illlustrated by a picture showing some of the dedicated crew who put out the magazine as a labour of love.

"When I first saw their work, I kind of ended up scratching my head and wondering what it was about," says Ted Tyndorf, Toronto's chief city planner. "But I don't think anyone feels that way anymore. They've got a lot of credibility here."

Spacing talks about urban issues as though they matter, everything from bike lanes, public art, public spaces and street trees to wider issues of civic engagement. It started a blog for the current municipal election called Spacing Votes and which has eclipsed most similar efforts by so-called "main stream media". It has become a must-read for those who care about Toronto and urban affairs generally. It has been a very good year for the magazine, which won a gold medal at the National Magazine Awards for best editorial package.