Toronto Star

The hotter Toronto gets, the cooler Yonge-Dundas Square becomes. Though in the beginning it was much maligned, the city's newest civic space is now one of its most popular. We have stopped worrying about what it isn't — a park — and learned to appreciate it for what it is — an urban square. During the recent heat wave, the square was among the busiest places in Toronto. Its 20 fountains made sure of that. The waterworks, which extend in two lines of 10 along the south end of the square, are a huge draw. In their own very subtle way, they have changed the way Torontonians relate to the public realm. Traditionally, the attitude has been look, but don't touch. As the sign in the Toronto Sculpture Garden used to say, Please don't interact with the art. Indeed!