Accessibility and inclusion the key for this year's winners of Jane Jacobs Prize

Leslie Chudnovsky and Luke Anderson

One of the many initiatives of Spacing magazine that has earned it high regard is its nurturing of the Jane Jacobs Prize, which was presented this week. Each recipient receives $3,000 each year for three years, to be spent in any way they choose. In addition, Current and past prize recipients are invited to meet together to discuss their experiences and knowledge of what makes Toronto work. 

This year's winners are Leslie Chudnovsky and Luke Anderson who have devoted their lives to advocating for a more inclusive and accessible city. Anderson created the StopGap Foundation, which provides ramps to street level businesses in Toronto and across Canada in order to overcome the "one-step problem" that restricts access to people with mobility issues. Chudnovsky has worked since 2000 as an organizer for Supporting Our Youth (SOY), a support program for queer and trans youth operated out of the Sherbourne Health Centre in Toronto 

The Jane Jacobs Prize celebrates individuals who contribute to the fabric of Toronto life in unique ways that exemplify the ideas of urban visionary and activist Jane Jacobs. The award was created in 1997, financed by Avana Capital and it 2014 Spacing took over the administration of the award and the selection of its winners. 

Photo: Matthew Blackett