Mouse City

Mouse City initiatives aim to engage kids on urban planning and design issues.

The Dept has worked on several Mouse City initiatives, inviting young children to engage in city planning and design activities. Using cardboard, construction paper and recycled office supplies, the participants build a city for mice, taking into account transit, housing, employment, schools and park planning. The Dept has been involved with:

• Mouse City Transit

• Mouse City Chronicles

• Mouse City – Doors Open

While the thematic focus of Mouse City changes, there is a set pattern to the program itself. Kids create structures out of small cardboard boxes. One by one, they bring their creations forward and, working with the ‘Mayor’ of Mouse City, figure out the best spot to put their building on a giant city grid. The basic architectural process of conceiving and constructing a linked set of buildings provides a hands-on framework for exploring urban issues with children. Mouse City is a collaborative project of Small Print Toronto.

“Thank you for lending your time and talent to Mouse City Chronicles. Your wit and enthusiasm inspires young city builders to image a better place to live and it rocks our world too!” – Mouse City Organizing Team

You can learn more about the Mouse City program on the Small Print Toronto website.