Leah Houston of Mabelle Arts

What does it take to unlock creativity in communities that already have deep social bonds? And why it a good strategy to leave a park unfinished? In this episode of Closer, Carol Coletta and Mark Wallace talk with Leah Houston, founder and executive director of Mabelle Arts in Toronto’s Mabelle Park, where artists and residents collaborate to design, build, and program public space together. Her work has transformed a neglected park into a vibrant hub for connection, creativity, and community life, earning her the inaugural Tim Jones Creative Placemaking Award. Leah shares how participation can be more powerful than discussion, why artistic vision is essential to getting things done, and how embracing the unfinished nature of public space creates room for ongoing connection and evolution. We explore the tension between grassroots work and institutional systems, the role of parks in building relationships, and why making things together may be the most effective way to bring people closer. Closer is a conversation hosted by Carol Coletta and Mark Wallace about the strategies that make cities more social—and why that is the smartest investment in the urban toolkit.