ABSTRACT
In the wake of reform movements inspired by civic and religious impulses, North Americans began constructing a new generation of lunatic asylums in the late 18th century. By the end of the 19th century, 'Bedlam' was the oldest psychiatric institution in Europe, dating back 650 years to the Priory of St. Mary of Bethlem. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) recommends the majority of outpatient services at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health be housed in the future in the two 'block buildings' fronting Queen Street West, together with ground-level exterior space for an outpatient therapy garden and play yard. The therapeutic amenity of nature-themed view informational content, taken in from hospital windows, whether this content is simulated or real, is well established in the empirical research literature. The surrounding neighborhood and indeed many observers across the entire Toronto metro area remain highly skeptical of what is to come.
