Matthew Blackett is the publisher and founder of Spacing magazine. Since the launch of the magazine in December 2003, Spacing has become an integral voice in the dialogue about Toronto’s urban landscape and public spaces. As publisher, Blackett has help shape the magazine into one of Canada’s top small magazines: Blackett was named Editor of the Year in 2007 by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors and Spacing was named Canadian Small Magazine of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. The magazine’s blogs have also been named the city’s top online publication numerous times.
Blackett was awarded a 2007 Canadian Urban Leadership Award for “City Soul” by the Canadian Urban Institute. From 2004 to 2006, he was a member of Toronto’s Roundtable on a Clean and Beautiful City, a citizen advisory committee to Mayor David Miller. Currently, Matthew is a member of the board of directors of the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and Friends of Fort York, as well as serving on the City of Toronto’s Pedestrian Committee. He was a jury member of the 2008 Mississauga Urban Design Awards and the 2009 Ontario Architects Association awards. Blackett is a frequent a speaker at local and national panels, conferences, and festivals.
Since 2001, Blackett has been a freelance graphic designer and communications strategist for a variety of organizations like Toronto Transit Commission, numerous City of Toronto departments, the Conservation Council of Ontario, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Toronto Atmospheric Fund, Clean Air Partnership, ERA Architects, Design Exchange, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, and even the Hockey Hall of Fame. Matthew has also taught independent media and publication design at Humber College in the journalism department since from 2005 to 2008.
