CATEGORIES: Specific Area Design
This part of thinkToronto challenges participants to redesign or propose new ideas for specific parts of the city. The following areas are suggested because they are timely, topical, and are touch-points in the debate of how to continually reinvent and reinvest in Toronto.
The judges will look for evidence of some of the following:
• multi-seasonal usage
• imagination & ingenuity
• functionality
• usefulness
• attractiveness
• sustainability
• accessibility
• an environment inviting to a range of age groups
WALKS TO THE WATER: One of the greatest challenges to Toronto’s waterfront is simply getting to it. The north-south streets leading to Lake Ontario are inhospitable and often hostile to pedestrians. Some believe the Gardiner Expressway is the barrier, while others decry the rail tracks and the eight lanes of Lake Shore Blvd.
Propose new designs and ideas of how people can access the waterfront from downtown either on foot or by bike. Pick specific streets and throughways. Do not hesitate to suggest things like infill under the Gardiner or elevated walkways. Be daring and inventive.
photo by Jarvis and Lake Shore Blvd. by Neal Jennings
DECK EXPRESSWAYS + RAIL TRACKS: As mentioned above, the Gardiner Expressway, Lake Shore Blvd., and rail tracks are a perceived barrier to the waterfront. But parts of the Gardiner and the rail tracks are below grade. This presents an opportunity for Toronto — much like what Chicago did with Millennium Park — by decking these below grade areas and building parks and greenways over top.
There are places beside the SkyDome and near Union Station where train lines can be decked, while out in the west end near Parkdale and the CNE the Gardiner dips below street level. Propose new designs and ideas of what can be built above these so-called barriers.
Also, the Allen Road between Eglinton Ave. and Highway 401 is below grade. There are numerous ways to deck this area and provide new space for parks and living accommodations, while at the same time reconnect neighbourhoods separated nearly 40 years ago (see photo below). The Allen Road is the only part of the planned Spadina Expressway that was built.
photo of tracks beside SkyDome/Rogers Centre by Quasimime.
photo of Allen Road by Lone Primate
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES OVER GARDINER EXPRESSWAY: Currently, Toronto has only a few pedestrian bridges spanning the Gardiner Expressway, giving pedestrians access to the waterfront. We want you to propose redesigns of current bridges and ideas for new bridge locations that allow people greater access to the parks along the lip of Lake Ontario.
photo of Jameson pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Blvd by Matt Blackett
YONGE STREET MALL: Briefly in the mid-1970s, Toronto turned Yonge Street into a pedestrian mall for the summer. Today, cities around the world are turning major streets — usually above subway lines — into pedestrian malls. These car-free zones usually become a the central gathering point for city residents and tourists alike. We believe the Yonge Street Mall’s time has come.
Propose a streetscape design for a new Yonge Street Mall. You can decide the length of the pedestrian-only area and the specifics of how to deal with the removal of vehicles (ie: mechanical bollards that allow delivery vehicles to access stores). There are a variety of elements to a pedestrian mall, so feel free to concentrate on smaller areas or details.
photo of Yonge Street Mall in 1972 from Toronto Archives
STREETSCAPE TRANSFORMATION: Many Toronto streets are designed around the needs of the car — especially in suburban areas, but also downtown. They are not friendly to either pedestrians or cyclists, and do not create a sense of place where people would choose to spend time.
Pick an unfriendly street or intersection — either residential or commercial — and show us how you would transform it into a space that has a sense of place and contributes to the community, would be a pleasant place to spend time, and would be safe and welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists, while still allowing some vehicle travel.
NEW SUBWAY PLATFORMS: Toronto and the TTC are planning to extend the Spadina-University subway north to York University and into York region. At least six new stations are being considered.
Review the stations under consideration and propose platform designs for these stations. You have free range with this category with one exception: the historic TTC font should be used.
platform rendering by Matt Blackett
Also check out the Streetscape Elements categories of thinkToronto.
