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Many people agree that Toronto’s John Street corridor has the potential to be a great “connecting spine” for the area. How best to go about achieving this is now up for debate as the City and Entertainment District BIA prepare to supposedly transform the district with their Master Plan.
Spacing’s senior editor, Dylan Reid, recently weighed in on the discussion. From Reid’s perspective, the City would be shying away from truly transforming the strip by not opting to turn it into a shared street where cars, bikes and pedestrians share the roadway.
In search of some clarification from those directly involved in the project, producer Mieke Anderson met up with Harold Madi (an urban designer with The Planning Partnership) and Stephen Schijns (the manager of Infrastructure Planning for the City of Toronto). Currently, the City seems to prefer a narrowed street or extended sidewalk alternative, but elements of the shared street and pedestrian mall models appear to be catching on.
Links to stuff from Spacing Radio’s Summer Shorts 018:
- Toronto Entertainment District BIA Master Plan
- Councillor Adam Vaughan’s tour of John Street for Jane’s Walk 2010