This morning the Globe and Mail is reporting that the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp has short listed a competition to make the approach to the lake more accessible between Bathurst and Parliament. One of the judges of the competition is urban planner Ken Greenberg — when we asked him what the one thing we could do to make Toronto more pedestrian friendly (for our pedestrian issue two years ago) he said creating approaches to the lake was most important. The short listed teams include Sir Norman Foster’s firm and Allsopp Hillier of Toronto, who have been working on improving the area by Fort York where Garrison Creek once emptied into Lake Ontario.
The teams will be to asked to solve a variety of problems that, together, limit public access to the waterfront. For example, how to:
-create a continuous public promenade from Bathurst Street to Parliament Street, much of which is publicly owned but feels private.
-complete the Martin Goodman Trail so it is accessible for pedestrians and cyclists through the central waterfront area.
-revive Queen’s Quay, the grim-looking main waterfront street.
-develop a uniform identity, through signage and other fixtures.
-devise sustainable approaches to water quality and habitat improvements.
