Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

[WislaHD]

Guys!!!! I was thinking this morning. What is wrong with yonge street. Y is it so ugly? is it the architecture? the sidewalks? the asphalt?
Can it be saved? Why are they not doing anything about it? all those buildings going up, all that money being made but the street has been the same ever since I can remember.

It would be nice to do something with our sidewalk pavement on Yonge Street.

 

[sixtysixdays]

An environmental assessment is currently underway to widen the side walks along Yonge. Best case scenario something happens in 2019/2020.

 

[ryguy7787]

Couldn't find a forum for strictly Dundas Square, so I'll post it here.

The owner of Dundas Square wants to bring in six jumbo screens around the square to show major sporting/public events.
I don't know why there isn't already some in place considering how big "Jurasic Park" and "The Bird's Nest" gets.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/yonge-dundas-square-screens-1.3941379

 

[Skeezix]

Couldn't find a forum for strictly Dundas Square, so I'll post it here.

The owner of Dundas Square wants to bring in six jumbo screens around the square to show major sporting/public events.
I don't know why there isn't already some in place considering how big "Jurasic Park" and "The Bird's Nest" gets.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/yonge-dundas-square-screens-1.3941379

The owner of Yonge-Dundas Square is the City, although like a number of City agencies it has its own board of management.

Full details on the proposal here: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.EX21.8

Interesting that Cadillac Fairview and the owners of 10 Dundas East are writing letters expressing concern with how this new signage will impact their existing signs.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The owner of Yonge-Dundas Square is the City, although like a number of City agencies it has its own board of management.

Full details on the proposal here: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.EX21.8

Interesting that Cadillac Fairview and the owners of 10 Dundas East are writing letters expressing concern with how this new signage will impact their existing signs.

Developers with trashy public realm complains about trashy public realm plans others are making.

AoD

 

[Skeezix]

Yeah, odd that the "revitalization" of the square seems largely limited to the installation of new video screens.

However, if there are going to be video screens in Yonge-Dundas Square, it would be good if they could be used to show large events. And if there is money to be made from third-party advertising, would be nice if some went into public coffers, as opposed to all the ad dollars from a public square flowing into the pockets of 10 Dundas, Cadillac Fairview and the other landowners surrounding the square.

 

[MetroMan]

While I support the addition of screens around the square, these tacked on screens on the canopy are so poorly thought out. There's room on the canopy to build an LED ticker along the edge which will enhance the canopy rather than overwhelm it.

Wha they're proposing reminds me of some tacky 90s graphics.

This will not age well.

Regardless, something — anything!! — needs to be done about that monstrosity of a stage canopy. WTF were they thinking??

I hope that they consult the original architects of the square which had a very clean, simple yet functional, thought out design. The original canopy design was a beautiful centrepiece for the square. What they built was some tacked on industrial pile of iron.

 

[WislaHD]

I for one think it would be an amazing idea to show sporting events on major screens at Yonge-Dundas Square!

This could make Yonge-Dundas from the 'bleh' square that it is, to a cultural landmark in this city.

 

[MisterF]

IMO, that canopy should never have been built in the first place. A well designed public square doesn't need to be artificially enclosed by a canopy. It has the effect of isolating the square from Dundas Street, which is the opposite of what a square should do. The enclosure should come from the surrounding buildings, not a structure along the edge. That and the lack of a central focal point in the square makes it awkward place to spend time. It's almost as if the designers of public squares in Toronto have never spent time in squares in the rest of the world.

 

[ShonTron]

IMO, that canopy should never have been built in the first place. A well designed public square doesn't need to be artificially enclosed by a canopy. It has the effect of isolating the square from Dundas Street, which is the opposite of what a square should do. The enclosure should come from the surrounding buildings, not a structure along the edge. That and the lack of a central focal point in the square makes it awkward place to spend time. It's almost as if the designers of public squares in Toronto have never spent time in squares in the rest of the world.

I agree about the long canopy along Dundas Street. Much of the year, it's become a hangout for -- how should I say this? OK, fine -- bums. I'm surprised that the electrical plugs aren't locked up, as they're used to charge e-"bikes" by the people who hang around there. The wall along Dundas makes that sidewalk unnecessarily unpleasant to walk along as well.

The stage at least has a genuine purpose (and hides the parking entrance, though it could be nicer), as does the small building with the elevators down to the subway and parking garage. Something should be done with the former T.O. Tix kiosk, either with a coffee kiosk, or for pop-up shops.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The problem isn't the canopy (though the columns are crude) - it is how the edge of the square was handled:

Badly - in the attempt to delimit the space from the sidewalk, it basically closed itself off with the wall. Coupled with the nasty Dundas street, total lack of vegetation, lackluster (putting it mildly) surrounding buildings in both design and street-level engagement, questionable private uses, sh*tty state of the public utilities, etc. Are we surprised it ended up what it is?

It's like an ersatz, steroid-induced Times Square wannabe - and their idea of "renewal" is more video screens, as if more flash will distract from the shortcomings.

AoD

 

[Adjei]

You know what, they need to start all over for this square. It's a big mess.

 

[WislaHD]

Are we surprised it ended up what it is?

We don't know how to make public spaces here.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

We don't know how to make public spaces here.

We do - like CC's work.

AoD

 

[WislaHD]

We do - like CC's work.

AoD

Montreal firm.

Montreal can do public spaces.