Toronto Lawrence Heights Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Context Development | KPMB

AlbertC

Superstar
Member Bio
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
22,066
Reaction score
59,393
Location
Davenport
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/l...ouncillors-give-lawrence-allen-plan-thumbs-up

Councillors give Lawrence-Allen plan thumbs up

LISA QUEEN | Nov 03, 2011 - 11:01 AM


"Today is one of the most significant days in this journey. This now sets the blueprint, the framework, to make it happen," Eglinton-Lawrence Councillor Josh Colle told The Mirror moments after councillors voted in favour of the Lawrence-Allen secondary plan.

The 20-year revitalization plan calls for replacing the 1,208 city-owned housing units in Lawrence Heights and adding 4,400 market-value ones.

The new development is expected to bring 16,000 new residents to the community bounded by Hwy. 401, Bathurst Street, Lawrence Avenue and Dufferin Street.

The project will also include trail networks, schools, parks and open space and a community centre.

At the same time, in order to address concerns about the scale of the project, the development has been reduced in size, down to 4,400 market units from the initial proposal of 7,500 units, which was later reduced to 6,300 units.

Development has been eliminated at the south end of Baycrest and Yorkdale parks, and Lawrence Square shopping centre has been removed from the focus area.

"This plan will help erase the stigma Lawrence Heights suffers. Most members of my community struggle to obtain employment because of our postal code, most members of my community pay higher insurance premiums because of our postal code. With this plan, safety will improve, self-esteem and self-confidence will rise because many positive opportunities such as training skills and employment opportunities will be created."

Youth leader Andrew Cox complained about Lawrence Heights' "deplorable conditions, lack of resources and opportunities and stigmatization" before showing a video with residents of the community explaining how important the revitalization project is to them.

"For the first time in decades, the whole community is engaged," Cox said. "The community needs new life, no doubt about it."
 
Last edited:
Here is an neighbourhood plan image taken from the City of Toronto site:

Picture 13.jpg


Much more information can be found here.

And more specifically here, in the newly released Secondary Plan.
 

Attachments

  • Picture 13.jpg
    Picture 13.jpg
    20.2 KB · Views: 2,764
Looks good.. but will it solve the socio-economic issues that plague 'The Jungle'?

Compared to Jane-Finch, Malvern etc I am not so sure that the issues are all that bad. I moseyed around the area earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised to see no evidence of it. Maybe the prospect of making a lot of money and scoring political points has more to do with this project than real need or improvement in the resident's life.

Identical buildings exist and command market driven rents in Don Mills and other parts of town so the problem is not structural. Walk around the parking area and back yards, you won't see any more evidence of neglect or disrespect for neighbours than exists in other parts of town.

Sorry, in my humble opinion, this "Revitalization" is a giant Boondoggle.
 
Compared to Jane-Finch, Malvern etc I am not so sure that the issues are all that bad. I moseyed around the area earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised to see no evidence of it. Maybe the prospect of making a lot of money and scoring political points has more to do with this project than real need or improvement in the resident's life.

Identical buildings exist and command market driven rents in Don Mills and other parts of town so the problem is not structural. Walk around the parking area and back yards, you won't see any more evidence of neglect or disrespect for neighbours than exists in other parts of town.

Sorry, in my humble opinion, this "Revitalization" is a giant Boondoggle.

"I walked around and saw no problems. Therefore, no problems!"

You should try this more often. Who needs experts when we have spider!
 
Last edited:
You should try this more often. Who needs experts when we have spider!

I only offer my opinions, you elevate them to expert status, not me. My opinions are not always popular but they are attractively priced.
 
I don't think social problems are the rationale behind this rebuild - the buildings are getting to the point where it will be more costly to replace than to repair, and redevelopment presents an opportunity to address some of the existing social issues associated with the urban form. Besides, it's going to be done under the RP model - capitalizing on underused real estate and providing added density nearby subway stations. Can't fault that.

AoD
 
Last edited:
I don't think social problems are the rationale behind this rebuild - the buildings are getting to the point where it will be more costly to repair than to replace, and redevelopment presents an opportunity to address some of the existing social issues associated with the urban form. Besides, it's going to be done under the RP model - capitalizing on underused real estate and providing added density nearby subway stations. Can't fault that.

AoD

I lived in this neighbourhood for 25 years, and I can tell you from first hand experience that the issues are quite serious. I can agree, prehaps, that Jane and Finch and Malvern are worse off, but there is still plenty of justification for redeveloping this neighbourhood. Although, a change like this only really benefits the City, as a lot of the residents will be displaced.

As AoD mentioned, the buildings are in a serious state of dis-repair, but this is the case for all Toronto Housing buildings (having been in just about all of the various communities relating to work with these buildings). Having moved out a few years back, there will be no way for me to know if this redevelopment is actually good for the people living there, but one can hope.
 
Out of all the priority neighbourhoods, this one definitely has to be one of the lowest-hanging fruit in terms of being geographically attractive enough to lure in more upmarket buyers. It's subway-served with a direct one-seat ride to downtown and a short hop to Yorkville, plus it's got about as good 401 access as you can really hope for in Toronto. To the southeast is north end of Forest Hill and to the southwest is a stretch of Eglinton that, though mid-income now, probably won't be once the LRT's in.

The challenge I see is that these Regent Park-model mixed-income rebuilds aren't going to be quite as easy to replicate as you work your way down the list of potential reboots in other TCHC social housing clusters. I have little doubt that people will line up for a market-priced condo in Alexandra Park 2.0 as that project proceeds, but would they do the same for one in a hypothetical Kingston-Galloway 2.0?
 
I only offer my opinions, you elevate them to expert status, not me. My opinions are not always popular but they are attractively priced.


And it's funny that you always seem to rush into any thread discussing transit or the suburbs and push your opinions (never positive) over everyone else's (and throw in one or two of your always-right-opinion polls).

To arms, spider! The filthy left-wingers are at the gates of your perfect suburbs! You must pour your scalding opinion onto these intruders!
 
Last edited:
Out of all the priority neighbourhoods, this one definitely has to be one of the lowest-hanging fruit in terms of being geographically attractive enough to lure in more upmarket buyers. It's subway-served with a direct one-seat ride to downtown and a short hop to Yorkville, plus it's got about as good 401 access as you can really hope for in Toronto. To the southeast is north end of Forest Hill and to the southwest is a stretch of Eglinton that, though mid-income now, probably won't be once the LRT's in.

The challenge I see is that these Regent Park-model mixed-income rebuilds aren't going to be quite as easy to replicate as you work your way down the list of potential reboots in other TCHC social housing clusters. I have little doubt that people will line up for a market-priced condo in Alexandra Park 2.0 as that project proceeds, but would they do the same for one in a hypothetical Kingston-Galloway 2.0?

Interesting point. The TCHC projects in Rexdale, Malvern, Southeast Scarborough and Jane-Finch will certainly be hard sells (interestingly, Transit City would have at least hypothetically served all of them). Though TCHC has other promising properties like Alexandria Park such as Moss Park and Queen-Coxwell. I could even see Crescent Town working given the proximity to the subway and the Beaches.
 
And it's funny that you always seem to rush into any thread discussing transit or the suburbs and push your opinions (never positive) over everyone else's (and throw in one or two of your always-right-opinion polls).

Our join dates and number of posts are similar to the point that you seem to "rush in" as often as I do. Most of my activity addresses transit and suburban issues because they are interesting to me as opposed to Condos for instance. Nothing wrong with Condos, I am just not interested.

Your objection to my posting on UT appears to be based on my opinions being contrary to yours, Chacun a son gout mon ami.

To arms, spider! The filthy left-wingers are at the gates of your perfect suburbs! You must pour your scalding opinion onto these intruders!

Out dated technology my friend, we'll just spray them with the truth. I am pricing squirt guns.
 
Our join dates and number of posts are similar to the point that you seem to "rush in" as often as I do. Most of my activity addresses transit and suburban issues because they are interesting to me as opposed to Condos for instance. Nothing wrong with Condos, I am just not interested.

Your objection to my posting on UT appears to be based on my opinions being contrary to yours, Chacun a son gout mon ami.

I don't think I rush into threads and immediately attack the other forumers with posts dripping with sarcasm and condescension as much as you do.

My objection is not the fact that you live in the suburbs nor your ideals, but that you feel the need to belittle everyone else for discussing ideas contrary to your beliefs. You are clearly intelligent and you love your neighourhood, but many of your posts are relentlessly and perhaps needlessly negative and argumentative. Let's bring up a few posts, shall we?


On a comment regarding people with professional jobs who cycle (their existence is denied):
The vast majority of your bikes are ridden by "others", deceive yourself if it feels good but please don't try to elevate your wishes to facts for consumption by the rest of us.


On a forumer criticizing sprawl:
If you really feel this way so strongly why are you a self identified resident of a suburb? let me guess, you are a 20 year old student living with mom & dad and taking advantage of their incredible stupidity to be living in such a place.


On professors (and why not to trust them):
We have all heard the voluminous justification pumped out ad nauseum by professors who are required to publish or perish. Their output generally consists of pages and pages of foot notes linking their current volume of drivel to that of their fellows and little original thought, after all, they are not going to call into question the status quo that provides them with a nice living are they?


An article discussing new ideas for the suburbs (the downtown is but inferior):
The planner is proposing developing the space between these homes and the street with separate buildings- not purchasing them and expanding them to the curb or allowing the present owners to do so. If the current owners wanted to live in an urban wasteland they wouldn't have purchased the nice homes they are in now, they would have bought on Bathurst...College...you name it.


A forumer comments on another entirely different forumer's post:
I am sorry that your comprehension skills are not up to the task but your disability does not allow you to ignore reality just because you don't understand it.


A forumer discusses his degree in Political Science (And off on a tangent we go):
JN_12: In order to enhance my appreciation of your problem please explain to the less enlightened of the board members and me what is "Political Science", why would one spend 6 years and $40,000 to attain certification and what would one expect to do with that diploma?


A simple urban density concept floated by a forumer, is turned into this:
These facts may disappoint you but they are the reason that you are really wasting your time trying to recreate quaint little 16th century European ant hills in Toronto.
Then a question is asked!
Since this thread is your project it may be time for you to get off your ass and do some homework yourself instead of begging others to provide you with information.
Of course, when people speak up, you respond like this:
You seem to define a Troll as someone who doesn't share your views, if this is the case I am proud to be declared a Troll.
I am not particularly pro-car, just opposed to the war on cars.
It is abundantly obvious that this topic is a waste of any thinking person's time but if you are amused with it by all means carry on.
I reserve the right to inject contrary opinions if and when I like.


Home made statistics (opinions are opinions unless they are mine, in which case they are far more accurate than others):
I will henceforth confine my postings to this forum to answering queries where I can help, letting the air out of windbags and questioning home made statistics used to prove a position.


Of course I'm not perfect too (perhaps I protest too much), but I try to avoid putting down people- you don't convince people by slagging them! Sure, the left-wing cabal may hate the suburbs, but I protest against retaliation because I fail to see the need for such animosity and accusations towards fairly benign opinions.
 
Last edited:
Interesting point. The TCHC projects in Rexdale, Malvern, Southeast Scarborough and Jane-Finch will certainly be hard sells (interestingly, Transit City would have at least hypothetically served all of them). Though TCHC has other promising properties like Alexandria Park such as Moss Park and Queen-Coxwell. I could even see Crescent Town working given the proximity to the subway and the Beaches.

Some areas may become more tangible for development in the future. There may be no demand for Regent Park-style mixed income communities in those suburban areas you mention, but I can see those THCH communities being redeveloped along the lines of Regent Park except in a more suburban fashion. They could be solidly New Urban and attract middle class people who would otherwise buy houses in sprawling Milton subdivisions, achieving higher density through a traditional urban form. The city could even consider removing the public housing entirely in places like Malvern and Rexdale and move it to locations served by rapid transit as part of larger-mixed income developments, perhaps on the scale of Concord's Park Place on the Sheppard subway line.
 
Last edited:

Back
Top