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

Here are guidelines on intensification which is inevitable but according to the report doesn't have to compromise the low rise character of the area. The goal is to take cues from identified heritage properties, which will determine the allowable height of podiums from which taller structures will need to be set back by 7.5M from the street wall.

screenshot20111021at240.png
 
Trees would be nice, but considering the growing population density in the area, the last thing we need on that stretch of Yonge is more obstacles on the sidewalks.
 
^ Agreed. Yonge is not Bloor. Each has their own characteristics. Life on Yonge are the tens of thousands who walk the streets every day. Wider sidewalks for people is the basic concept from which the rest of this plan branches out.

Greenery will be available in the periphery as you'll see from this overview:

screenshot20111021at250.png
 
I know what we need. Trees trees and more trees. Every nice grand boulevard has wide sidewalks and trees. That's what we see when we walk down a street.
 
Bayer said:
Trees would be nice, but considering the growing population density in the area, the last thing we need on that stretch of Yonge is more obstacles on the sidewalks.
Click to expand...

True, but have another look at the rendering and you'll see there's been a lane reduction and a widening of the sidewalk area. Trees could certainly fit along that stretch if that part of the plan is followed-through with. That said, I could see the BIA not exactly going for potentially billboard/advert blocking pesky trees. The planters look decent and would add quite a bit on their own.

Am I correct in assuming that the revitalization is only between Dundas and Gerard?
 
I agree with what you are saying in principle but in reality I simply don't think there is enough room on Yonge Street. For a main drag it is a relatively thin street and in order to develope a more pedestrian and interactive street with sidewalk cafes etc trees simply take up too much room.
This looks like a wonderful proposal and ideally it would go north all the way to Bloor.
 
As much as we're going to need to leave a lot of extra sidewalk space open for pedestrians, I think it might be a bit of a mistake to suggest that we should have few to no trees lining that street. Trees and green life are what turn a street into a true boulevard. And with those black under-sidewalk framing system (I don't remember their actual name) they used on Bloor, and the corresponding irrigation system they installed, trees can be still be planted in relatively small planters while not taking up too much sidewalk real estate. That first render already shows a planter or two on the east side of the street. I don't see how we couldn't put at least a few trees, maybe even closer to the curb, to act as a bit of a 'separation' between the vehicular and pedestrian realms. Overall though, I like those concept renders and looking forward to seeing more detailed information as it becomes available!

androiduk said:
blrt4.jpg
Click to expand...
​
 
This project aims to make room for people. It's simply too crowded right now. Trees have been integrated into the project, but not where you'd expect them. There will be green roofs so you'll see trees as you walk on Yonge and see them popping off the tops of podiums of buildings. In another example, you'll see trees as you walk by Gould and are enticed to go in:

screenshot20111021at308.png


Greenery is integrated into the peripheral streets so you'll see it as you walk along Yonge.

Here's another interesting tidbit. Yonge will be designed with a pedestrian street weekend conversion in mind:

screenshot20111021at312.png
 
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"Yonge will be designed with a pedestrian street weekend conversion in mind"

not a big fan of it. i think they should have it in somewhere else, not the busiest street in toronto
 
There is much more pedestrian traffic than vehicular traffic at any given time. And I noticed no gridlock back when Yonge was reduced to two lanes at Gould.
 
It's actually the same kind of weekend pedestrian priority scheme they're proposing here as on John Street. I like what I see in both those renders. I'll be happy to see a lot more greenery in and around Yonge, whether right on the street or on side streets.
 
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