Over a decade into the Regent Park revitalization, the Toronto neighbourhood is swapping its hostile-to-the-street feel for newly street-friendly developments, replacing the maze-like network of inward-facing buildings and dead-ended streets that once defined the community. This week's Throwback Thursday puts us right in the midst of this ongoing change, presenting a view of Dundas Steet East, between Sackville and Sumach. Back in April of 2011, another group of three-storey apartment buildings had recently been fenced off in anticipation of demolition work. These buildings would be cleared to make way for the Regent Park Central Park, a large public space in the heart of the neighbourhood.

Facing northwest across Dundas Street East in Regent Park, April 2011, image by Craig White

Six-and-a-half years later, a photo from the same vantage point reveals dramatic changes, including the completed Regent Park Central Park. The left side of the September 2017 photo also shows a sliver of Daniels Spectrum facility at the southwest corner of Dundas and Regent Park Boulevard. The four-storey, Diamond Schmitt Architects-designed Spectrum, an arts-based community centre and business incubation hub, was officially completed in 2012, and has since become an important local focus of activity.

Facing northwest across Dundas Street East in Regent Park, September 2017, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!