Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[allabootmatt]

I am gobsmacked. Seems like an incredible "not invented here" fail. Cities that have far, far more serious worries about terrorism solved this problem decades ago, with unobtrusive metal bollards or, in special cases like the big government buildings in London, stone planters. I don't buy that cost is the issue. After all, many millions were spent to make the front of Union an attractive civic space. And yet here we are.

While we're at it, why is there a single, random wooden pole on the SE corner of Front and York? It's been there for years and years.

 

[nfitz]

Cities that have far, far more serious worries about terrorism solved this problem decades ago, with unobtrusive metal bollards or, in special cases like the big government buildings in London, stone planters. I don't buy that cost is the issue. After all, many millions were spent to make the front of Union an attractive civic space. And yet here we are.

US Embassy - London

National Assembly - Paris

St. Paul's Cathedral - newly installed

Milan, Italy

Railway Station - Madrid

 

[Natika33]

They'll get graffitied in no time. And then they'll hire some artists to discourage further DIY "beautification".

 

[bearcat]

US Embassy - London
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National Assembly - Paris
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St. Paul's Cathedral - newly installed
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Milan, Italy
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Railway Station - Madrid
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none of these except Milan have the concrete block in the middle of a busy pedestrian route from these photos

I walked over to look today at lunch. They put one down right in the middle of the heaviest traffic flow spot at the stairs into the York concourse. The colour also looks very weird in the sun. The blocks are quite yellow, and it looked very different from mburr's photos from earlier.

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I also tried Shake Shack for the first time. Pretty decent burger! The cherry peppers were a great addition. Overpriced, but what isn't these days?

This particular one pisses me off.

Especially if people sit on it, there will be even less space.

 

[Willybru21]

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Miniso opening next to Blondies Pizza

The logos of Uniqlo and Miniso are so similar I can’t believe they both announced locations in Union within the same day:

 

[Irishmonk]

They were already ugly to begin with but they’re instantly worse with use.
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We are well and truly in the Enshittocene Era.

 

[MisterF]

none of these except Milan have the concrete block in the middle of a busy pedestrian route from these photos

The ones in Milan are pretty galling. My first thought seeing them when I was there was Union Station. Still, Milan has a solid network of pedestrianized streets in its core and a much nicer public realm than anywhere in Canada. Even with those jersey barriers.

 

[Natika33]

The logos of Uniqlo and Miniso are so similar I can’t believe they both announced locations in Union within the same day:

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Probably coincidental they were announced together, but hardly coincidental they have similar logos. Miniso (a Chinese-based company) 100% mashed together the "so" from "Diaso" & the logo of Uniqlo to seem Japanese.

 

[Adjei]

I am gobsmacked. Seems like an incredible "not invented here" fail. Cities that have far, far more serious worries about terrorism solved this problem decades ago, with unobtrusive metal bollards or, in special cases like the big government buildings in London, stone planters. I don't buy that cost is the issue. After all, many millions were spent to make the front of Union an attractive civic space. And yet here we are.

While we're at it, why is there a single, random wooden pole on the SE corner of Front and York? It's been there for years and years.

Yes I wonder why that pole is still there. It’s been there probably more than 10 years and I won’t be surprised if it’s there for the next 20 years and no one bats an eye. Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with this city.

 

[bearcat]

Yes I wonder why that pole is still there. It’s been there probably more than 10 years and I won’t be surprised if it’s there for the next 20 years and no one bats an eye. Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with this city.

This pole did not exist before the big Union renovation:

For whatever reasons during the renovation the pole on the left had to be removed and this pole replaced it "temporarily":

As of today, the missing pole has been restored, but no one bothered to remover the temporary pole:

 

[nfitz]

It's a utility pole.

 

[DSCToronto]

The ones in Milan are pretty galling. My first thought seeing them when I was there was Union Station. Still, Milan has a solid network of pedestrianized streets in its core and a much nicer public realm than anywhere in Canada. Even with those jersey barriers.

Civilised places tend to use standard Jersey Barriers as interim solutions, here we have/had them in a major city location for about 6 years . Not only do we move VERY slowly but after years to plan and select, we decide on a utilitarian low-end product - remarkably like a Jersey Barrier that has been squashed and cut!

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

This project has the smell of the city transportation services all over it.

AoD

 

[Milaisacat]

I can't seem to find it now, but I thought I read something here a while back that indicated that the bollard project at Union Station was two stages. The first is the installation of temporary barriers that would let them remove the awful jersey barriers. The second part would be in the incremental installation of the permanent bollards/barriers, possibly in the same footprint as temporary barriers. Am I out to lunch?

 

[nightstreak]

I can't seem to find it now, but I thought I read something here a while back that indicated that the bollard project at Union Station was two stages. The first is the installation of temporary barriers that would let them remove the awful jersey barriers. The second part would be in the incremental installation of the permanent bollards/barriers, possibly in the same footprint as temporary barriers. Am I out to lunch?

Brunch maybe?

I saw them this morning. They’re permanent. Built into the ground with the paving cut to fit.

They kept the jersey barriers there for 7 years. They weren’t in any rush to move them out while building a permanent solution. These are the permanent solution.

There is another stage but it’s for the eastern side.