C
Canuck 36
Guest
We already have parking by the water.
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P
prometheus the supremo
Guest
nah, i'm talking about canals lined with trees, minus the parking. would be cool if we had a "venice like" district.
A
andreapalladio
Guest
Of we could just go to Venice, and build Toronto here.
I
interchange42
Guest
prometheus - if you wanted us to think "venice like", why didn't you use a picture of venice?
just asking.
hard to please 42
just asking.
hard to please 42
B
bizorky
Guest
It would sink faster.
P
prometheus the supremo
Guest
because their buildings are built wooden piles. this amsterdam canal isn't that way and there is a street next to the canal which would be useful to emergency services, people without boats, and during the winter. i could have said an "amsterdam like" district but i was worried that some wouldn't get it and think i was talking about a puff and blow district which wouldn't be a bad idea either.
S
SD2
Guest
Didn't the Foster plan have a small canal or two?
A district like this would definitely be nice.
A district like this would definitely be nice.
W
wyliepoon
Guest
I recall a proposal for canals running through the Portlands, sometime around the 2008 Olympic bid? Anybody recall that proposal too? I even remember seeing an aerial rendering of it.
... but canals on the central waterfront? Where will the canals go?
... but canals on the central waterfront? Where will the canals go?
S
scarberiankhatru
Guest
Canals also require flat land. Toronto really isn't that flat so there's extremely limited places where one would work.
P
prometheus the supremo
Guest
in the portlands, i know, it's not the "centeral waterfront".
if they ever close the island airport, they could dig some canals there too. probably not a good idea for the harbour front. it will mess up the whole boardwalk plan.
A
adma
Guest
Canals, neato. Now if they could toss in a lift lock or two
P
prometheus the supremo
Guest
:lol
M
MetroMan1000
Guest
To get back on topic about this presentation, I was at the meeting and FutureMayor and I each had a different understanding of what progress we'd see. Louroz seemed to think that construction would only begin on the West8 project in a few years.
... well, I bumped into John Campbell at The Bay recently and we had a chat. He was surprised somebody would recognize him (we're such nerds @ UrbanToronto) but after getting over that, I asked him point blank about what projects we'd see going ahead this year.
This year, from Spadina to York, we're going to see significant changes. The south Queens Quay lane will be closed between that stretch with promenade, sidewalk work and landscaping all being done into 2008. In addition, we'll see the construction of one of those wavy wooden piers. I'm assuming it's the York quay one since it's in this targeted stretch.
In retrospect, I wish I had asked about the bridges but I'm sure it's not far behind.
I'm assuming that once they're done with that section of Queen Quay, they'll move on to the next one until the entire West8 plan is completely implemented.
In summary, we're going to see significant and visible waterfront work done on the central waterfront by the end of 2008.
... well, I bumped into John Campbell at The Bay recently and we had a chat. He was surprised somebody would recognize him (we're such nerds @ UrbanToronto) but after getting over that, I asked him point blank about what projects we'd see going ahead this year.
This year, from Spadina to York, we're going to see significant changes. The south Queens Quay lane will be closed between that stretch with promenade, sidewalk work and landscaping all being done into 2008. In addition, we'll see the construction of one of those wavy wooden piers. I'm assuming it's the York quay one since it's in this targeted stretch.
In retrospect, I wish I had asked about the bridges but I'm sure it's not far behind.
I'm assuming that once they're done with that section of Queen Quay, they'll move on to the next one until the entire West8 plan is completely implemented.
In summary, we're going to see significant and visible waterfront work done on the central waterfront by the end of 2008.
F
FutureMayor
Guest
I attended the public meeting at the Radission Hotel on Queens Quay Tuesday night. I arrived 30 mins late because the Streetcar via Union from Spadina Station took forever to arrive.
I was surprised that the room was PACKED, the hallway was overflowing. I was smart enough to push my way through into the room and lean against the wall near the front.
Like many in attendance, I was disappointed to hear the presentation AGAIN. No new information was presented, however it was encouraging to see so many people engaged in the process.
I spoke with the staff afterwards like I had suspected, most of the major work (Queens Quay reconstruction) won't begin until 2008, and at the rate civic construction projects goes in this city, I wouldn't be surprised to see if the work wasn't completed until 2010.
On that note, as MetroMan1000 stated above the staff did confirm with that in the fall of 2007 they will begin construction on the wavy head piers at Spadina and John slips.
They indicated that they could begin construction sooner, but they didn't want to affect the summer tourist season. Lame excuse, but I'll buy it for now.
Louroz
I was surprised that the room was PACKED, the hallway was overflowing. I was smart enough to push my way through into the room and lean against the wall near the front.
Like many in attendance, I was disappointed to hear the presentation AGAIN. No new information was presented, however it was encouraging to see so many people engaged in the process.
I spoke with the staff afterwards like I had suspected, most of the major work (Queens Quay reconstruction) won't begin until 2008, and at the rate civic construction projects goes in this city, I wouldn't be surprised to see if the work wasn't completed until 2010.
On that note, as MetroMan1000 stated above the staff did confirm with that in the fall of 2007 they will begin construction on the wavy head piers at Spadina and John slips.
They indicated that they could begin construction sooner, but they didn't want to affect the summer tourist season. Lame excuse, but I'll buy it for now.
Louroz
F
FutureMayor
Guest
On the waterfront: Toronto's reinvention
*Chris just confirmed everything I said above*
On the waterfront: Toronto's reinvention
January 26, 2007
Christopher Hume
The biggest problem at the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp. these days might be where to find a space big enough to hold the crowds that show up for its public meetings.
The most recent, which was held Tuesday evening at the Radisson Hotel, was packed to the rafters. Hundreds were on hand to listen and ask questions about the TWRC's central waterfront plan.
That's the scheme being prepared by a team of landscape architects headed by Rotterdam-based Adriaan Geuze of West 18. His group won an international competition last summer and is now hard at work.
Though details are far from settled, the basic ideas of the West 18 proposal were given a dry run last August. The most notable and controversial aspect of the experiment was the closing of two lanes of Queen's Quay Blvd. between Yonge St. and Spadina Rd. Many drivers didn't like it, but once Geuze's plan is implemented, it will be permanent.
Though residents worry about the usual issues – parking and traffic flow – the response, Geuze reports, "has been very good."
As far as Mayor David Miller is concerned, the central waterfront remake ranks as a top priority. That's not hard to understand; the chief magistrate wants visible results so Torontonians can see for themselves that waterfront revitalization is a reality.
Sadly, construction isn't likely to begin in earnest until early 2008. Though Geuze hopes that he can get going on a bridge (across a slip) this year, the immediate tasks now are a feasibility study and the inevitable environmental assessment. These will take months and dissipate whatever momentum is left after last summer.
But Toronto is not a city known for being nimble – or bold; no one could accuse us of rushing into things. Don't forget the funding for HtO, the "urban beach" that will open next spring on the waterfront, dates back to the creation of Harbourfront more than 30 years ago.
Fortunately Geuze and his team, eternal optimists all, are not easily dissuaded. The discussion is all about creating a "village atmosphere" on the edge of the lake. They envision a "streetscape with small-scale buildings and uses" in the area west of Queen's Quay Terminal on the site of a parking lot.
"Toronto is a tourist destination," Geuze says, "but there's tough competition in the world. I think the waterfront has the potential to be made coherent and dynamic and attract people to the city. We still have to make connections with the city and within the waterfront. Right now, the Toronto waterfront is very underused; but it's an excellent place to invest money."
These links are critical to whatever happens; this means that at some point the city must decide what to do with the Gardiner Expressway – leave it as is or take it down – not to mention the railway corridor. Just last year the TWRC released a report that recommended demolishing the raised highway from Spadina to the Don Valley Parkway. But the issue is so emotional that no one should be holding their breath for action. And despite the mayor's brave talk about renewing the waterfront and completing the city, he has not shown much enthusiasm for tackling the Gardiner.
The West 8 project will carry on regardless; but at a time when cities everywhere are reinventing themselves through their waterfronts, the need to do something spectacular is greater than ever. No longer is it enough just to go through the motions; Canadian cities have been slipping behind their international counterparts for a decade or longer.
Above all, the waterfront can be the vehicle that allows Toronto to relaunch itself onto the world stage as a city that matters, that has something to offer and that demands attention. The transformation wouldn't end with the central waterfront plan, but it could begin there.
Louroz
*Chris just confirmed everything I said above*
On the waterfront: Toronto's reinvention
January 26, 2007
Christopher Hume
The biggest problem at the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp. these days might be where to find a space big enough to hold the crowds that show up for its public meetings.
The most recent, which was held Tuesday evening at the Radisson Hotel, was packed to the rafters. Hundreds were on hand to listen and ask questions about the TWRC's central waterfront plan.
That's the scheme being prepared by a team of landscape architects headed by Rotterdam-based Adriaan Geuze of West 18. His group won an international competition last summer and is now hard at work.
Though details are far from settled, the basic ideas of the West 18 proposal were given a dry run last August. The most notable and controversial aspect of the experiment was the closing of two lanes of Queen's Quay Blvd. between Yonge St. and Spadina Rd. Many drivers didn't like it, but once Geuze's plan is implemented, it will be permanent.
Though residents worry about the usual issues – parking and traffic flow – the response, Geuze reports, "has been very good."
As far as Mayor David Miller is concerned, the central waterfront remake ranks as a top priority. That's not hard to understand; the chief magistrate wants visible results so Torontonians can see for themselves that waterfront revitalization is a reality.
Sadly, construction isn't likely to begin in earnest until early 2008. Though Geuze hopes that he can get going on a bridge (across a slip) this year, the immediate tasks now are a feasibility study and the inevitable environmental assessment. These will take months and dissipate whatever momentum is left after last summer.
But Toronto is not a city known for being nimble – or bold; no one could accuse us of rushing into things. Don't forget the funding for HtO, the "urban beach" that will open next spring on the waterfront, dates back to the creation of Harbourfront more than 30 years ago.
Fortunately Geuze and his team, eternal optimists all, are not easily dissuaded. The discussion is all about creating a "village atmosphere" on the edge of the lake. They envision a "streetscape with small-scale buildings and uses" in the area west of Queen's Quay Terminal on the site of a parking lot.
"Toronto is a tourist destination," Geuze says, "but there's tough competition in the world. I think the waterfront has the potential to be made coherent and dynamic and attract people to the city. We still have to make connections with the city and within the waterfront. Right now, the Toronto waterfront is very underused; but it's an excellent place to invest money."
These links are critical to whatever happens; this means that at some point the city must decide what to do with the Gardiner Expressway – leave it as is or take it down – not to mention the railway corridor. Just last year the TWRC released a report that recommended demolishing the raised highway from Spadina to the Don Valley Parkway. But the issue is so emotional that no one should be holding their breath for action. And despite the mayor's brave talk about renewing the waterfront and completing the city, he has not shown much enthusiasm for tackling the Gardiner.
The West 8 project will carry on regardless; but at a time when cities everywhere are reinventing themselves through their waterfronts, the need to do something spectacular is greater than ever. No longer is it enough just to go through the motions; Canadian cities have been slipping behind their international counterparts for a decade or longer.
Above all, the waterfront can be the vehicle that allows Toronto to relaunch itself onto the world stage as a city that matters, that has something to offer and that demands attention. The transformation wouldn't end with the central waterfront plan, but it could begin there.
Louroz