How can we boost use of our parks and trails?

[miketoronto]

Now that the weather is getting warmer, Miketoronto is thinking about all of Toronto's amazing parks, lakefront areas, gardens, etc

However one thing always bothers me. And that is the fact that most Toronto residents don't use the great free natural areas and parks we have to enjoy.

Why do you guys think this is?
I know you can say well any night on the summer, Bluffers Park is full, or the Islands, etc.

However on the grand scale of things, only a minority of residents actually use the offerings we have.

Do you guys think Toronto Park and Rec should promote more?
What can be done to get people to enjoy our natural areas more.

I really think our parks are an asset that not enough Toronto residents enjoy to be honest.

At work in the office for example, I would say 80% of my co-workers have not stepped foot in a regional park or garden in years, eventhough some may only live a couple min away from some of them.

 

[nstuch]

a start would be to make them appealing enough to visit and get rid of the homeless people who seem to own many parks, particularly in the downtown core. practically ever park in Toronto i've ever been to looks neglected and run down; even High Park is shabby and badly maintained for the most part. i know it pretty well boils down to money and i don't know what the answer is to that. But partly it seems to be that residents don't seem to care. On the encouraging side are the proposals for the enhacement to the martin goodman trail, looks like it will be very nice

One particular piece of public space (not sure you can call it a park) that has always irked me is the small triangle of land at Front/York/University. For many tourists it's the first impression they get of Toronto. Would it hurt the city to spend a bit of money to fix it up? it is a very prominent intersection

 

[esplanade guy]

Make the parks more visually appealing. I have never seen a park in Toronto that I thought was really beautiful. People like taking pictures in beautiful places, which I guess is the reason I rarely see people taking pictures in Toronto parks. Also build more amphitheatres with entertainment. Have areas with live music, maybe dancing under the stars, concerts, art shows, demonstrations. (Things that are creative) How about a night market in a park, like they have in Asia? Night markets are cool! I wanna see more fountains, monuments, art, museums and man made features, in some of our parks. Exotic flowers and plants would be nice in a few "International" gardens, let's see some diversity. Grass and maple trees (green, green, green) just don't cut it for me, I want to see some COLOUR! A huge maze made of plants and shrubs (kind of like on Centre Island but much bigger and better and well maintained) would be a fun activity. (keep it free though) Displays of history and culture would be great, as well as more washrooms, WORKING WATER FOUNTAINS, indoor areas, especially for winter. I also would like to see a huge glass greenhouse built on the waterfront with a large indoor/outdoor swimming pool, designed to look like the pools you see in great resorts in tropical areas, with unbrellas, lounge chairs, cafes, restaurants, cabanas, tropical plants and flowers. Something that could be used year round. (Indoors in winter, outside in summer) Kind of a tropical greenhouse/resort/entertainment venue, right downtown on the lake. How nice would that be? Hey, if your gonna dream, you might as well dream BIG! That's my therory.

 

[Archivistower]

Yesterday I cycled around (among other places) Sunnybrook Park and Edwards Gardens. Though early in the season for flowers, I would say that these trails were almost too much in use, they were so crowded. The parks do need some work, after the winter run-off, but they are gorgeous. esplanade should head north to explore them.

Other parks that I would say are beautiful include the Music Garden (and nearby additions to that), St. James Park, and of course the Toronto Islands. The "main street" of the islands could certainly use an upgrade, though it has a certain 60's appeal as it is.

It is true that quite a few downtown parks do not live up to their potential, especially Allan Gardens and the Grange. All in all, though, I'm not seeing a huge problem here.

 

[maxy505]

The fewer people using them the better -- more for me!

 

[nassauone]

I don't know what Parks you are going to but the ones that I visit - High Park, KEW, Islands, Sunnybrooke, Centenial, Rouge, Trinity are always full of people. I often wonder if you are blind.

 

[Suicidal Gingerbread Man]

Now that the weather is getting warmer, Miketoronto is thinking about all of Toronto's amazing parks, lakefront areas, gardens, et

The only thing stopping me from enjoying the parks even more is the tendency of running into crazies. You know, the people who refer to themselves in the third person. :rolleyes

 

[esplanade guy]

Suicidal, your boaring! Have you no appreciation for someone who has a little fun? You scare easilly, maybe you should move to safer place like Timmins, where conventionality is exspected and much more appreciated.

 

[nassauone]

I am starting to think esplanade and miketo are the same guy. build build build...it needs, we need, must have.

The money grows on trees gang!!

 

[wyliepoon]

I don't think that only a "minority" of Toronto's population is using the parks system. Almost every kid who has grown up in Toronto must have used a city park at least once. Most school yards are built into a park. Parks and Rec summer camps use parks for outdoor activities and field trips. If you're in a summer sports league, chances are that you are using a city sports field for your games and practices. What most Torontonians aren't doing is using the parks system on a daily basis.

I can think of many reasons why I don't regularly use the park system here in Scarborough:

- I can't find the time to go to the park, with work, home entertainment (like WRITING ON THIS FORUM), etc.
- If I want to do some walking, I'd rather do it at some other place than the park: downtown, interesting neighbourhoods, museums, and unfortunately, the mall.
- The park is uncomfortable on very hot and/or smoggy days
- The biggest attraction in most parks is the playground, which I am probably too old to play in
- You can't use the sports facilities in the park if you don't have the equipment and the friends to play with. Often the sports facilities are poorly maintained (weeds in the soccer field, puddles in front of the soccer goals and the softball diamond)
- Not enough seating areas/benches
- Some parks are unsafe and/or poorly lit after dark

 

[adma]

Re High Park's "shabby" "neglected" status: remember that a lot of that's a deliberate byproduct of the last generation's tendency toward park "naturalization"...

 

[ganjavih]

I am starting to think esplanade and miketo are the same guy.

They seem to have the same spelling/grammar deficiencies.

 

[esplanade guy]

LOL I AM NOT MIKETORONTO! You guys are too funny, everyones thinks they're a ****ing comedian. Yeah, I don't worry much about spelling and grammar when I'm writing on here, it's definatly not my priority, the ideas are! I have never met Mike but I am sure he is a great guy. Obviously the man is very insightful and intelligent, as I agree with a lot that he says. Like myself, he may not be anal about spelling and grammar, but you have to give the guy credit, he seems to care about Toronto and that beats apathy anyday. So few people in this town actually care about the city, if they have nothing financially to gain from it. Toronto need more people like Minetoronto and myself.

 

[ahsun]

.. oh gawd....

 

[Oliver Tweed]

"LOL I AM NOT MIKETORONTO! You guys are too funny, everyones thinks they're a ****ing comedian. Yeah, I don't worry much about spelling and grammar when I'm writing on here, it's definatly not my priority, the ideas are! I have never met Mike but I am sure he is a great guy. Obviously the man is very insightful and intelligent, as I agree with a lot that he says. Like myself, he may not be anal about spelling and grammar, but you have to give the guy credit, he seems to care about Toronto and that beats apathy anyday. So few people in this town actually care about the city, if they have nothing financially to gain from it. Toronto need more people like Minetoronto and myself."


hahaha

I agree with what you are saying, but dude....... you even misspelled the name of the guy whose ass you were kissing.

It's seriously distracting from what you are saying.