Ryerson: Master Plan

[green22]

Ryerson

I've had classes inside the building which seems to work ok. I prefer the small classrooms (like High School rooms that the president dislikes) more than the large lecture halls. However I recognize that the future is larger and larger classrooms and this likely has to do with cost savings.

In the US governments are always saving money by making larger and larger classrooms (and schools) in the public elementary and high systems arguing that class size has no impact on the quality of learning. On the other hand the competing private system's number one draw is it's pupil to teacher ratio (and the unstated absence of poor kids).

Class size is somewhat less of an issue at the University level, but I've heard it blamed by professors for affecting everything from public participation to how many assignments can be marked. Class size vs. costs is always a tough balancing act.

 

[Tuscani01]

Re: RE

So I joined in on the rountable discussions that are being hosted online and brought up connecting the campus buildings through bridges. I also brought up the Engineering building and how it adds nothing to the streetscape. I recommended bringing some activity outside by adding either a patio for the coffee shop inside, or some street front retail.

I think anything would be better than the nothing thats there now.

 

[billy corgan19982]

Re: RE

brought up connecting the campus buildings through bridges.

How will that add to the streetscape?

 

[adma]

Re: RE

Many would argue that the existing bridges are part of the existing problem, ya know...

 

[Tuscani01]

Re: RE

I dont see them as a problem considering the areas served by them still have a strong student presence on the street. It will make it easier to go from class to class if the buildings are connected together, especially for students living on res. (no need to bring a jacket during the winter, and school takes up most of the winter)

I dont see it being any different than the PATH system running throughout the core... and this can potentially connect to the system via Metropolis.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Re: RE

I dont see it being any different than the PATH system running throughout the core.

I believe that's one reason why the streetscape in the financial core is not as vital as it could have been.

AoD

 

[adma]

Re: RE

Though one argument on behalf of PATH is that it's "out of sight, out of mind"--whereas Plus 15-style bridges are in-your-face and *visually* urbanistically deadly (cf. Calgary, Minneapolis, et al).

 

[Tuscani01]

Re: RE

Yea but come on... this is Canada... winter is cold and takes up most of the year. Do we want people spending all winter in their offices, or do we want them moving around the downtown core spending money?

The PATH system is beneficial to downtown. I dont see why anyone would be against it, especially with Toronto's climate.

 

[wyliepoon]

Re: Ryerson Campus

The existing Ryerson bridges work fine, but I don't really see the need for any more bridges connecting campus buildings.

The ones connecting Kerr Hall with Jorgenson/Library connect two of the most prominent buildings on campus, and the one in front of the Library is the most well-used bridge on campus. The one crossing Church Street between Kerr Hall and Rogers is good for people travelling between the two buildings, but is not designed for people who just want to cross from one side of Church to the other. Since Church Street appears to be the biggest barrier to pedestrians on the Ryerson campus, despite the poor design of the Church Street bridge, it's located in the right place.

I don't really see any other part of the campus that will need bridges. Gould Street is easily crossable at street level by foot (and will become more pedestrian-friendly should Ryerson's pedestrian mall plan come into effect), and none of the other streets on campus are busy enough to require bridges to cross them.

 

[Tuscani01]

Re: Ryerson Campus

"The one crossing Church Street between Kerr Hall and Rogers is good for people travelling between the two buildings, but is not designed for people who just want to cross from one side of Church to the other"

Actually it is good for people who just want to cross from one side of church to the other. I use it when leaving the Engineering building on cold days. You just walk in through the doors which face Church, climb some stairs and cross over.

 

[wyliepoon]

Re: Ryerson Campus

... but not if you're on the other side of Church Street. You have to find the entrance to Kerr Hall on Gould Street, and then go find the stairs to get to the floor with the bridge, and then walk to the bridge (passing by the coffee stand on the Kerr Hall side of the bridge which is a really terrible bottleneck when busy).

No wonder why people would rather jaywalk across Church Street rather than use the bridge.

 

[adma]

Re: RE

Yea but come on... this is Canada... winter is cold and takes up most of the year. Do we want people spending all winter in their offices, or do we want them moving around the downtown core spending money?

Notice I was addressing bridges vs tunnels. That is, PATH-style underground is unobtrusive, out of sight, out of mind, and leaves well enough alone at surface level. Plus-15s are obtrusive, unsightly, and urbanistically deadly. Such is the psychology of the beast.

Both are ways of addressing winter conditions. But urbanistically, one might be preferrable to the other...

 

[spmarshall]

Re: RE

18 months after finishing at Ryerson, I still get emails:

"CampusNews@ryerson.ca" to undisclosed-re.

* * * Please do not reply to this email * * *

If you're interested in exploring Ryerson's role as a city builder, don't miss The University and the City: Tapping the Potential of Ryerson?s Master Plan, a round table discussion featuring international experts.

Hosted by the Department of Architectural Science, the discussion will take place in the Faculty/Staff Lounge of the Ryerson Business Building (7th Floor) on Thursday, March 15, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Featuring experts in architecture, urban design, planning and theory, the discussion will explore innovative physical, economic, social, political and environmental strategies for overlapping campus and city life.

Opening remarks will be delivered by Dr. Linda Grayson, Vice-President, Administration and Finance, and Ryerson alumnus Ted Tyndorf, Chief Planner and Executive Director of Toronto's City Planning Department.

Detlef Mertins, Chair of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Architecture, will deliver the keynote address.

Following the keynote address, each panellist will make a brief presentation of his or her ideas before participating in a round table format discussion moderated by Ryerson University professors Marco Polo and Colin Ripley. Panellists include:

- Margaret Crawford, Professor of Urban Design and Planning Theory, GSD, Harvard University
- Anne Cormier, Professor, Faculte de l?Amenagement, Universite de Montreal
- Robert Freedman, Director of Urban Design, City of Toronto
- Ken Greenberg, Greenberg Consultants, Toronto
- Bruce Kuwabara, Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, Toronto
- Glen Murray, Navigator Limited, Visiting Scholar & Urban Policy Coordinator, University of Toronto
- Michel Schreinemachers, Next Architects, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Attendees will have the chance to meet the panellists and engage in informal discussion during a reception following the event.


WHAT:
The University and the City: Tapping the Potential of Ryerson's Master Plan

WHEN:
Thursday, March 15
2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Faculty/Staff Lounge
7th Floor
Ryerson Business Building
Bay and Dundas (entrance at 55 Dundas St. W)

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Re: RE

For all the architectural and design unpleasantness of the Ryerson campus, it's actually one of the most urbane ones around - it's not big enough to shut the rest of the city away entirely, unlike St. George or gawd forbid, York or the U of T suburban campuses. I think they should put more thought (and money) into the design of the new buildings instead of attempting to master plan the campus to hell, necessarily.

AoD

 

[yinyang41]

Re: RE

forget about PATH, just give ryerson some underground walkways to eric palin hall, pitman rez, engineering building, and a link to metropolis and you're set.