Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

I would like to see that too along with bike lanes but many businesses get their deliveries via Yonge Street not to mention couriers so reducing to 2 lanes (unless it was one-way downtown as suggested above) probably isn't going to happen, especially under Ford Nation.
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
I would like to see that too along with bike lanes but many businesses get their deliveries via Yonge Street not to mention couriers so reducing to 2 lanes (unless it was one-way downtown as suggested above) probably isn't going to happen, especially under Ford Nation.
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Nice try, but reducing the main drag to, two lanes/one way, wider sidewalks, with bike lanes aint going to happen under "Anyone's Nation"
 
I always find it sad when I hear residents in the GTA have absolutely no idea what Yonge is like North of Bloor, which I find is common. Generally they'll have an idea what NYCC is like and downtown (and in some cases the Y&E area) but none of the rest. Particularly when it just so happens that the reset is the most interesting.


As alluded to above the shape of the building throughout this stretch is generally decent to good. There have been quite a few restoration projects. Add to this the beautiful neighborhoods just off Yonge in either direction, particularly around the St.Clair area.


Anyway, from the city's point of view I think all that can be reasonably done is to redo / improve the infrastructure from Bloor to Queen, wider sidewalks, better paving (the lights are fine the way they are). Then hope the rest comes to fruition over time do to market factors.


In my books, the area of Toronto that most desperately needs a make over is the following:
On Yonge from Wellesley to Queen. Then on Queen from Yonge to University. I think everyone will agree with the first and second choice (well the fact its the highest priority) comes from the fact that its a very important area in Toronto but its very desolate due to the lack of retail / atmosphere. I don't think this will change, but by making the public infrastructure great at least the area will have character through that.


While other parts of Toronto aren't in the greatest shape they are decent, take Bay street for example.

Add to this the following: I find vibrant neighborhoods i.e. Queen west of Spadina all the way to Dufferin (if not farther), which also lacking well kept infrastructure, feel great just the way they are, I think because the commercial shape / atmosphere makes up for the rest such that its barely noticeable.
 
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Good points taal!!!
My pet peeve is that the city does not take the initiative to beautify the city. It's like they don't care.


Chicago does a great job in that respect.

The bloor BIA had to do it themselves. And it looks like every neighborhood has to take the initiative itself to get this city to look decent.
 
Yonge street can be cleaned up, that's for sure. But I don't think it will ever be a beautiful street. When I say beautiful, I mean something like Bloor or University, not Champs-Élysées.

Also kinda funny that University, Beautiful as it is, is barely used on the weekends. The time of the week, people that might care about that kinda thing, would be actually be strolling along it.....

Wierd.
 
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caltrane74 said:
Yonge street can be cleaned up, that's for sure. But I don't think it will ever be a beautiful street. When I say beautiful, I mean something like Bloor or University, not Champs-Élysées.

Also kinda funny that University, Beautiful as it is, is barely used on the weekends. The time of the week, people that might care about that kinda thing, would be actually be strolling along it.....

Wierd.
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I see your point but it can still beautiful in its own way. The streets you're comparing it too are generally much wider, I think our best bet on Yonge is to create a more intimate atmosphere as opposed to the grander of the streets you are comparing it too.

Having said all that I do agree with you that in general Toronto will never really match the beauty of cities like Chicago and Paris. Check out Bloor now, as great as it is for Toronto it still doesn't really compare to other cities. Anyway I think that's OK, Toronto's charm has never originated from its public realm.
 
As of today I can finally see Aura peeking up behind the Delta from my office at Bay & Queen. I should be able to get some good photos of it over the next couple years.
 
Toronto doesn't need to be like chicago or new York. Toronto has to forge its own path and build its own character. Having said that, it can do a lot to be prettier.. I personally think wide sidewalks, flowers and trees do wonders to a cityscape !!
When we walk down a street we generally look around us. Nothing frankly on that part of yonge is appealing. Neither the ignage, nor the sidewalks. It's grey and blah.
 
whatever said:
The hoarding on Yonge was being dismantled today
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Can't wait to see how different that corner looks now, now that the hoarding is down. Anyone have any shots?

Was retail opening June or something?
 
I don't know if they're going that far south on Yonge yet. When I walked by they'd taken down the overhead part of the hoarding from Hayter down to the gate. You can actually see it on that picture that just got posted
 
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