Toronto Dundas Square Gardens | 156.05m | 50s | Gupta | IBI Group

Torontonians could start to ask themselves what kind of experience at street level do they expect from their developers? What makes a city more livable more walkable? Heritage buildings and/or their facades are not only preserved for their reference to Toronto's past but also to preserve a fine grained experience at the pedestrian level. Should this not be a precedent for city planners to exert some kind of influence upon a more varied use of materials and textures that replicate that experience in new builds?

In any subdivision or old neighbourhood, it is expected that a household cuts the grass and makes aesthetic repairs not only for their sake but for the sake of the neighbours, visitors and the district they live in. A lawn, for example, though privately owned, is a visual transaction with those living near or merely walking by. Here we have a fifty story tower that from my point of view makes little effort in that transaction.

Tell me they could not afford to put some creativity into the design at street level for the sake of those who share this urban space. This is a 50 story tower with over a thousand units in it.


Street level is an area I think Toronto consistently punches above its weight (on our continent) . It's not that we do it well. The others are even worse. The biggest advantage is parking is underground. Landscaping is nonexistent. Facades reflect spaces that can be combined or broken apart is par for the course. It's very common . Ceiling heights are generally pretty good. That's a huge deal for urbantoronto for good reason and it really doesn't come up too often.
 
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Jarvis has always had the potential to once again be a great street. I'd love to see a major museum/gallery or 2 get built on Jarvis between Dundas and Wellesley. Sort of like how the Guggenheim is on 5th in NYC. Done right it could be a street that attracts tourists. One would have to upgrade both Allan Gardens and Moss Park of course.... and the necessary upgrades to the public realm.

4 lanes of traffic would be a good start.
 
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Allan Gardens is pretty well kept, they have done some minor landscaping and installed that big new playground recently. But yes, would/ will be nice to see Jarvis evolve further.
 
Jarvis has always had the potential to once again be a great street. I'd love to see a major museum/gallery or 2 get built on Jarvis between Dundas and Wellesley. Sort of like how the Guggenheim is on 5th in NYC. Done right it could be a street that attracts tourists. One would have to upgrade both Allan Gardens and Moss Park of course.... and the necessary upgrades to the public realm.

4 lanes of traffic would be a good start.

First step should be to move Moss Park Armoury. Perhaps to soil-contaminated lands in the Portlands (a location where it would be the most difficult to build housing on, but still close to the city centre and transit), near Leslie Barns.
 

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