Toronto Pan Am Village in the West Don Lands | ?m | ?s | DundeeKilmer | KPMB

[alklay]

Trees and wide sidewalks are great, but there is a point at which width can detract from the pedestrian experience. T

I would love to know at what point width can detract from the "pedestrian experience", with some examples.

(what I do know, is that Toronto has too many sidewalks that are not wide enough, and thus "detract from the pedestrian experience". I cannot think of any examples in the city (or in New York...or in Paris) where the sidewalks are too wide.)

 

[NBGtect]

I'm curious what this 'perfect' sidewalk width is too! I tried Googling it with no results. Maybe there is a study somewhere on the satisfaction level in humans on appropriate sidewalk width??? You'd think that people would have studied this. Just based on my own experience, a sidewalk width of 3m to 4m is best. But that's a pretty heated debate if we put that out there!

 

[DSC]

I'm curious what this 'perfect' sidewalk width is too! I tried Googling it with no results. Maybe there is a study somewhere on the satisfaction level in humans on appropriate sidewalk width??? You'd think that people would have studied this. Just based on my own experience, a sidewalk width of 3m to 4m is best. But that's a pretty heated debate if we put that out there!

Frankly, you ask a ridiculous question that has no single answer. A sidewalk needs to be wide enough to easily accommodate the pedestrian traffic. Those on Bay and Front need to be wider than those at George and Wilton. If you have/want things like boulevard cafes you need more space. One size does not fit all. Take a look at: http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=d90d4074781e1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

 

[Conrad Black]

Sidewalks can be too wide if the buildings surrounding them are poorly designed from an urban perspective. There are lots of spots on Bay that have wide sidewalks next to buildings with large plazas in front that hide the retail far back from the street. I'd consider those too wide and lousy urbanism.

 

[Tewder]

Paris has its wide boulevards and the narrow streets of the Marais. They are all urban. A combination of both is nice.

 

[NBGtect]

Agreed. It all depends on context. Of course it's a silly question to ask. But here the wide sidewalk makes sense. The point being that there isn't a perfect sidewalk width.

 

[interchange42]

Anyone wishing to pursue this a little more should consider reading Allan B. Jacobs' Great Streets. Here's its Amazon page. And what the heck, here's the Indigo listing.

 

[DSC]

"They" (Infrastructure Ontario?) have once again fenced off Cherry Street between Front and Mill Streets. No diversionary signage, no pedestrian warnings at Trinity. Not quite sure why they have done this now, the PAG do not start for about 100 days.

 

[exfowl]

View from my new condo in the Gooderham

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Thanks for the photos! WDL is looking great.

 

[hawc]

Looks great. But why did they shut down all the roads again? Particularly Cherry? I was using that to get home each day and all of a sudden it's just closed for no reason. There is not construction equipment on it, they just closed it up. Seems crazy. Anyone know why? Who can I write too?

 

[interchange42]

Much appreciated first post exfowl. Welcome to UT!

42

 

[Edward Skira]

Fantastic first post!

 

[Benito]

Wonderful view you have there, congrats on your new condo.

 

[DSC]

Looks great. But why did they shut down all the roads again? Particularly Cherry? I was using that to get home each day and all of a sudden it's just closed for no reason. There is not construction equipment on it, they just closed it up. Seems crazy. Anyone know why? Who can I write too?

It was always intended that Cherry would be closed again when they started to set up the tents etc as it separates the site. In a while it will also be closed from Lake Shore too and probably at Eastern. You could contact Infrastructure Ontario but it won't change things. They certainly DO need better signage at Mill and Trinity to say that it is closed off northbound at Cherry.