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Toronto Pearson International Airport

junctionist said:
One thing that would improve Pearson in future phases would be an emphasis on a more pleasant public realm on the exterior of the terminals. When you step outside the terminals at Pearson, you see a barren utilitarian expanse of concrete, particularly outside Terminal 1. Terminal 3 has some light landscaping, but it's not that noticeable. It would be more pleasant to have trees with enough room to mature, as well as flowers, shrubs, and even water features. I think Vancouver did better in this regard.
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Couldn't agree with you more!! Mini-forests of fully mature trees and landscaping that replicates Ontario's natural scenic landscapes (Algonquin, Niagara Escarpment, etc.). So much could be done to increase the positive visual impact for visitors and residents alike, when arriving or, departing Toronto.

I recall, prior to the current T1 building being built, an architectural competition or design charrette (?), (maybe Waterloo architecture students?)- not sure where? Anyways, one of designs from that charrette stuck with me - it was of a curvilinear (snaking) large timber-framed building, hidden within a hilly landscape, which was filled with mature trees, which camouflaged the building in a natural scene if you will. It was quite striking! If anything the proposal was ahead of its time, but more so, I think it illustrated/symbolised aspects of Ontario, but also Canada, something our current building and airport doesn't achieve at all (minus the obligatory Timmy's).
 
junctionist said:
The basic aim of airport operators is to maintain infrastructure for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods by airplane into and out of a particular area. The GTAA isn't a business, though it provides business space to offset its operating costs. That alone isn't its basic aim but rather a choice the government made for budgetary reasons.

I would say that the attitude that "Gardens and fountains are lovely but cost $$$ rather than earn $$$" is why the public realm is generally so substandard here in many places in Canada. We focus too much on the business aspect of doing something at the expense of social value. I think we have to ask ourselves if good business returns are the sole and only thing we aim for as residents of the city in our day-to-day lives. Outside of the work of managing for-profit corporations, the answer is most likely "no".
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To add on that, gardens & fountains improve the general feeling of an airport and can transform airports into destinations in themselves (i.e. look at Changi's new Jewel building)- which can be crucial in persuading those with the big bucks to actually spend money there, so there's more than just a social aspect to it.

I'd also add that Canada is also too stingy in regards to the airport exterior grounds and the airport access roads, and could do well in sprucing up those vicinities. Nowadays, airports are oftentimes the first impressions of a country many can see (and for some, their last)- and in many cities, it's a pretty depressing jaunt through some rather unattractive lands.
 
Sadly, most people have their noses buried in their phones so it would likely be lost on them.
 
jje1000 said:
To add on that, gardens & fountains improve the general feeling of an airport and can transform airports into destinations in themselves (i.e. look at Changi's new Jewel building)- which can be crucial in persuading those with the big bucks to actually spend money there, so there's more than just a social aspect to it.
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How much of this can be attributed to the importance of the airport to a country, it's use as a transit hub and and/or usefulness as a major transit hub?

Changi is a massive international transit hub. It's the only commercial airport for Singapore. All that means SIN has a much higher yielding passenger mix and every passenger is international. The Jewel is also a major shopping destination in Singapore and fully serviceable by transit. How much of this would apply to Pearson? We have an airport that can only be accessed by premium transit or road. There's no lack of malls in the GTA or even in that corner of the region. And most of Pearson's transit passengers never exit the secure area.

Maybe if the future Pearson Transit Hub was actually built into a commercial and retail centre, something like that could be built.
 
kEiThZ said:
How much of this can be attributed to the importance of the airport to a country, it's use as a transit hub and and/or usefulness as a major transit hub?

Changi is a massive international transit hub. It's the only commercial airport for Singapore. All that means SIN has a much higher yielding passenger mix and every passenger is international. The Jewel is also a major shopping destination in Singapore and fully serviceable by transit. How much of this would apply to Pearson? We have an airport that can only be accessed by premium transit or road. There's no lack of malls in the GTA or even in that corner of the region. And most of Pearson's transit passengers never exit the secure area.

Maybe if the future Pearson Transit Hub was actually built into a commercial and retail centre, something like that could be built.
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Pearson is not just the Gateway to Canada, it's the gateway to North America. We have some of the highest levels of transferring passengers from Europe/asia flights to the States and Latin America.
 
Streety McCarface said:
Pearson is not just the Gateway to Canada, it's the gateway to North America. We have some of the highest levels of transferring passengers from Europe/asia flights to the States and Latin America.
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How is that relevant at all to retail development if the passenger mix doesn't have the spending power or enough time to shop or possibly access outside the secure area in some cases?

Also, the Jewel was built outside the secure area. It caters to locals first. Transit/transfer passengers would need a visa or pass to go shop there. How do you propose to pull off something like that in Toronto?

The Jewel cost US$1.25 billion. That is about CA$1.8 billion. Take a guess at what kind of spending is required from mallgoers to make that kind of financing work. In essence what this idea means is building a mall with the yield of something like Yorkdale, built in Malton, with the hopes that transiting passengers will skip duty free, leave the secure area (knowing they have to go through security again) and spend big.

Even if the Pearson transit hub happens, the numbers and spending power aren't there for something like the Jewel. But maybe they'll be able to pull off something like Sherway Gardens with check-in counters or something.

As for just better aesthetics, I'm all for it. But I'm guessing that not too many passengers want to pay higher AIFs than what Pearson already charges.
 
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ticky said:
It's a shame air traffic is basically dead right now. Going out to the airport and sitting in the car with the kid to watch planes land would've killed a solid hour of time every weekend seeing as there are so little options for entertainment right now.
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It looks like there were a lot of people today watching the Antonov An-225 Mriya landing on runway 24R. There's several YouTube videos from both ends of the runway and this one from the plane.
 
A month behind but the GTAA released their annual report in early May. Some interesting tidbits in the Capital Projects section

1) Pier G is officially (to my knowledge) referred to as Pier G. Previously it had been called the gate 193 extension. So I guess the new pier is pier G
2) US CBSA facilities are being moved to a mezzanine level above the baggage hall, opening up the check in terminal. I'm curious as to where exactly this would be and what affect it will have on current facilities. Specifically the baggage hall which is a high ceiling area and how GTAA intends to prevent that area from becoming clausterphobic.
3) some capital projects have been delayed/deferred due to covid.
 
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Woodbridge_Heights said:
A month behind but the GTAA released their annual report in early May. Some interesting tidbits in the Capital Projects section

1) Pier G is officially (to my knowledge) referred to as Pier G. Previously it had been called the gate 193 extension. So I guess the new pier is pier G
2) US CBSA facilities are being moved to a mezzanine level above the baggage hall, opening up the check in terminal. I'm curious as to where exactly this would be and what affect it will have on current facilities. Specifically the baggage hall which is a high ceiling area and how GTAA intends to prevent that area from becoming clausterphobic.
3) some capital projects have been delayed/deferred due to covid.
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Do you have a link to it?
 
I drive by everyday and I remember seeing the A380's twice a week at Pearson up until some part in 2019 when Emirates cut back the flights due to passenger load.

Also seems like the old power plant is being torn down since at least May
 
Looking at this today,
https://www.flightradar24.com/airport/yyz or https://planefinder.net/airport/YYZ
everything seems to be using the two runways along the south part of the airport.
Irishmonk said:
... By comparison Heathrow has just 2 despite being nearly twice as busy.
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I was watching this YouTube channel on the weekend and last Wednesday when it was showing one of the runways live from the parking lot of the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel, and could see what planes were on their way in on the flightradar24 site. I suppose there's some stationary webcams aimed at runways (Prague, Kansai) where you could do this anytime.
 
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