Toronto Sherbourne Common, Canada's Sugar Beach, and the Water's Edge Promenade | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto | Teeple Architects

AndreaPalladio said:
In order to have something like Millennium Park, we will need a federal government willing to pony up wads of cash, and a rich family like the Pritzkers to pony up even more. That is how Chicago got their park built.
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It's fortunate then that Toronto has the GDP of a small country.

Shame that we only have access to 12% of the taxes our citizens provide.
 
AndreaPalladio said:
In order to have something like Millennium Park, we will need a federal government willing to pony up wads of cash, and a rich family like the Pritzkers to pony up even more. That is how Chicago got their park built.
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And that's how you got $300 million on budget deficit, I guess.

Do we need a nice monumental park in Toronto? Maybe. Do we need to spend half of a billion for said park? Nope.
 
Bad Bear said:
And that's how you got $300 million on budget deficit, I guess.

Do we need a nice monumental park in Toronto? Maybe. Do we need to spend half of a billion for said park? Nope.
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+1

I heard Chicago's debt just got downgraded to 'junk' status because they have been so horribly spending beyond their means that theres a legitimate chance of default. Now that's mostly due to spending on pensions and not public parks, but still
 
Wow, so many posts to take a 2 year old girl to task. You should all be proud.

It's a nice little spot, not technically a beach in the geographic sense - she is absolutely right - but a fun space nonetheless. Personally i don't like the messiness of sand - and what's the point if not swimming - so i'd be more inclined to appreciate this particular design gesture from afar. Happy it's there though!!
 
Tewder said:
It's a nice little spot, not technically a beach in the geographic sense - she is absolutely right
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There is only one Pit at Christie. And College Park isn't really a park. And there is no bay on Bay Street, and Front Street isn't the front of anything.

Seriously, the name is intended to be whimsical. It's not picking on a two-year-old to point that out.
 
Let's not start comparing Toronto and Chicago's fiscal situation. Toronto is experiencing a prolonged increase in population and a recovery of its job base. The city has never been more desirable. Chicago has been losing population for years. Toronto's taxes are actually low and if we wanted to spend more on our city, we could. Chicago is losing its tax base and is scrambling to cover the costs. Millennium Park is amazing and obviously there are many extremely wealthy people in Chicago to tap. Toronto's philosophy and Canada's culture is to let the government pay for public things to a far greater extent than the US.
 
agoraflaneur said:
Millennium Park is amazing and obviously there are many extremely wealthy people in Chicago to tap. Toronto's philosophy and Canada's culture is to let the government pay for public things to a far greater extent than the US.
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Actually I've heard years ago (and it is probably even more true now that it was then) that there are plenty of giga-rich in Toronto - but cheap ones.

AoD
 
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Toronto shouldn't be copying Chicago. There's already Chicago's waterfront to appreciate, why does anybody need a knock off version of it? Toronto's got the right idea for Toronto, though I would like to see at least one better designed central gathering space that has some monumentality/sense of celebration to it. Not essential in any sense but it sure would add a sweet little cherry to the top of a yummy cake.
 
Tewder said:
Toronto shouldn't be copying Chicago. There's already Chicago's waterfront to appreciate, why does anybody need a knock off version of it? Toronto's got the right idea for Toronto, though I would like to see at least one better designed central gathering space that has some monumentality/sense of celebration to it. Not essential in any sense but it sure would add a sweet little cherry to the top of a yummy cake.
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Well, three high profile ones to come would be: Harbour Square Park redo; the Foot of Yonge park (where the Gardiner off ramp is right now) and the park proposed for the LCBO lands. The latter two would do well to have a design competition.

Further down the timeline is the public space at Lower Don Lands - especially the so called Promontory Park at the Don Mouth. Personally I wanted to see a redo of the non-wild public space at the Toronto Island. Something like a less commercialized version of Sentosa Island in Singapore; and OP can follow the Gardens by the Bay model.

AoD
 
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Tewder said:
Toronto shouldn't be copying Chicago. There's already Chicago's waterfront to appreciate, why does anybody need a knock off version of it? Toronto's got the right idea for Toronto, though I would like to see at least one better designed central gathering space that has some monumentality/sense of celebration to it. Not essential in any sense but it sure would add a sweet little cherry to the top of a yummy cake.
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I agree with this. I actually find Toronto's central waterfront to be more animated and lively than Chicago's. I would like to see a few destination areas and major attractions on the waterfront. I just wish a few spaces were zoned for tourism/work and developed as tourism focused public spaces and entertainment/cultural uses. Office towers and condos are both needed but we also need to animate the waterfront with culture, entertainment and destinations that attract crowds/tourists. We have miles and miles of waterfront for residential but we only have one downtown, central waterfront that can hold major attractions that are easily accessible to large numbers of people and can become a focal point. That's where I think Chicago really stands out with Millennium Park.
 
That strikes me as a narrow view of tourism. Purpose-built entertainment "destinations" suggests (to me) lame corporate-sponsored music/food festivals. Culture and entertainment should materialize organically out of a sound, livable urban fabric or not at all, imo. You might as well build another sports stadium, otherwise. If you really want the city to impart a good impression with your tourist friends, tell them to board a ferry to the islands.
 
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