Toronto Waterlink at Pier 27 | 43.89m | 14s | Cityzen | a—A

DtTO said:
^ This. Some of you guys are so depressing and have a constant need to put down this city. How about you go for a walk and actually check out some of this city's parks before criticizing them?
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Actually we have visited them and that`s how we are able to make the comparison...I supposed it`s better we bury our heads in the sand and pretend everything is A-Ok.
 
Adjei said:
Actually we have visited them and that`s how we are able to make the comparison...I supposed it`s better we bury our heads in the sand and pretend everything is A-Ok.
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Insertnamehere, I can't believe you'd throw Queen's Park into that mix, as if it is anywhere near the standard of those NYC spaces that were shown. Isn't there a thread on this forum specifically addressing how embarrasingly shabby Queens Park is given it's the seat of our provincial government. I've had so many visistors from out of town comment on how underwhelming Queens Park is.
 
Adjei said:
Actually we have visited them and that`s how we are able to make the comparison...I supposed it`s better we bury our heads in the sand and pretend everything is A-Ok.
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Toronto parks certainly are looking shabbier and shabbier but, it also looks like this phase is nearing an end. It's difficult to make comparisons too. There's a different ideology here in terms of design compared to most other places. Here, our parks were conceived as all access green spaces whereas, in other cities, there is a formal design that tells people where they sit and where they shouldn't even walk on the grass.
 
Register123 said:
Insertnamehere, I can't believe you'd throw Queen's Park into that mix, as if it is anywhere near the standard of those NYC spaces that were shown.
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Agreed, it's completely delusional.... worse, it's a waste of time that we even have to address such a ludicrous claim as though it has any bearing in reality whatsoever. It's a good reminder though, so often we blame the city for the lack of investment in Toronto's public spaces but in fact the policies are just a reflection of a boobish attitude in Toronto that views anything purely aesthetic as 'gravy', the sort of stubbornly defensive attitude that insists the shabby unkempt space around Queen's Park is perfectly good enough! Bryant Park indeed!!


maestro said:
There's a different ideology here in terms of design compared to most other places. Here, our parks were conceived as all access green spaces whereas, in other cities, there is a formal design that tells people where they sit and where they shouldn't even walk on the grass.
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There are plenty of people walking on the grass in the parks and squares of New York (they are also pedestrianizing many areas and adding bike lanes all over too)! The issue in Toronto is a lack of urban sophistication that revels in itself (the Ford years being the very worst reflection of it), that anything that isn't bare-bones functional smacks of elitist wastefulness. Fountains don't need to function, streets and sidewalks don't need repairing beyond the most utilitarian of patching, and poles and utilities don't need hiding because the streets are ugly anyway... is there really any hope for parks and gardens in such a climate?

*I do agree with Maestro that we are seeing some improvements, residual effects of some of David Miller's efforts. The BIAs have really stepped up too, they've had to. In the end though we either value these things collectively as a city and demand them or we don't... but let's not delude ourselves that we are city that does value these things - comparing our realm to NYC for example - when it's so apparent we do not. It's counterproductive.
 
Okay, this has gone waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off topic. Please get back to how the park around the west and south sides of Pier 27 won't be good enough.

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interchange42 said:
Okay, this has gone waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off topic. Please get back to how the park around the west and south sides of Pier 27 won't be good enough.

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Hahahaha... I'm sure these guys will all be complaining about the whole Waterfront once it's complete - "Why didn't they bury Redpath? Where's the enormous statue in the harbour WE DESERVE???"

QQE is about to explode with life after 30 years of neglect. I'm so looking forward to how animated this'll be once Hines are finished - Corus/GBC/Sugar/Pier 27 are just showing the way.
 
I'm adding a post in this thread to show a bit of what's going on with the land to the west of the Waterlink site.

Identified as #4 on the map below, the Foot of Yonge Park is still off in the future. It's being considered now as part of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park design competition so that teams are free to think big when it comes to what to do with the parklands down here.

That means that currently, the developers are working on the water's edge promenade south of the Pier 27 buildings, and there will be access to it down the middle of the site between the two pairs of buildings, and they are also putting in a temporary access down the west side, but the area beside the rusting hulk of the Jadran won't get a final design for a little while.

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Any questions?

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The last picture gives the impression of Sudbury or something, with the huge chimney and factory pipes.
 
So much better random Northern Ontario cities to choose from ... too bad.
 
It has more of a hint of Manhattan, where Consolidated Edison plants exist within otherwise mostly dense residential urban environs. Just think of Lake Ontario as a wider version of the East River, and the Toronto Islands as our Roosevelt Island.

Or, if you're too flustered by comparison with New York City, just tell yourself that it's pretty cool that we've got high-end condos right beside functioning industrial on our waterfront, because it is. It shows the strength of this city.

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interchange42 said:
It has more of a hint of Manhattan, where Consolidated Edison plants exist within otherwise mostly dense residential urban environs. Just think of Lake Ontario as a wider version of the East River, and the Toronto Islands as our Roosevelt Island.

Or, if you're too flustered by comparison with New York City, just tell yourself that it's pretty cool that we've got high-end condos right beside functioning industrial on our waterfront, because it is. It shows the strength of this city.

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+1
 
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