Toronto YZD | ?m | ?s | Northcrest Developments | KPMB

I made sure to put in my feedback. I've left multiple proposals for reconstructing the street grid in the area over in the Fantasy Roads Proposals threads, but ultimately there are a few things I think should be essential to this development:

1. Reconnecting Dufferin. All that north-south traffic right now is unloading onto Allen Road, and giving an alternate path could maybe reduce congestion on the east-west streets that intersect with Allen. Ideally, only 2 lanes in each direction.
2. Rights-of-way for mass transit. Not just for Dufferin, but also for Line 4 to cross over into neighbourhoods west of the Barrie Line. I would bend it along the runway to further promote density up to Wilson, but it could also go straight across.
3. Getting rid of the majority of the runway. Maybe a small part of it can be kept, and have the built form allude to its path through building heights (I also really love the greenspace idea), but a flat stretch of concrete isn't really a heritage feature, nor is it unique to this part of Toronto.

Realigning Sheppard would be great as well, but it could also work as a public transit corridor with sidewalks and bike lanes next to it since the existing Sheppard isn't too out of the way.
 
ADRM said:
It's probably too much surface area to do in full, but part of me thinks it could be neat to use the runway as a pedestrian-and-bike-only spine; a bit Tempelhof-y but lined with retail and connecting to other public spaces.
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What do you mean by "too much surface area to do in full"? A busway is only around 7m wide.
 
ADRM said:
As in, I don’t know if we would want to preserve the entire runway because it takes up quite a lot of space.
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My thought was that the runway itself could be removed (too much land area dedicated to concrete), but a green spine / park could be put right in it's same footprint, as an homage that could be felt on the ground, but also seen from above and affect the skyline. This space could be green park in the middle with woonerf-style ped/bike focused streets on either side, and midrise (to highrise in places) fronting on both sides. It could complement a north-south main street (Dufferin), with the intersection of the two a focal point with a main square.

If the grid for development throughout were along Toronto's normal north-south / east-west axis, this space would create interest by cutting a diagonal across the grid. Imagine all the opportunities for flatiron-shaped buildings!
 
Could this finally be a catalyst for the Sheppard West subway extension? Here's the Metrolinx update from Feb. 2020: http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...220_BoardMtg_Advancing_Transit_Priorities.pdf

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They should zoned the alignment of the wye connecting from the potential Sheppard subway to Wilson yard as open space so that it can be done in cut-and-cover in the future.
 
Definitely agree that the potential Downsview redevelopment has given Sheppard West a better case, especially if the plans produce a high-density residential and employment hub.

IMO, it also improves the connectivity of the YU Line in case service is disrupted, as passenger loads can be dispersed much more easily.

As for the airport runway inspiration, maybe something like this by Lateral Office?
runway_diagram_1000.jpg

01_RKJ_ProjectMap_1000.jpg

LATERAL OFFICE

LATERAL OFFICE is a Toronto-based platform for new spatial environments -- Architecture / Nature / Urbanism / Infrastructure
lateraloffice.com lateraloffice.com
 
Haydenpoon said:
There should be a large park at the intersection of the runway ...
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ADRM said:
... it could be neat to use the runway as a pedestrian-and-bike-only spine; a bit Tempelhof-y ...
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Since there is already the huge Downsview Park right beside it, I wouldn't count on Downsview Airport also becoming another enormous park, particularly with the mayor seemingly acknowledging it will be developed.
Berlin Tempelhof is also used for Formula E (electric car) racing.
https://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/news/formula-e-to-restart-season-with-six-august-races/4808024/
I still hope some portion of Downsview Airport could be left as some kind of large event plaza area for things like that such as festivals, parades, etc., maybe extending out from the large parking lot for The Hangar, soccer fields, and hockey arenas on the west side of the airfield ("Park Commons" area as it is labeled on the maps).
 
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The airport has plenty of historical significance. It would be great if the massing of any new project could commemorate it by somehow keeping the runways as streets and/or open public space.

It could be designed so that if you look the future community from a satellite or drone view, the public space would line up with the runways in the current satellite imagery.
 
lenaitch said:
The Canadian Air and Space Museum used to be at Downsview - they couldn't make a go of it.
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Maybe it's premature - what we can have is a planetarium/aerospace museum complex after the area is a little bit more established. Tons of space by Downsview Park station.

AoD
 
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