We need more green space?

[building babel]

I'm a Capability Brown man myself. Just as much artifice went into creating his landscapes as went into the French and Italian formal gardens, but it resulted in a look that was more natural than nature itself. But then Babel grew up roaming English landscape gardens, and they are in his soul.

 

[adma]

Keep in mind re the E half (i.e. E of Mimico Creek) of Humber Bay Park that it reflects a more "naturalistic" approach to park design. The W half, meanwhile, gives itself more to sterile grass + boat clubs etc.

And that's just fine by me--I prefer the E half. Though methinks a lot of the rich'n'dumb motel-strip condo parvenus would rather the E half be more like the W half...

 

[Archivistower]

I don't know about your comparisons, esp. They rammed an expressway down one side of the bois du boulogne, and in my walk through it last year I didn't find a whole lot to admire, more than say, High Park. Of course, cities contain many parks, and different kinds of parks, but in the same way that comparing Steeles with Bond Street is pointless, your comparisons strike me as pointless.

 

[tudararms]

In France the concept of a park is so vastly different than ours. There, a park is a place for a stroll, or a place where one can sit in an uncomfortable, rented metal chair to read Stendhal. Very often you are not permitted to walk on the grass which is manicured to within an inch of its life, and very often there is no grass to speak of, merely gravel, parterres, clipped trees and usually a fountain. Although our sensibility is definately less formal here (thank god!) I think we could find a happy balance of formality/design and leisure green space.

I like the park in Yorkville too. Very creative, and seems popular.

 

[wyliepoon]

In France the concept of a park is so vastly different than ours.

Same with Hong Kong. Because of the shortage of land and high urban density, Hong Kong urban parks tend to be very small, crowded and frequently used. The quality of the parks range greatly. The nicer parks are not really parks but gardens, with nice walking paths, fountains, ponds, with Chinese-style pavilions. On the other end of the scale are soccer fields with no grass but paved in asphalt, and rest areas under overpasses, which are a big hit with the old people there (I doubt something like that would work in Toronto except with the homeless). There are few parks in HK that have big fields like in Toronto, but there are large areas of "country parks" in suburban areas which have been untouched by development and are perfect for weekend field trips and ecotourism.

Interestingly enough, whenever my relatives from HK come over to Toronto, they kill their early morning hours (when suffering from jetlag) by taking a walk in a suburban park.

 

[building babel]

The French are insane when it comes to public use of public green space. I once stretched out on a park bench in Paris on a quiet afternoon and this vile little man, some sort of park employee, popped up out of nowhere and harangued me in his incomprehensible foreign tongue.

So different from the lovely London parks just across the Channel, where you can relax in the rain.

 

[Archivistower]

I've always thought the French really didn't understand parks very well. I think the Bois is meant to a "woods" rather than a programmed and formal park, but even there I don't think they quite got it. I do love the park at Invalides - it seems the perfect French park, but what is it with the bright gravel?

 

[interchange42]

The gravel IS underfoot all too often in French parks - but at least it's not ubiquitous:

 

[tudararms]

^This image must have been quite shocking and decadent to belle epoque society!

 

[esplanade guy]

Is there something wrong with a little gravel? If it's coloured and used in the right places, it can be quite attractive. Hell, why not throw in some sculptured trees, exotic plants, decorative clay pots, art, ceramic tiles, fountains, monuments, funky benches and flowers. Now that might make a park worth photographing. You wont see many people taking pics in Toronto parks, except for Centre Island maybe, because there is not much beauty to photograph. Is there something wrong with appreciating beauty? Natural habitat is fine and good but so is a park designed impress. High Park just doesn't cut it, although the Music Garden, Edwards Gardens, Guildwood and Yorkville are pretty nice but nothing really special. Anybody have any suggestions about the most beautiful parks? Are there any in this city that impress? Maybe there is something I missed but so far, I'm not too impressed. I'll take Central Park anyday.

 

[andreapalladio]

Muir Park, on Yonge south of Lawrence

St. James' Park, though the Victorian garden is being rebuilt right now

The trapezoidal park behind the Flatiron Building, with the lovliest fountain in the city

The Sculpture Garden

Riverdale Park - both of them, for the farm in the west and the view in the east

The Yorkville Park

The park between the Yorkville Library and the new apartmetn building where the Loblaws used to be

The gardens at Osgoode Hall

All impressive, all for different reasons. Though it's hard to impress those who are determined not to like anything.

 

[shawnmicallef]

Re: The flatiron park. Was it in this thread somebody said it was too dark? At night, that great fountain looks like a huge fire when lit up. You can see it for blocks.

--

As for convincing people who are determined not to like anything -- i'm often introduced to people with the phrase "x hates Toronto, tell him/her why it's good" and I refuse to, because it's too daunting and futile a task. And also, meh.

 

[andreapalladio]

I love that fountain - both the shape and the lighting. The fountains are on at the Sculpture Garden and at the east end of the Esplanade now too.

 

[esplanade guy]

Sure the fountain in that Front St. park is nice but I don't think I'm going to see it in a book of the world's greatest fountains. That's the problem with Torontonians, we don't aspire to greatness. If you guys think Toronto has great parks, then I guess we have different standards of what greatness means.

This city has parks and fountains but how many would you see on a list of the world's 20 best, fountains or parks. Great cities usually have 2 or 3 GREAT parks, we have none. Sure High Park is nice, Centre Island is interesting and the Leslie St. Spit is unique, but none of them would be considered great. (In my humble opinion) All I ask is for one great park that makes tourits stop and cameras pop. A park we can be proud of, not just admire. I hope the waterfront gets one truely special, spectacular, mind-blowing, "world class" lol, entertaing, yeah exspensive and top rated PARK! (Not just grass and more friggin' trees. Is that too much too ask? I know, I'm a big-time dreamer.

 

[andreapalladio]

Why do we need to build a park to engage in some non-existant competition? Les Jardins de Luxembourg is my favourite place in the whole world, but I don't need it to be replicated here. And besides, being grass and trees, and having no enforced entertainments, it wouldn't meet your unattainable standards anyway?