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York University - Major Capital Priorities

Northern Light

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At the February 25th meeting of the Board of Governors of York University, a report came forward which outlined the Universities major capital priorities.

They are new/enhanced buildings as well as the new Markham campus.

Agenda here: P. 187


Or image below.

180978
 
Worked at Scott for 11 years, the compact shelving is *much* needed. That library has nowhere else to grow and was bursting at the seams even when I was there.
 
Is this campus ever going to integrate itself with the city surrounding it by putting buildings along the major streets that make up its boundaries?
 
Is this campus ever going to integrate itself with the city surrounding it by putting buildings along the major streets that make up its boundaries?

I hope not. York is a suburban campus with a suburban feel. If you want an urban campus, go to Ryerson or U of T.
 
I hope not. York is a suburban campus with a suburban feel. If you want an urban campus, go to Ryerson or U of T.

York is an aesthetic monstrosity.

Its also profoundly unwelcoming/unsafe for pedestrians.

When checking out the subway extension, I got off at Pioneer Village Station, with the simple goal of walking to York U station via the campus.

The first thing I discovered is that there isn't even the most basic sidewalk continuous between those two points.

In fact, right across from Pioneer Village Station there is no sidewalk.......

When one does wander further in, to where there are dedicated walkways, one finds a soupy maze without good wayfinding, unappealing and poorly maintained streetscapes/landscapes.......and buildings that almost all turn their back on the walkway.

When wanders further along, one finds York Lanes, a bland, small, shopping mall in the midst of no man's land that again turns its back on the surrounding area.

When you get out to the York U subway stop......you find very little in the way street-facing retail, classrooms or patios...........moribund landscapes, and desire lines across the large sod median that are unpaved, and as such a mud/ice heap during the winter and not lit!

If that's what passes for acceptable in suburbia........then everything must go.

Steeles and Keele are not going to be 'urbane' and humanly-scaled anytime soon, that is not a one, two or three building project.

Notwithstanding that...........there is a need to do better than parking, vacant lots and a huge berm.

Over time, this campus can be rescued, if there's sufficient ambition. But I will say, I see very little of that today.

Sadly.
 
York is an aesthetic monstrosity.

Its also profoundly unwelcoming/unsafe for pedestrians.

When checking out the subway extension, I got off at Pioneer Village Station, with the simple goal of walking to York U station via the campus.

The first thing I discovered is that there isn't even the most basic sidewalk continuous between those two points.

In fact, right across from Pioneer Village Station there is no sidewalk.......

When one does wander further in, to where there are dedicated walkways, one finds a soupy maze without good wayfinding, unappealing and poorly maintained streetscapes/landscapes.......and buildings that almost all turn their back on the walkway.

When wanders further along, one finds York Lanes, a bland, small, shopping mall in the midst of no man's land that again turns its back on the surrounding area.

When you get out to the York U subway stop......you find very little in the way street-facing retail, classrooms or patios...........moribund landscapes, and desire lines across the large sod median that are unpaved, and as such a mud/ice heap during the winter and not lit!

If that's what passes for acceptable in suburbia........then everything must go.

Steeles and Keele are not going to be 'urbane' and humanly-scaled anytime soon, that is not a one, two or three building project.

Notwithstanding that...........there is a need to do better than parking, vacant lots and a huge berm.

Over time, this campus can be rescued, if there's sufficient ambition. But I will say, I see very little of that today.

Sadly.

Instead of expanding into Markham, it's about time they focus on improving their existing campus first.
 
York is an aesthetic monstrosity.

Its also profoundly unwelcoming/unsafe for pedestrians.
My two daughters are looking at universities. I'm open to them all, except one, York. Seemingly always at risk of strike or labour unrest and a campus that seems dangerous for women, this is the only one I'm veto'ing. We toured Trent earlier this month, much nicer.
 
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Despite being an urbanist, I truly enjoyed my time at York. It's incredibly diverse, has some great programs (a few you can't get anywhere else) and the campus is an amalgamation of post-war architecture - some great, some not-so. Not necessarily always pretty, but interesting and sort of fun to see where they've corrected past mistakes. If you go into it with an open mind and knowing what you are getting into, it can be just fine, labour strife and female safety aside.
 
I can't imagine my parent ever vetoing a university on my behalf because of their preconceived notions or hangups around aesthetics. That's some draconian shit. Send your kid to the best school they can get into that offers the best program in their choice of studies.
 

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