DTAH has recently revealed their masterplan to revitalize Humber Bay Park for the City of Toronto's Parks, Forestry, and Recreation Department. Opened in 1984, Humber Bay Park consists of two man-made landspits framing the mouth of the Mimico Creek. The 106-acre park has become naturalized over the years as local wildlife and vegetation have crept in. Increasing density that has come with the influx of development in the nearby Humber Bay Shores area has brought on the need for improvements to the park.

The park as it stands on Google Earth:

Aerial overview of Humber Bay Park, image via Google Maps

The masterplan's proposed changes can be noted below on a comparable aerial drawing:

Overview of the revitalization features coming to the park, image courtesy of DTAH

The most significant piece of infrastructure added to the park would be a new pedestrian bridge closer to the mouth of the Mimico Creek to bring the two land masses together. The current Santiago Calatrava-designed steel inclined arch bridge will also be widened to support the increased pedestrian traffic that will continue to grow in the coming years. 

The plan also envisions a new configuration for the farmers market space on the west side of the park. Trees, seating, shade structures, and permeable paving will characterize the space currently acting mostly as a parking lot. A 3m x 3m grid of trees will be planted in a way to accommodate either vendor stalls or vehicular parking as necessary.

Farmers Market at Humber Bay Park, image courtesy of DTAH

The parking lot on the eastern side is to be reconfigured in such a way that the spaces would surround a pollinator meadow.

Redesigned parking area at Humber Bay Park, image courtesy of DTAH

The man-made ponds of the eastern park are also being reshaped, naturalizing the concrete-framed ponds into a sprawling wetlands area. Boardwalks would traverse the wetlands linking the northern end of the park to the shoreline. The largest of the ponds would retain its size and use as a recreational pond, which could take the form of a skating rink in the winter, as pictured below.

Boardwalk and recreational pond at Humber Bay Shores Park, image courtesy of DTAH

The washrooms and storage facility on the eastern peninsula (near the future wetlands site) will be reconstructed, the architectural details for which are soon to be finalized. The western building will be maintained with a future consideration for redevelopment.

Preliminary works are scheduled in the park this year, with most construction taking place in 2021.

You can learn more about what's in store for Humber Bay Park by looking at DTAH's entire masterplan for the site, or by visiting the Database file and Forum thread, linked below. 

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