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How do you build a livable city? This is a question that architects and planners have been trying to tackle for centuries. The current leading concept in planning circles is the idea of a 15-minute city, a place where everything you need — food, work, greenery, leisure spaces, entertainment, and services — is located within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from your home. It is an attempt to counter the negative impacts of urban sprawl, which has contributed to traffic congestion, global warming, and environmental degradation across the globe. In the suburb of Vaughan where twentieth-century sprawl is the norm, Smartliving — SmartCentres REIT’s residential sub-brand — is well underway in building a 15-minute city with the SmartVMC master plan, a new city centre at Highway 7 and Jane Street. The next phase of the master plan, Park Place, is now in sales and represents the latest evolution of this exciting development.
Park Place is located at the northeast corner of Highway 7 and Commerce Street and features two towers of 48 and 56 storeys containing a total of 1,100 residential units. The development will also include over 10,000 ft² of new retail space, a new open courtyard, and a host of amenities for residents to enjoy. The building is in a prime location that takes advantage of all the available amenities and services in the SmartVMC neighbourhood.
Park Place is located directly adjacent to the future 9-acre central park of SmartVMC, a significant green space and focal point of the neighbourhood. Designed by renowned landscape architect Claude Cormier + Associés, the park will feature children's play areas, a large sunken lawn for informal sports and large gatherings, a dog park, fountains, and walking paths, essentially becoming a big backyard for residents to enjoy. The first phase of the park begins construction later this year.
Transit connectivity is key to any successful city, and SmartVMC has evolved around new higher-order rapid transit service. The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC subway station connecting straight to Downtown Toronto is at the heart of the community alongside the regional bus terminal, while Viva's Highway 7 BRT route passes along the south boundary of the neighbourhood. Park Place positions itself directly adjacent to the Commerce Street stop on the BRT line, and is a short walk away from the VMC subway station.
Adjacent to the subway station is more public space for residents to enjoy at Transit Square, which hosts events and live music. Next door is the brand new YMCA, a 70,000+ ft² facility housed within the PwC Tower that contains a pool, gymnasium, fitness centre, and studio spaces, and which opened its doors at the end of April. Also within the building is a Vaughan Public Library branch and 105,000 ft² of office space, with PwC and Scotiabank as anchor tenants.
Several new high-rise residential towers have been recently completed or are currently under construction in the area, and each brings landscaped open spaces that enhance the pedestrian realm, along with some small-scale retail establishments like Buca and Balzac's. Within a short walk or bus ride from Park Place are also larger scale retailers like IKEA, Walmart Supercentre, Fortino's, and LCBO to meet all the residents' basic needs. Park Place is also conveniently located a short drive away from family attractions like Canada's Wonderland and Dave and Buster's, and is only a 5-minute subway ride from York University.
The future is taking shape at SmartVMC, and the 15-minute city is closer to reality as the neighbourhood continues to grow. You can find out more about Park Place by checking out the Database file linked below, and you can tell us what you think by joining in on the discussion on the associated Forum thread, or by leaving a comment in the space provided on this page. More information can also be found on the project's website, here.
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| Related Companies: | Hariri Pontarini Architects, MHBC Planning, Platinum Condo Deals, SmartCentres REIT |
