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Toronto has seen many city building opportunities and masterplanned communities throughout its modern history, but none compare in size and scope to the redevelopment of the Downsview Airport lands. Sprawling across 520 hectares, located in the middle of the city, and served by both subway and GO transit lines, the Downsview lands represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a brand new city within a city that will be home to tens of thousands of new residents, along with extensive employment, retail, and institutional developments. Work has been ongoing over the past couple years to design the framework of the master plan that will guide all of this development, and the first phases are inching towards reality.
There are several segments of the Downsview lands that are being advanced concurrently. The largest segment comprises the existing runway and surrounding lands, for which the Canada Lands Company (CLC) partnered with Northcrest Developments to create the YZD master plan. CLC retained ownership of three other segments of land to the north and west of the Downsview area, known as Downsview East, Downsview West, and the Arbo District (formerly known as the William Baker District). Of those, the Downsview West District is slated for development first, and the district plan was recently presented to the Toronto Design Review Panel at their February 26 session.
The Downsview West District is situated at the north end of the Downsview lands and is defined by Sheppard Avenue to the north and west, Downsview Park to the south, and the rail corridor to the east. Included within its boundaries are the Downsview Park TTC and GO station in the northeast corner, and the extensive Depot Building, which occupies roughly 25% of the entire site, covering around 875,000 square feet. The Depot Building is currently home to a range of interim uses, including film studios and the Downsview Park Merchants' Market.
The district plan design is headed by Urban Strategies, along with Copenhagen-based SLA Architects and Indigenous-led landscape architects Trophic Design. The ambitious plan includes the adaptive reuse of the majority of the Depot Building, while adding approximately 8,800 new residential units, 20% of which are earmarked for affordable housing; 3.8 hectares of new parks and open spaces; approximately 25,000m² of retail space; and approximately 120,000m² of non-residential space. The plan includes for at least one new school and three new daycares, and aims to accommodate roughly 17,000 new residents while creating around 3,300 new jobs.
The overall structure of the Downsview West District Plan revolves around the 'heart' of the community, established roughly at the centre of the site where the main east-west and north-south axes intersect. A continuous network of connected parks and open spaces is then overlaid onto the site, creating pedestrian-focused public spaces of varying sizes, uses, and atmospheres that weave their way through the community. The built form is then distributed across the district, both shaping and being shaped by the open space network, and is broken down into several unique mixed-use neighbourhoods that are defined by different characters and purposes.
The main east-west axis, referred to as Northern Street, connects Sheppard East to the future developments east of the rail corridor, and actually slices through the existing Depot Building. Due to the modular structure of the Depot Building, it can easily be dissected without impacting the remainder of the structure, so the plan proposes to cut the building in two to provide an important connector road across the site.
The rest of the Depot Building will be preserved and converted into a mix of retail, commercial, and employment uses. The retail and commercial spaces are concentrated on the west site of the building to animate the streetscape along the main north-south road through the district, with patios spilling out underneath unique canopies sculpted from the structural components of the Depot Building. Due to its open plan and regular grid characteristic of large industrial warehouses, the Depot Building offers a great amount of flexibility to be easily adapted to a variety of uses.
The main north-south axis, referred to as Depot Boulevard, meanders through the district connecting Sheppard Avenue East and the transit station to the north to Carl Hall Road to the south. The street takes on a different character as it weaves through the distinct neighbourhoods, while also connecting the various parks and open spaces.
There are three neighbourhoods identified in the district plan. The northernmost is referred to as the Station Quarter, and will contain the tallest towers in the district arranged around the transit station as the focal point. The highest concentration of housing units, retail, and office space will be in this area.
To the south is the Heart at the Crossroads neighbourhood, centred around the intersection of the two main axes, which will be the community and cultural hub of the district. Its character is defined by the Depot Building and Heart Park, and is intended to be a destination and placemaking area that is unique to Downsview West.
Finally, the southernmost neighbourhood is referred to as The Mews and takes on a more residential character, using a courtyard typology to weave a network of open spaces and natural elements through a more quiet zone of predominantly mid-rise buildings.
There are eight significant parks and open spaces scattered throughout the district, intentionally placed to integrate nature with the community and provide various uses and atmospheres across the public realm. At the northern end, Station Square provides a public plaza to funnel transit users to and from the station, while also providing passage to a pedestrian mid-block connection to the south. Stretching west from the station is Northern Park, offering a green link from the transit station to Sheppard Avenue and the future Arbo District to the west.
Further south, at the northwest corner of the main crossroads, is Heart Park, also referred to as Ode Okogediwinan. The largest park in the district, it will contain a mix of recreational and community uses and will become the main gathering place of the neighbourhood. It is also located across the street from the Depot Building, and will complement the retail and commercial uses to fully activate the streetscape.
On the southeast corner of the main crossroads is Depot Corner, a gathering place tied to the adjacent retail of the Depot Building that provides an anchor to the north end of the Depot Mews. The Depot Mews is a pedestrianized road running along the west side of the south Depot Building that is lined with retail and commercial on both sides, creating a vibrant promenade through the district. The Depot Mews spills into Carl Hall Square at its south end, providing another plaza that leads pedestrians into the adjacent Downsview communities.
In contrast to the Depot Mews, the blocks of residential buildings in the southwest corner of the district are bisected by Courtyard Commons, a pedestrian route that meanders its way through the various courtyards of the residential blocks. Inspired by Toronto's urban laneways, this path is meant to be a peaceful respite from the bustling areas of the district, with a focus on creating a lush natural environment for locals to enjoy.
Finally, the eastern border of the district is framed by the Bio Corridor, a linear park following the rail corridor that will feature natural landscapes and vegetation. A pedestrian path will connect the transit station to Downsview Park to the south through the Bio Corridor, providing an alternative route away from the busy streets of Downsview West.
Woven throughout the design and layout of the district is Indigenous philosophies and symbolism. Integrating and connecting to nature plays heavily in the layout of the district, and was a driving principle for the distribution of open spaces and built form. Included in the design of the district is the Ancestor's Trail, a route through the neighbourhood that will feature Indigenous symbols, art, architecture, and moments of cultural expression as a way to honour the Indigenous history of the site that stretches back thousands of years.
The Design Review Panel heaped tons of praise onto the district plan, saying it had "lots of personality" and was "strong in many ways". They commended the design team on creating a clear and comprehensive plan that offered much variety and diversity in its spaces and public realm. But as it is their job, they also provided commentary on some areas for improvement.
Panelists were impressed with the public realm considerations within the district, but were concerned about the public realm along its edges, particularly the frontage onto Sheppard Avenue East which hugs the west and north boundaries of the site. There was little mention of this street frontage in the presentation, and Panel members were quick to point out that this is an important aspect of the design that should not be overlooked, especially given the width and volume of traffic along Sheppard.
Another question regarding the public realm was whether it could handle large masses of people coming to and from the transit station. The Depot Building may host events, but there are also large-scale events intended to be hosted in the new districts to the east as well as in Downsview Park to the south that all rely on the transit station. Panelists questioned whether the current public realm and street design could meet the demands of potential influxes of pedestrians and traffic.
The Panel also pointed out the lack of a ground floor plan, noting that servicing needs for all buildings will have an impact on the public realm design. They also noted that the school and daycares were not indicated on the plans, and that their location will have an important impact on the distribution of open spaces and traffic flows. They urged the design team to consider these factors early in the process so as not to erode the quality of the public realm as the design progresses.
Finally, the Panel was divided on the treatment of Northern Street, which slices through the Depot Building and also features a grade change as it passes underneath the rail corridor. Some Panelists liked the tension created by the split of the Depot Building and felt its architectural expression was appropriate, while others felt more could be done to minimize the impact that the grade change will have on the connectivity of the public realm.
In the end, the Panel voted unanimously in support of the plan, and expressed excitement for the future of the Downsview West District.
We will keep you updated as the Downsview West District, as well as all the other concurrent Downsview projects, advance through the planning stages, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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