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By admin, August 5, 2010

Part 2: West Don Lands Precinct Plan Analysis

West Don Lands and surrounding neighbourhoods

In an effort to make the West Don Lands Precinct Plan a public planning process, political leaders, city and provincial staff, neighbourhood organizations and interested citizens were engaged in the early stages of the planning process. To understand the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in the West Don Lands, both hard and soft data was taken into account; hard data included the physical condition of the site, along with connections to nearby neighbourhoods, while soft data relied on the perceptions and aspirations of stakeholders and residents. The previous revitalization efforts were also engaged in the process, in an effort to glean insight and observe public opinion of various attempts to rejuvenate this area. By engaging public meetings, focus group meetings and stakeholder interviews, the planning process was made as transparent as possible. The Final Document Plan was the end result of several working versions of the Precinct Plan. Recommendations and reviews were made to improve these initial plans, most notably by the City of Toronto.

History

The West Don Lands was originally used as brickworks, but in 1793 (the year of Toronto’s founding), the area was set aside for public purposes. The first non-government buildings to appear in this park reserve area launched with the 1832 installation of the Gooderham windmill, which would evolve into a distillery. As associated uses for the area followed, employment opportunities attracted a work force that required housing. Thus, a residential area was established in the surrounding area. Continue reading 'Introducing the West Don Lands'»

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By admin, August 4, 2010

Part 1: The Vision for the West Don Lands

Don River Park (image from Waterfront Toronto's "West Don Lands Precinct Plan," 2005)

The West Don Lands is slated to be Toronto’s first 21st century community. A neighbourhood carved out of the Don River Valley, the West Don Lands will help to counter urban sprawl while encouraging the growth of Toronto. By transforming the Toronto waterfront into a series of sustainable, mixed-use urban communities/precincts, the West Don Lands will serve to integrate parks, institutions, and open space, expanding the City’s capacity for urban living, recreation, and employment.

The “West Don Lands Precinct Plan” outlines “The Vision for the West Don Lands,” the project’s initial “Analysis,” the” Public Realm Plan,” “Development Plan & Guidelines,” “Neighbourhood Character & Urban Design,” and “Phasing & Implementation.” In this series outlining the West Don Lands Precinct Plan, we will go through each item, addressing the unique challenges and fantastic opportunities the West Don Lands will present as it grows into Toronto’s newest precinct. Continue reading 'Introducing the West Don Lands'»

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By admin, March 25, 2010

A derelict area beneath a series of overpasses in downtown Toronto will be transformed into a 2.5 acre park.

Patrica Williams from Daily Commerial News writes on recent developments on a project that will “transform a derelict area beneath a series of overpasses in Toronto’s West Don Lands into a 2.5-acre park, a first of its type in Toronto.”  See the whole article here.