Neighbourhood Planning Right Up Residents’ Alley

People seem to really embrace the historical architecture of a city as evidenced in old buildings that are refurbished with modern amenities, or new buildings designed in with historical styles. Old-style architecture adds the warmth, charm and character of the past to the otherwise cold steel, concrete and glass of the progressive present.

But what of the roads previous generations used to travel that have become too narrow by successive generations’ need for more space? What of the laneways that once were functional, if not always attractive?

Every city has them, and in many cases, they’re dark and unkempt places that in the past allowed deliveries of products to businesses and apartments, provided a place in which to set out the trash to be picked up, and through which people often hurried on the way to the safety of their homes. Derelicts, rats and criminals are often depicted as the prime users of city alleys.

But many of those laneways, especially those outside the business core of the city, were sometimes vibrant neighbourhood gathering places where children played, moms gossiped and old men sipped their coffees.

via thelanewayproject.ca

Some modern planners and developers are working laneways into their new designs, while others are planning to refurbish existing laneways in order to restore the sense of community and pride to their neighbourhoods. It’s not a characteristic limited to Toronto, and perhaps one of the best examples of laneway use is the Distillery District.

Cities are realizing that freshening up its alleyways goes a long way toward creating a sense of safety in its users. From Vancouver to Melbourne, Australia, from Tokyo to Chicago, many cities are looking at ways to bring a sense of city pride to its dark-alley past.

One of Toronto’s latest ventures is The Laneway Project, a 2014 initiative of three Toronto-based urban planners and designers to beautify the city’s laneways (pegged at roughly 2,400 in number and covering some 250 km in total distance), and turn them into spaces where neighbours can gather.

It’s just another example of the “people moving back to the downtown core” theme, where residents are deciding to move closer to their places of employment but are inclined to retain the closeness of neighbourhoods the suburbs often offer. New residents are looking for more than a place to live; they want safe havens in which to raise families or welcome their grandchildren; they want vibrant culture and friendly surroundings; and they want to be engaged to the benefit of their communities.

via thelanewayproject.ca

The project’s organizers are working with City officials in order to create a welcoming feature for visitors to the city of Toronto, as well as to instil the pride of ownership in its residents. The group claims this type of initiative is needed for growth, as the city follows its densification plans.

The group’s pilot project consisted of choosing two laneways for makeovers — one commercial and one residential. It solicited nominations from the city’s residents and business operators, and generated 28 possibilities, according to a story in the Globe and Mail, with a proposal on a U-shaped laneway near Dundas and Dufferin getting the residential nod and one at Eglinton and Oakwood representing the business venture.

In many cases, something as simple as creating living walls of vegetation, adding a splash of colour either through street art or planters, or just providing better lighting can make a world of difference. With welcoming surroundings and proper illumination, people will often gather at various times during the day, and then it becomes a matter of how to engage them and keep them coming back.

Alcoves with chess tables, bocce courts or horseshoe pits provide residents with ways to engage their neighbours in their favourite pastimes; playgrounds allow children to play and parents a chance to unwind from their days; and neighbourhood events such as annual yard sales, weekend barbecues and holiday fireworks displays help bring residents together and keep out the unwelcomed users of previous laneway generations.

It’s just another example of how simple transformations can add up to the overall greatness of a city.