Our favourite options for 2 new parks in Toronto
By Newinhomes on Jul 11, 2018
Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division teamed up to issue a request for qualification to develop two new parks, York Street Park and Rees Street Park.
More than 40 international design teams responded with their proposals and experience. The City shortlisted 10 teams and assigned five to each park. Now, the City wants your feedback on which designs should be implemented!
We’ve gone through the options for each park and while they’re all great, we think we’ve selected our favourites.
York Street Park
Location: At the foot of York Street where the York-Bay-Yonge eastbound off-ramp used to be (removed in 2016-2017).
Size: 2 acres
Requirements: Greenspace, lunchtime activities, event space, water feature, public art, pavilion, accomodation for dogs, benches, lighting, wayfinding, and other park essentials.
Our favourite: BYOT Park
What we love most about the BYOT Park concept is how interactive it is for both children and adults. Based on the renderings, the park would have interesting looking swings, things to climb, giant hammocks, and plenty of seating and walkways.
“As designers do, we reviewed what metaphors the waterfront and the urban park might convey,” it says in the proposal. “Was it . . . The Cottage on a Lake? The Suburban Backyard? The Country Retreat? We decided none of these things were quite right. People choose to live in a city – not because they want to get away from people – but because of the daily interactions with their neighbours, the cultural richness of the place, and the immersive sociability of urban life.”
Rees Street Park
Location: At the foot of Rees Street, north of Queens Quay. It is currently a parking lot. Construction on the new park is scheduled to begin in 2020.
Size: 2.3 acres
Requirements: Greenspace, lunchtime activities, event space, water feature, public art, pavilion, accomodation for dogs, benches, lighting, wayfinding, and other park essentials.
Our favourite: Rees Ridge
What we like about Rees Ridge is how it promotes and supports a wide variety of activities, from climbing to running, to swinging and sliding. We also believe it would become a recognizable landmark for tourists and locals.
“Inspired by Scarborough’s signature bluffs, Rees Ridge is a dynamic vertical garden infused with play in Toronto’s Waterfront District,” reads the proposal. “It mitigates the air and noise pollution of the Gardiner Expressway, while celebrating the drama and scale of the infrastructure and city. Uniquely planted with endemic species native to Lake Ontario, the park will become an iconic botanical experience within the city.”
Which options are your favourites? Take the survey and have your say today!
