Will Yonge Street Become More Pedestrian Friendly?
By Lucas on Aug 21, 2014
Last week, NXT City Night took place and the winners of the NXT City Prize were announced! The NXT City Prize was an open call for all young, creative minds to submit a design that reimagined one of (or many) Toronto’s public spaces.
Presented by Distil and supported by Cityzen Development, NXT City Night was a huge success. A parking lot at the corner of John and Adelaide was transformed into a party venue with food trucks, pop-up shops, art displays, and even a bar! Over 500 people attended the event, including a few recognizable faces such as mayoral candidates David Soknacki, John Tory, and Olivia Chow.
Via NXT City Prize
There were over 120 entries this year, and a panel of judges lead by Toronto Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat chose Richard Valenzona’s submission, YONGE REDUX, as the winner! YONGE REDUX is a plan to make a portion of Yonge Street, from Queen to College, more pedestrian friendly. Valenzona’s plan calls for a narrow, curbless, two-lane street, and more patio seating, benches, and greenery. Valenzona received a $5,000 prize and will receive up to $10,000 more to help make his design a reality!
YONGE REDUX - via NXT City Prize
Let’s take a minute to think about how the Yonge Street environment would be affected by the YONGE REDUX plan. If this is somehow pulled off in the near future, and since Keesmaat was involved in selecting the winner, there’s no reason to suspect that it can’t be, the area could become Toronto’s most desirable neighbourhood for young professionals and even families.
Via NXT City Prize
At the moment there aren’t too many condo developments underway on this stretch of Yonge. There is The Massey Tower by MOD Developments, which is still in the preconstruction phase, and Aura at College Park by Canderel, which is nearing completion. If Yonge between Queen and College was more pedestrian friendly, some of the vacant shops may be snagged by quality retailers and more developers would recognize the strip as a prime location.
What do you think of the YONGE REDUX proposal?
