Brick and cobblestone streets in Toronto

[deerparker]

Yes, that would be good BUT there are different kinds of Lane - some are VERY suitable for a brick surface, others are more like 'small narrow streets" and maybe not! Of course, we all know how poorly the City will maintain brick lanes so I foresee asphalt patches proliferating!

There are large asphalt patches in the laneway behind Five condos, which is unfortunate. It’s an otherwise cute street.

 

[junctionist]

I recently updated my list of brick and cobblestone streets in Toronto again. Since I started the project to document the city's existing brick and stone streets in 2010, the city has added a great amount of streets paved with modern concrete pavers. You can even find attractive examples outside of the downtown core on the list.

I'd like to see more examples of traditional brick and stone pavements constructed and added to our collection, as nothing can replace the beauty of a traditional brick or stone pavement. But we've made progress in this realm of urban design since this project started.

Here are the new entries, with links to Google Maps Street View imagery of the pavements:

Burkebrook Place is a short but memorable street through a compact subdivision of historicist townhouses and midrise condos with stately terracing. Its grey permeable pavers compliment the red brick facades of the surrounding residential buildings.

Together with trees and ornamental street lights, the permeable pavers make for a welcoming public realm.

In its recent reconstruction, Riverside Drive gained concrete sidewalks and various short stretches of red-grey concrete pavers on the roadway. The concrete bricks are arranged in a herringbone pattern.

The short stretches of brick pavements are meant for speed control and for a high-quality public realm on this scenic drive.

One highlight in the pavement can be found at Lucy Maud Montgomery Park. Here, permeable pavers with striking red tones were used, which enhances the sense of place and helps to control stormwater runoff.

Simcoe Street and Pullan Place are paved with concrete brick setts at the Canada Life campus. The colours of the setts range from blue-grey to beige-grey tones meant to look like stone. The pavements blur the lines between vehicular and pedestrian space, which encourages both pedestrians and drivers to share the space as more of a public space with low-speed traffic than a typical city street.

Typical city streets prioritize driving convenience over most other uses by allocating most of the space to motorized vehicles and using pavements conducive to higher-speed driving like asphalt. The typical design is not particularly practical for many contexts like local streets, where high vehicle speeds become hazardous for residents, workers, and visitors.

 

[Northern Light]

I recently updated my list of brick and cobblestone streets in Toronto again. Since I started the project to document the city's existing brick and stone streets in 2010, the city has added a great amount of streets paved with modern concrete pavers. You can even find attractive examples outside of the downtown core on the list.

I'd like to see more examples of traditional brick and stone pavements constructed and added to our collection, as nothing can replace the beauty of a traditional brick or stone pavement. But we've made progress in this realm of urban design since this project started.

Here are the new entries, with links to Google Maps Street View imagery of the pavements:

Riverside is the class of the bunch.

The addition of a sidewalk, a boulevard, the brick, some bollards, its a cohesive effort to create both a slow, safe and scenic drive but also create a safe and accessible pedestrian environment.

May many more streets receive this type and quality of investment!

 

[SubHuman]

Peeking through under the asphalt, Mountview as it nears Glenlake is red brick--wonder if the entire street was red brick? There's a street in the Riverview Gardens/Baby Point area that is still red brick.

Some more of that not too far away.

 

[vic]

Some more of that not too far away.
View attachment 340636

Is that poking through again? It was "fixed" a few years ago. I like that look.

 

[egotrippin]

It might be a bit of a stretch, but years back the city repaved a stretch of Crockford Blvd in red coloured stamped brick-look pavement where it's crossed by the Gatineau Hydro Corridor bike path. It was also accompanied by a street narrowing as you cross the bike path to encourage drivers to reduce their speed. It's looking a little weather worn these days, but at the time it was a surprising improvement in an area that's generally neglected from a public realm standpoint.

I linked the 2011 view as it presented a fair bit better back then, in the event it warrants a place on your list. I'm also curious if the city used this approach anywhere else, because while it's not as elegant as proper brick/stone pavers, it's certainly a lot more attractive than plain asphalt.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.736...i5MNqerA!2e0!5s20110801T000000!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Towered]

Latest sightings of lovely red bricks peeking through the top layer of asphalt - on Busy Street in Leslieville (near Queen and Carlaw), and on Snooker Street in Liberty Village.

 

[Northern Light]

Latest sightings of lovely red bricks peeking through the top layer of asphalt - on Busy Street in Leslieville (near Queen and Carlaw), and on Snooker Street in Liberty Village.

Ahem, ya know that gadget in your pocket that you use to geo-track your kids locations........it takes pictures! LOL

 

[Northern Light]

What @Towered won't show you; I found on Streetview!

I can see a few bricks on Snooker too; but its not a great pic from Streetview....

 

[egotrippin]

And here I thought Towered was simply using an adjective, but lo and behold there's quite literally a street named Busy Street.

 

[Towered]

 

[Towered]

Free the brick! Let it breathe!

 

[egotrippin]

Seriously. I would cry tears of joy if we restored and repaved more streets with red brick, especially in older neighbourhoods. Brick paving also has the added benefit of being traffic calming, generally reducing speeds where used; albeit modestly.

 

[Towered]

View attachment 477802

I am frustrated to report that in predictable Toronto fashion, all the lovely exposed bricks on Snooker Street have been covered again with asphalt

 

[Northern Light]

I am frustrated to report that in predictable Toronto fashion, all the lovely exposed bricks on Snooker Street have been covered again with asphalt

Did you write staff, or the councillor, suggesting that they be left exposed or that the remaining asphalt be lifted? Not saying it would have changed anything, but ya never know.

I bet if you wrote the large property owners there and told them how much exposed heritage brick roads would add to the appeal of the area for you as a worker, or shopper.......that might just change something.