Linear Park?

[buildup]

I would like to see Toronto attempt to link up the existing green spaces and parking lots that run South from Hayden immediately East of Yonge, and convert Victoria Street, into a Linear Park. You can more or less trace a path from Hayden all the way to Dundas. Perhaps Victoria street could be closed to traffic as well. In fact Ryerson partly does this. Using Google Maps (Satellite) you can visualize what I mean. At some points its reasonably wide.

Perhaps the city could acquire a few properties and maybe bury the Wellsely subway underground to create broader park at that corner.

Begin with buying the large parking garage at Hayden Street and converting it into a park at the North end.

 

[Hipster Duck]

Not a bad idea, buildup.

It could at least be done in bits and pieces that link up to other things. For example, a Victoria street "greenway" could be built from Gerrard to the Esplanade. Essentially, the parking lanes would be closed, and one side would become a bi-directional bikeway, and the other side an expanded sidewalk with mature trees. There would still be lanes for through traffic and streetcars. Scott street, which is kind of superfluous for car traffic, would be closed entirely.

The section linking Gerrard to Dundonald would be a little trickier. A bikeway is out of the question here, but your linear park idea could work with a few alleys spruced up to provide some continuity. For example, the alley behind the 1950s building with the Shoppers at Yonge and College and sprucing up Maitland terrace. A good precedent is the spruced-up Saint Nicholas street alley between St. Joseph and Wellesley.

 

[JasonParis]

St. Mike's has a trauma centre at Shuter/Victoria. It's unlikely they'd ever agree to closing the section between Dundas and Queen.