Toronto Bloor Street Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Bloor-Yorkville BIA | architectsAlliance

interchange42 said:
Just for the heckovit, here's a healthy London Plane (at least it sure looks like one to me) growing in the park beside Augusta in Kensington Market from last weekend.

That's just to say that given the right conditions, the trees will grow in Ontario.

42
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Nice picture, thanks. There's an even more impressive example in front of the Munk Centre on Devonshire. I went look for an online photo, which I think I found on - wait a minute! - on your Flickr stream? ;)

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(But I don't know how to link to that)
 
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Tuscani01 said:
Yes, but in most cities, they wouldn't be having that discussion as it would have already been done to their version of Yonge.
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No it would be a full pedestrian precinct. With fruit stands. And classically trained buskers!
 
South side is looking good now. A few on the north side are coming alive (barely) but most need to be replaced.

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k10ery said:
No it would be a full pedestrian precinct. With fruit stands. And classically trained buskers!
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Not sure if that is sarcasm, but that is exactly what Yonge Street south of Bloor should be. And many cities similar to Toronto have their own version of that. (even Minneapolis, the coldest big city in the US has Nicollet Mall) Yonge already moves far more people on foot than by car, plus it has the subway with stops every 1/2 kilometer. And there are decent N/S arterial roads nearby in Bay, University and Jarvis--none of which are attractive to pedestrians.

I have no doubt that at some point in the distant future Yonge will be a proper pedestrian mall--probably out of necessity more than will. Might as well make it sooner than later.
 
^Should have closed Yonge S of Dundas, but punched a continuous road through Dundas Square to carry traffic from Yonge S onto Church St. That would have been the European way.

But you know I'd rather see the northbound lanes of University turned into a park, from Richmond to Queens Park Circle.
 
They aren't finished yet but most of the dead trees are gone now. There are still some, more on the south side than north, that still need replacing.
 
Irishmonk said:
Not sure if that is sarcasm, but that is exactly what Yonge Street south of Bloor should be. And many cities similar to Toronto have their own version of that. (even Minneapolis, the coldest big city in the US has Nicollet Mall) Yonge already moves far more people on foot than by car, plus it has the subway with stops every 1/2 kilometer. And there are decent N/S arterial roads nearby in Bay, University and Jarvis--none of which are attractive to pedestrians.

I have no doubt that at some point in the distant future Yonge will be a proper pedestrian mall--probably out of necessity more than will. Might as well make it sooner than later.
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The North American experience with pedestrian malls has been really mixed. Most of it not good. Mind you, it is the 21st century, the lessons of failed attempts in the 70s and 80s don't necessarily apply, and Yonge Street is not Sparks Street. Having said that, I personally am of the view that the most interesting and lively streets are those that where a mix of modes of transportation are all given equal importance (Yonge today prioritizes the car over pedestrians). I personally feel that pedestrianization works better on shorter streets (e.g. Gould Street) than it would on thoroughfares like Yonge. But that's just my opinion - I am no expert.
 
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Benito said:
They aren't finished yet but most of the dead trees are gone now. There are still some, more on the south side than north, that still need replacing.
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All are being replaced as part of the Manulife Centre Redevelopment project.
 
It's amazing that the most of the trees along Bloor St. have finally come out. What took them so long?
 
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