Toronto Parks

[walli]

Update on the park / landscaping surrounding the Aga Khan Museum project. Very cool details in these pictures!

http://www.facebook.com/agakhanmuse...7292882.126064.485619821462818&type=1&theater

Credit Aga Khan Museum Facebook Page

 

[GrandSlam]

Blogto article on Clarence Square restoration. Just a couple photos, but it looks good.

http://www.blogto.com/city/2012/12/historic_clarence_square_gets_a_facelift/

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I love our parks, I don't think they're as bad as some do but I acknowledge that many could be so much better, as in true destination spaces. It's great to see several well used park spaces getting makeovers.

 

[DSC]

I love our parks, I don't think they're as bad as some do but I acknowledge that many could be so much better, as in true destination spaces. It's great to see several well used park spaces getting makeovers.

Agreed, a tender is posted at the moment for the upgrade to Cawthra Square and there is one in the works for Berczy Park and it should be posted in early 2013.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Agreed, a tender is posted at the moment for the upgrade to Cawthra Square and there is one in the works for Berczy Park and it should be posted in early 2013.

There's also Barbara Ann Scott park at College park, though a few years away, Allan Gardens (the grand entrance proposed off Jarvis St. got nixed along with the Jarvis Streetscape improvement plan when the bicycle lane debacle went down last spring), Morningside park, Bluffers park, Grange park (eventually) and several others.

 

[Northern Light]

There's also Barbara Ann Scott park at College park, though a few years away, Allan Gardens (the grand entrance proposed off Jarvis St. got nixed along with the Jarvis Streetscape improvement plan when the bicycle lane debacle went down last spring), Morningside park, Bluffers park, Grange park (eventually) and several others.

There are a large number of Parks Capital projects coming down the pipe, even in 2013. I'll highlight some below; but the list is too long to put here, so for details:
go to the 2013-2022 Parks, Forestry and Recreation Capital Budget, Analyst note........

http://www.toronto.ca/budget2013/pdf/cap13_an_pfr.pdf (the full breakout starts on page 36)

2013 (as opposed to longer term) shows...

Grange Park, $4,900,000

Allan Gardens Playground, $870,000

Allan Gardens, Various: There are design budges for an 'Artists Garden' and a washroom building.

Clarence Square (phase II) $200,000

June Callwood Park construction, $1,500,000 +

Queen's Park, $1,100,000 (various items taken together)

Cawthra, $1,000,000

Yorkville Parks Design, $100,000 (does not specify which Yorkville Parks)

***

Berczy shows up in 2014 at $2,200,000

Habour Square shows up in 2016 at $750,000 (does that seem like enough to give the Waterfront Toronto floating boardwalk?)

***

There's a whole raft of other projects large and small; and some will be camouflaged by 'Ward Park Improvements' or 'Minor Parks Improvements' consolidated lines.

 

[Roundabout]

The installation that stood in the Toronto Sculpture Garden for about 4 years is gone.

Before:

After:

 

[junctionist]

I'm surprised it was there for 4 years. Some sculptures were only displayed for a few months.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Apparently, the foundation that ran the Sculpture Garden since it was created ran out of money. I hear that either Luminato or Nuit Blanche has taken over responsibility for it, and that installations will change every year now.

I think the cars were only there for 3 years? Though they were supposed to come out a year ago. I liked them.

 

[freshcutgrass]

Sadly, another example of those little art treasures that the city lets fail, because while occasionally we create really nice things, we have no concept of maintaining them.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

How is it the city's fault that the foundation ran out of money?

 

[DSC]

How is it the city's fault that the foundation ran out of money?

Yes, the City has actually been active trying to find another way to put sculpture in the Sculpture Garden.

There is info on the Foundation etc at: http://www.torontosculpturegarden.com/

The new arrangements were put in place thanks to Pam McConnell and are:

At the beginning of this year, a partnership with Nuit Blanche was finalized. For 2014, a piece from this October's Nuit Blanche will be selected and placed in the park for the year. Starting in 2015, the Sculpture Garden will become a site that has a specific call, meaning that artists will create pieces that are specifically intended for the space and will remain for a year.

 

[freshcutgrass]

How is it the city's fault that the foundation ran out of money?

It isn't the city's fault it ran out of money. It's the city's fault that they'd rather it falter than spend a few sheckles on it to ensure it keeps going when it ran out of money. This is what I pay the city to do. But what do you expect when we slash budgets to the point you can't even afford to cut the grass.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

It was a private foundation, not a city one. It ran for 30+ years until the money ran out. The city doesn't fund private charities.

 

[Ayan]

I think the fact that “The City of Toronto has the lowest allocation of park space per person in Canada” is a pretty negative finding! Just look at the maps on page 15 and page 16 (http://torontocentreplan.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/july18_11wellesley.pdf). Thousands of people are moving to downtown but there has not been a corresponding increase in green spaces. It’s poor planning.

Note: Discussion continued from the "Theatre Park" thread.