Toronto Regent Park Central Park & Aquatic Centre | ?m | ?s | TCHC | MJMA

That plaza needs a focal point. A large piece of art or a great fountain in the middle of it, would have been perfect. It just seems kinda empty and ordinary right now. I hope the arts centre helps to animate the space by putting on events in that plaza.
 
The Regent Park Film Festival is airing open air films every Wednesday night in the park.

And the brick has started on the lower levels of 180 Sackville

S8uy07a.jpg
 
something about this development feels very suburban to me. I can't quite put my finger on it... maybe it's the way the blocks are planned/designed.

Also, it's a shame that the park is so boring.
 
junctionist said:
It's actually very urban, even if masterplanned. The park was designed for a variety of uses to animate it, which is good for the community.
Click to expand...

Well, maybe that's it.. it's so planned that it feels so unauthentic to me... it reminds me of Mississauga or another subdivision where they're attempting to build urban downtown city centres.

As for the park being designed for a variety of uses to animate it... I guess; but is that a reason for it to be so bland? Where's the landscaping? The aquatic centre is so epic and then the park is so flat.. it's just a field.. lord knows they're making a massive field south of the park..
 
We're not used to masterplanned urban neighbourhoods in Toronto, so we think of the suburbs where it's more common. It takes a generation for masterplanned communities to lose their initial sterility. But if they're well-designed and built, they'll age well. The park can be enhanced with time--what's critical is that it functions as a gathering place from day one.
 
I took a walk around the area the other day. There's nothing like it in Toronto, which is why I think some people may have a hard time pin pointing what it is. I still don't know what it is. Suburban? Urban? Something in between? I don't get a suburban vibe at all. It may be new, but the buildings and open spaces are well designed and non-suburban. The sidewalks are wide. There are many areas that are built for large congregations like the street market on Wednesdays. I'm not sure what the future holds for this area as we're not even halfway through the project. I think what makes it feel suburban in the eyes of some folk is the amount of children. There are a lotooot of children in the park and around the area. There are rec centers, schooling, basketball courts, soccer fields (almost too many IMO) that are full of children and young adults. We don't see this downtown. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this area. The retail here will be very important along with the ratio of market rate condos vs subsidized housing. There seems to be a bit too much of a focus on subsidized housing and the inhabitants (thus far). But can't really judge yet as I don't know what's planned.
 
Kids can be encouraged to Sport in two ways: organized leagues and pickup games. There is a tight supply of regulation fields in Toronto, and they're often occupied by adult leagues, so informal space? Bring it on.

I'm observing a cultural diversity in the families mixing on these grounds, and a sense of community. There is a pre-existing community living here, so the sterility of a master plan should weather out faster than usual.
 
I think the primary thing that makes the area feel 'foreign' (I don't think 'suburban' is an appropriate term though others are free to use it) is the poor way the buildings meet the street. The Sobeys at Dundas and Parliament may well be a valued neighbourhood asset but why was it not located on the second floor with small-bay retail below? Furthermore, some of those units might have been somehow subsidized, allowing local retailers purveying goods tailored to the community to flourish. Instead we get an immense glass wall which demonstrates that while blustering on about 'new urbanism' and 'revitalized streetscapes,' we've barely learned anything at all.
 
ProjectEnd said:
I think the primary thing that makes the area feel 'foreign' (I don't think 'suburban' is an appropriate term though others are free to use it) is the poor way the buildings meet the street. The Sobeys at Dundas and Parliament may well be a valued neighbourhood asset but why was it not located on the second floor with small-bay retail below? Furthermore, some of those units might have been somehow subsidized, allowing local retailers purveying goods tailored to the community to flourish. Instead we get an immense glass wall which demonstrates that while blustering on about 'new urbanism' and 'revitalized streetscapes,' we've barely learned anything at all.
Click to expand...

IMO it's also a lot due to the landuse- many of these buildings are solely residential rather than being a mix of sorts. I think this development will not be incredibly vibrant in the way the old storefront neighbourhoods are- but that that's entirely intentional.
 
It's not ideal, but I think RP redevelopment it's working far, far better than we could have hoped for - and we can still include the type of small-bay retail along Gerrard in Phase 4/5.

AoD
 
One Park Place's podium has lots of small bay retail space on both Dundas Street and a Regent Park Blvd. There is the intention to include more of it along Dundas in future buildings, as well as in the Phase 3 project at the southeast corner of Parliament and Gerrard. I'm not sure what the plans are for the south of Gerrard in Phases 4 and 5 or for River Street.

42
 
jje1000 said:
IMO it's also a lot due to the landuse- many of these buildings are solely residential rather than being a mix of sorts. I think this development will not be incredibly vibrant in the way the old storefront neighbourhoods are- but that that's entirely intentional.
Click to expand...

All of One Park Place's podium will house retail and offices. That to me will be the big test. If they do a good job there with bringing in the right retail, then the future could look bright. If it's the typical bank, subway, cleaners, then...it will be a failure.

I heard that the developer is looking for the right kind of retail. So probably not a starbucks or tim hortons but something local. There are going to be a few anchor stores going into the development. My guess is a Shopper's/Rexall and maybe another bank.
 
Last edited:
AlvinofDiaspar said:
It's not ideal, but I think RP redevelopment it's working far, far better than we could have hoped for - and we can still include the type of small-bay retail along Gerrard in Phase 4/5.

AoD
Click to expand...

Agreed here. Looking at what it was and what it is now...is quite impressive. The aquatic center is the crown jewel of the area so far.
 
The new birthing centre in the TCHC building does nothing to animate Dundas, so I hope that the retail in the condo can turn things around. The retail portion on the corner of Dundas/Parliament certainly changed that corner dramatically, for the better. It used to be an area for crack heads, prostitutes and drug dealers but now it's filled with a nice mix of people. It's not intimidating at all now. Of course, that constantly crowded Tim Horton's probably helped that area a lot, putting a whole bunch of eyes on the street.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top