Toronto: the theme park

[kettal]

I think Toronto needs to be more like a theme park. Here are some ideas:

All brick buildings along Danforth in Greektown should be covered with white stucco, and blue accents, so it looks like Greek island architecture.

Little Jamaica needs a park featuring beach sand, and the street lights should be decorated as coconut palm trees.

Chinatown East already has a cool arch. All Chinatowns need some more statues, dragons, lanterns and so on.

 

[ganjavih]

Is this guy for real?

 

[Second_in_pie]

All brick buildings along Danforth in Greektown should be covered with white stucco, and blue accents, so it looks like Greek island architecture.

Chinatown East already has a cool arch. All Chinatowns need some more statues, dragons, lanterns and so on.

I think these two would actually be pretty cool, as possibly ridiculous as they might sound. There are some places that need more than just the generic North American City feel. I know I always thought Earlscourt needed warmer feeling buildings; less brick and more of a Mediterranean feel in the architecture on St. Clair at least.

I'm good for architectural variety further out through the city and other places in the GTA. Some "themed" neighborhoods could be a good way to do that.

 

[adma]

Hey! Let's hand out coolie hats to Chinatown visitors!

 

[SunriseChampion]

Are you drunk or do you dislike me for some reason and really want me to move overseas?

 

[kettal]

I want overseas to move to you!

 

[auratic]

I think Toronto needs to be more like a theme park. Here are some ideas:

All brick buildings along Danforth in Greektown should be covered with white stucco, and blue accents, so it looks like Greek island architecture.

Little Jamaica needs a park featuring beach sand, and the street lights should be decorated as coconut palm trees.

Chinatown East already has a cool arch. All Chinatowns need some more statues, dragons, lanterns and so on.

excuse me, but did you just say:

1. "All brick buildings along Danforth in Greektown should be covered with white stucco, and blue accents"
2. "Little Jamaica needs a park featuring beach sand, and the street lights should be decorated as coconut palm trees."
3. "All Chinatowns need some more statues, dragons, lanterns and so on."

sorry--i thought not. i must have misheard you.

 

[jaycola]

While all seem to agree the OP's idea of Theme parking our neighbourhoods and thier architecture is ridiculous , he is right about one thing. More could be done within some of the ethnic commercal enclaves to create a more vibrant streetscape and ethno/cultural community centre.

Little Jamaica is a good example of this. The area is dominated by 1950's-60's utilitarian, residential/commercial storefront with apartment above. The commercial real estate in this area(along Eglinton, Oakwood and Vaughan) is among some of the cheapest in the city. Encourage property owners to brightly paint exteriors in the colours of the islands. Turn the intersection of Oakwood and Vaughan into a urban square where the community can host events and encourage residents in the area to join in with the community to create a vital and successful neighbourhood.

 

[OttoSchloss]

What Toronto really needs is an indoor year round public beach with UV lighting. Winter in this city/country is plainly hell.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Isn't the Bat Cave hyperreal enough? Do we really nead more of it?

 

[SunriseChampion]

I guess it'd be cool if overseas moved to me. Then, I'd have more family here than just my parents and two siblings. At least the fam-jamming is kept to a minimum which is sort of beneficial from a mental health perspective. So, maybe I don't want overseas to move to me.

 

[junctionist]

While all seem to agree the OP's idea of Theme parking our neighbourhoods and thier architecture is ridiculous , he is right about one thing. More could be done within some of the ethnic commercal enclaves to create a more vibrant streetscape and ethno/cultural community centre.

Little Jamaica is a good example of this. The area is dominated by 1950's-60's utilitarian, residential/commercial storefront with apartment above. The commercial real estate in this area(along Eglinton, Oakwood and Vaughan) is among some of the cheapest in the city. Encourage property owners to brightly paint exteriors in the colours of the islands. Turn the intersection of Oakwood and Vaughan into a urban square where the community can host events and encourage residents in the area to join in with the community to create a vital and successful neighbourhood.

That's an interesting idea. One thing which I appreciate about Roncesvalles are the Polish monuments like the memorials to victims of Katyn, the John Paul II statue, the monumental crucifix. I wish every neighbourhood had some monuments and statues along arterials. I'd like to see both local, national, and multicultural monuments along streets. It's interesting to see the Polish monuments because they tie into Canadian culture as well, and in this way we think of interesting cultural intersections. Multiculturalism moves beyond token festivals and slogans to something that lives and interacts, and actually affects Canadian culture in potentially meaningful ways.

 

[andomano]

Aren't the subtle pieces of flare on street signs enough? You don't want to exploit a neighbourhood's heritage to the point where it ends up becoming a ghetto.

 

[pman]

at least it'd be clean

While we're doing our urban fantasy league picks, put me down for a wide-ranging series of permanent and high quality sidewalk installations of black and white historical photos of the particular location. Mind you, a lot of the photos would make you want to weep over what this city destroyed and the crap that got built in its place.

 

[adma]

Aren't the subtle pieces of flare on street signs enough? You don't want to exploit a neighbourhood's heritage to the point where it ends up becoming a ghetto.

Hasn't stopped Roncy from transitioning from Polish to Zooey...