Toronto U of T: Landscape of Landmark Quality | ?m | 1s | U of T | MVVA

UtakataNoAnnex said:
Oops...I thought it was the only one creek we buried, so thanks for clarifying that. But still, I sit corrected again. :(
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We buried dozens of creeks! Terrible policy decisions, over several decades from the mid-19thC all the way to the 1980s!

Have a look at this map from Lost Rivers showing everything that was lost and what year!

 
Northern Light said:
We buried dozens of creeks! Terrible policy decisions, over several decades from the mid-19thC all the way to the 1980s!

Have a look at this map from Lost Rivers showing everything that was lost and what year!

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Well...that was depressing. But thanks for sharing that. /bows
 
First a quiet shot..............nothing much happening here!

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Now for 2 ever so slightly off-topic pics..........of King's College Road............a moment of satisfaction when U of T and our City got streetscape very right. Something we can aspire to for the space above!

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And the other way back towards UC:

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Northern Light said:
Now for 2 ever so slightly off-topic pics..........of King's College Road............a moment of satisfaction when U of T and our City got streetscape very right. Something we can aspire to for the space above!
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It's funny: I always thought that based purely on the visuals, until I worked at U of T and saw how it is actually used each day, and now I firmly hate it. Midday weekdays see delivery trucks almost constantly parked on the sidewalks because of the low curbs and drivers (mostly Ubers/Lyfts, but also students in their M3s) absolutely *flying* up and down the stretch because there is no traffic calming, and it's almost unusable for people on bikes (mostly because the horizontal cobbles almost fling you off your bike).

To me, having seen how it's used in practice, it's a bit like the adjacent stretch of St. George: looked great in both rendering and reality, but falls down functionally because you just can't really on drivers to take normative cues from design and materiality; infrastructure must physically prevent drivers from doing dangerous or illegal stuff.
 
ADRM said:
It's funny: I always thought that based purely on the visuals, until I worked at U of T and saw how it is actually used each day, and now I firmly hate it. Midday weekdays see delivery trucks almost constantly parked on the sidewalks because of the low curbs and drivers (mostly Ubers/Lyfts, but also students in their M3s) absolutely *flying* up and down the stretch because there is no traffic calming, and it's almost unusable for people on bikes (mostly because the horizontal cobbles almost fling you off your bike).

To me, having seen how it's used in practice, it's a bit like the adjacent stretch of St. George: looked great in both rendering and reality, but falls down functionally because you just can't really on drivers to take normative cues from design and materiality; infrastructure must physically prevent drivers from doing dangerous or illegal stuff.
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There are a mix of appropriate fixes, I'm not sure a lot of large-scale physical alteration is required.

Deliveries for instance can be controlled by the university, specifying certain times of day.

Less parking for cars would be helpful and that's an area of disappointment vis a vis the parking going in under back campus, where I would have preferred it simply be cut all together.

Another option would be retractable bollards. I noted in a thread showing London's Dundas Place that this is being done in Ontario now.

Using these to essentially prohibit unauthorized cars during busy pedestrian times (say 8am-8pm M-F) would be an obvious move.

I haven't tried riding a bike on it, as a pedestrian I like its feel/look.

There really isn't room in this configuration to accommodate any kind of bike lane, either at road or sidewalk level.

It's possible a smoother cobble could be used near the curbs, but I'm not sure that's worthwhile giving the limited area involved.

****

Again w/St. George, I think some pretty subtle moves would suffice.

Pinch the areas near crossings and in front of Syd Smith.

Reduce the parking supply on-street.

Enforce existing rules.

Schedule deliveries appropriately.
 
www.utoronto.ca

Indigenous Landscape design draws on community input, consultations

The design proposal for a prominent Indigenous space at the heart of the University of Toronto’s St.
www.utoronto.ca www.utoronto.ca

Indigenous Landscape design draws on community input, consultations

December 09, 2020

The design proposal for a prominent Indigenous space at the heart of the University of Toronto’s St. George campus reveals a place that celebrates Indigenous culture, fosters community and educates visitors about the history of the land and the Indigenous nations who have lived and gathered there for millennia.

The Indigenous Landscape project at Taddle Creek uses design, storytelling and culture to create a highly visible Indigenous space on Hart House Green. Elements include teaching, gathering and event spaces, gardens for plant medicines and Indigenous trees and cultural markers offering information on residential schools, treaties and the burying of Taddle Creek, which once snaked through the area.

It’s all part of U of T’s Landmark Project – a broader revitalization of the historic core of the St George campus.
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AlbertC said:
www.utoronto.ca

Indigenous Landscape design draws on community input, consultations

The design proposal for a prominent Indigenous space at the heart of the University of Toronto’s St.
www.utoronto.ca www.utoronto.ca

Indigenous Landscape design draws on community input, consultations

December 09, 2020




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Ummmmm, nice idea.............some potential execution issues.

Tree List:

Speckled Alder - theoretically native, though a wetland edge plant..............but.......I have yet to see a Speckled Alder ever show up in Toronto as supplied by a nursery.

Most often, you get European Alder instead; with the next most likely to be Green Alder, which is a Northern Ontario species.

***

Tamarack is a wetland edge tree (Ontario's non-evergreen conifer), I'm iffy on it surviving this type of setting. Also not the most urban-tolerant of species. Lovely mind you.

A conifer that turns bright yellow in the fall.

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White Birch, sure...............

Sugar Maple is an excellent choice.

White Pine should be fine, if they can find it enough sun.

Red Cedar will endure almost anything.....bit of an odd choice here, but it should do fine; though again, will need a fair bit of sun.

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Among the herbaceous plants.........

Pitcher Plant would be awesome if they intended to create a Bog or a Fen............but I don't see that on that plans.

It occurs to me to add a note.........Pitcher Plant is a meat-eater. A comparatively rare trait among Ontario plants.

Scouring Rush on the other hand loves the soggy, partially shaded areas of the Leslie Spit............

I applaud the idea..........but I struggle to see how they're going to make many of these plants work; they are very habitat-specific; and not the same habitats.
 
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Is there any plan to power wash the St. George campus during this revitalization? The older, stone buildings have been covered in soot, for decades. I've never understood how buildings like University College (which might be the most significant architectural building in Toronto) have been neglected for so long, in this regard. Said building looks horrible, in its condition, with the blackened stone and turret. It's clearly been cleaned in small sections, as some of the stone is pristine, around the main entrance, which makes me wonder why that is the case, there, and not for the rest of the building.
 
Will indigenous people appreciate this gesture or is it done to make non-indigenous people feel better about themselves?
 
abovetoronto said:
Will indigenous people appreciate this gesture or is it done to make non-indigenous people feel better about themselves?
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You're speaking to motivations which aren't really know-able; but there's hardly a reason to imagine it isn't well intended.

Of course, as presented, this is pretty much symbolism.

Symbolism is not an inherently bad thing by any means; it will generally be perceived positively if it reflects a substantive commitment; and
as is not an empty gesture.

The University can be making 2 kinds of commitment here; one is more broadly to the environment; using native plants, and natural landscapes which can
require less maintenance; and provide some habitat value for birds, pollinators, insects etc.

That, in respect of the indigenous community is really a statement about aligned values.

That works, if the University considers than lens in all its landscaping decisions and in its new building construction.

I would suggest that U of T is moving strongly in that direction; even though I believe they often get some details wrong.

***

The other type of commitment is to consider this a gesture of broader reconciliation, one which would be reflected by efforts to see Indigenous Canadians more broadly represented
in the student body and the faculty; and to devote some portion of research dollars to everything from reviving native languages to improving on-reserve/remote living conditions. etc.

I can't speak to the substantive efforts being made on that front, as it isn't something I've looked into.
 
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abovetoronto said:
Will indigenous people appreciate this gesture or is it done to make non-indigenous people feel better about themselves?
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It appears that everyone can enjoy the new landscape. I like the idea of using native species for plantings even though some may be problematic as Northern Light has mentioned. The advisory group on this project has a significant indigenous component, so one could expect a good reception from the First Nations groups when complete. Everyone should feel better about themselves.
 
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