Toronto Woodside Square Redevelopment | 112.1m | 33s | WSIM Group | Graziani + Corazza

The Planning Review for this site, which is being done with an eye to a new SASP (Site and Area Specific Policy) is the subject of a report to the next Scarborough Community Council:


So far as I can tell, no material changes as compared to the most recent updates in this thread.

I will bring this forward though:

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In looking at it, I will reiterate that I would prefer to see the new E-W street across the bottom of the site punch through to McCowan

I would also prefer one larger park to the two smaller ones.
 
I feel like I’m missing something in the design of the public parks. Those lawns are not really big enough to do anything active, and have no seating, or shade, or anything to look at. What are these people in the drawing doing? Is there an idea here?

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This one has the same problem… But worse, and the main desire line down the centre of the park is interrupted by plantings.

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I feel like I’m missing something in the design of the public parks. Those lawns are not really big enough to do anything active, and have no seating, or shade, or anything to look at. What are these people in the drawing doing? Is there an idea here?

View attachment 459760

This one has the same problem… But worse, and the main desire line down the centre of the park is interrupted by plantings.

View attachment 459761

I would imagine that neither of these parks actually has a real design yet; Parks will get the final say on that; these are probably just high level concepts.

But your critique is entirely on point.

In the latter case, it's pretty basic design 101 to follow logical desire lines; if you don't, people will tend to make one after the fact and mess up your plan (see College Park as case in point).

In the former, the park simply isn't large enough to serve its intended function. It's the result of dumb public policy (developer shall provide 'x % of land' for parks w/o asking whether that size of plot makes any particular sense)........as well as Parks refusing to use the Parkland Acquisition reserve wisely to size-up such parcels where it makes sense.

While there can be wonderful, small, public spaces with good design (Berczy); they are relatively rare, and also tend to only serve the function of 'public square'.

Communities also need sports fields, playgrounds, natural areas, picnicking space, and performance areas; and for most/all of those, you need at least 1ha/2.5 acres, and typically more.

Ten bucks says when parks sees the top parcel handover for design, they're going to want to put a playground on it. There is room for that; but if it's a good playground, there won't be room for much of anything else.
 
What are these people in the drawing doing? Is there an idea here?

I actually overlooked this question until I saw @marcus_a_j 's answer.

So that made me see how much resolution I could squeeze out of render in combination w/zoom.

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Three appear to be standing around for no particularly reason (top left of lawn); mid-left we get 4 sitting around blanket or some such thing, bottom right is 3 or 4 standing around something......

What those folks are doing in the centre though.......I'm not sure that doesn't carry at least a PG rating. LOL

Also, now that it's blown up, I'm looking to the left of the lawn, is that supposed to be a min bouncy castle? LOL
 
I feel like I’m missing something in the design of the public parks. Those lawns are not really big enough to do anything active, and have no seating, or shade, or anything to look at. What are these people in the drawing doing? Is there an idea here?

View attachment 459760

This one has the same problem… But worse, and the main desire line down the centre of the park is interrupted by plantings.

View attachment 459761
Even in high-level, pre-detail concept drawings I want to see constructed paths following desire lines. Landscape Architects should lose their license — and maybe even be jailed offshore where Canadian consular services have a hard time gaining access — for having the presumption to think that their designs will be so compelling that people will detour out of their way to see that clump of periwinkle placed along their needlessly meandering, indirect route (and therefore will not — despite all accrued wisdom declaring otherwise — create a rutted path through the lawn). Argh!

42
 
what's the current status for this development? just wanna know the chances of this getting approved by the municipality as i live around the area, thanks
 

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