Toronto's Best Public Realm/Streetscapes

[Northern Light]

Here at UT, we rightly excoriate the City of Toronto when it falls short in any number of areas; including public realm.

But we certainly don't get it wrong all the time; and we should spend sometime highlighting when we do it well.

I'm suggesting we focus on streetscapes/public squares here; but select parks are fine too.

I'll kick things off w/a spot that is not always well thought of in terms of streetscape, but struck me favourably on my walk yesterday.

Dundas, from Yonge to Bay, south side, beside the Eaton Centre:

Healthy trees, seating, gorgeous flower display, wide sidewalks, in good condition.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

Here at UT, we rightly excoriate the City of Toronto when it falls short in any number of areas; including public realm.

But we certainly don't get it wrong all the time; and we should spend sometime highlighting when we do it well.

I'm suggesting we focus on streetscapes/public squares here; but select parks are fine too.

I'll kick things off w/a spot that is not always well thought of in terms of streetscape, but struck me favourably on my walk yesterday.

Dundas, from Yonge to Bay, south side, beside the Eaton Centre:

View attachment 350091

Healthy trees, seating, gorgeous flower display, wide sidewalks, in good condition.

Good example, an engaged and well-funded BIA helps (they are very responsive as well: I've emailed them about issues I see on Bay on my way to work in the morning, on my way back in the afternoon it's usually been taken care of). Another example you posted in the Honest Ed's redevelopment thread: the stretch of Bloor from Walmer to Bathurst. When I remember what it was like in the 90s-00's compared to now, night and day improvement.

 

[junctionist]

Sugar Beach and the Waterfront Promenade are still exemplary despite being about 10 years old now.

I always enjoy the maple leaf granite mosaic pavements, the beautiful trees in Silva cells that have been growing quickly (in a way rarely seen among street trees in Toronto), the interesting wood-and-metal lighting standards that evoke masts, the unique and interesting rocky outcrops with candy cane stripes, the benches that are both beautiful and comfortable to sit on, the restaurant patio facing the lake, and Corus Quay's ability to open up its ground floor to animate the public space with concerts and events.

It's one of those rare public spaces in Toronto where it feels like they got everything right. I also think that Yorkville has done really well in terms of the public realm. Yorkville Park's landscape design is memorable. Its transplanted Canadian Shield rocky outcrop is memorable and encourages people to linger.

Bloor Street's broad granite sidewalks and lush trees are striking in Yorkville, particularly with the new benches around the trees. I noticed that a lot more people are lingering and socializing in the area on the benches at night than before, even when the stores are closed.

I believe that Yorkville Avenue is the only street in the city with an ornamental paver roadway, an ornamental paver sidewalk, ornamental street lights, generally healthy street trees, and pedestrian laneway connections. It has seen consistent improvements and good maintenance over the years. It now features one of the city's nicest streetscapes and public realms.

 

[riverdaler]

Any street with a wide sidewalk and two rows of trees feels luxurious.

For example Bay south of Wellesley

Or Bloor East of Yonge

 

[Northern Light]

Any street with a wide sidewalk and two rows of trees feels luxurious.

For example Bay south of Wellesley
View attachment 350755


Or Bloor East of Yonge

View attachment 350756

Bloor clearly belongs in this thread.

Bay....needs some refinement I think.

I certainly enjoy the double-row of trees; though they've under performed over the years............some pits have had their trees replaced a half dozen times in the last 20 years..

For the interior tree row, the sidewalks are sufficiently wide here, I'd like to see some of the paving removed, for larger planting beds around the trees. I'd also like to see a rim installed to reduce salt-infiltration.

That orange hue to the lighting is just dreadful. Some seating would be welcome as well. The road-side planters have almost enough room, but with plants spilling over the edge, and the sides being so close to heavy traffic, I think it would be better placed in line w/the interior tree row.

 

[christiesplits]

It's a small strip, but the Market Street revitalization looks great.

Source

 

[Northern Light]

While it may lack in floral features, I was taken by the overall quality of the new streetscape at Novus, on Strachan. Photo taken October 17th, 2021:

Note the interlocking paver sidewalk, a well---mulched, large planting bed, small fences around the planting bed to prevent people trampling it, and a solid granite curb (Ordnance Street) .

My only real negative here, it would have been nice to see some seating incorporated at the ends of the beds.

 

[junctionist]

You know someone cares about the public realm when they go with granite curbs and attractive paver sidewalks. Well done.

 

[TRONto]

While it may lack in floral features, I was taken by the overall quality of the new streetscape at Novus, on Strachan. Photo taken October 17th, 2021:


View attachment 356246

Note the interlocking paver sidewalk, a well---mulched, large planting bed, small fences around the planting bed to prevent people trampling it, and a solid granite curb (Ordnance Street) .

My only real negative here, it would have been nice to see some seating incorporated at the ends of the beds.

Is salt an issue here? The green space looks level to the road

 

[Northern Light]

Is salt an issue here?

Salt is always an issue in Toronto; though less so on side streets typically, because 'spray' is a huge part of the problem, and that's a function of vehicle speed/weight to some degree.

Salt can be an issue by spray, both to the roots (spray on to the soil bed, but also on to the foliage, and new growth where it can, in effect, 'burn' the plant.)

What helps here is the large volume of open soil, which means there's more room to receive rain, and more soil into which the salt can drain down.

The green space looks level to the road

There's a normal'ish curb height here, its not level w/the road, that's just an optical illusion.

But certainly more height might have been nice; but the fact the curb also wraps the sidewalk side is great, that's likely to reduce salt from that side.

 

[junctionist]

Salt is always an issue in Toronto; though less so on side streets typically, because 'spray' is a huge part of the problem, and that's a function of vehicle speed/weight to some degree.

Salt can be an issue by spray, both to the roots (spray on to the soil bed, but also on to the foliage, and new growth where it can, in effect, 'burn' the plant.)

What helps here is the large volume of open soil, which means there's more room to receive rain, and more soil into which the salt can drain down.



There's a normal'ish curb height here, its not level w/the road, that's just an optical illusion.

But certainly more height might have been nice; but the fact the curb also wraps the sidewalk side is great, that's likely to reduce salt from that side.

It sounds like a switch to non-salt and non-toxic deicing substances could have an unexpected and significant impact on the viability of landscaping in the public realm. Beet juice can apparently reduce the need to use salt.

 

[Northern Light]

It sounds like a switch to non-salt and non-toxic deicing substances could have an unexpected and significant impact on the viability of landscaping in the public realm. Beet juice can apparently reduce the need to use salt.

There are lots of alternatives to salt, both natural and synthetic that are quite effective.

The challenge is cost.

The City bureaucracy is very reticent to come back with an ask that would likely be in the 10 million + range, per year to switch to a less harmful alternative.

That also doesn't count the capital cost of retrofitting salters to distribute alternatives (where applicable)

From this story: https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/curtaili...-toronto-could-save-millions-motion-1.5414337

That said, as noted above, lower salt wouldn't just save a lot of plants...........but reduce wear and tear on pavement and concrete and above-street wires too.

So there's some savings to be had; the challenge, of course, is that the savings occur over time, but the cost of the alternative is immediate.

*****

As a side note, nothing is without some real consequence.........there's a study out there showing that Beet Juice adversely impacts insects.

Plant-based 'road salt' good for highways but not for insects

Beet juice deicer, a natural alternative to road salt that is considered to be an eco-friendlier winter road management solution, may not be ecologically friendly to nearby aquatic species. The findings--the first to explore the physiological effects of beet juice deicer in freshwater...

www.eurekalert.org

 

[Northern Light]

A nice little bit of St. Nicholas Street, just south of the Yorkville area, taken July 7th, 2022:

 

[Northern Light]

In the course of my ~7km walk yesterday, I came across piece of public realm streetscape that was at its best with fall colours and demanded a bit of love.

This is the northern gateway to Yorkville at Bay and Davenport, on October 27th, 2022:

 

[emphurent]

I just wanted to highlight this large planter at St. Joseph and Bay, it's such a nice little shaded green refuge, with a patio carved out for a quick pizza slice!

I was quite struck at how dense the plantings are, i'd really like to see more gardens planted to resemble a forest bed like this around the core!