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Toronto's waterfront reimagined

No way.



Ok, I'll elaborate. Is he mad?? Our waterfront's -- heck our city's -- biggest natural asset is the beautiful harbour we have between the city and the still mostly undeveloped island. Putting this deck between the two would be a mistake of mythological proportions.

All Freed's vision needn't be discarded though. The linear park over the rail corridor is something many of us (including myself) has imagined for long and would be a welcome and the most cost effective way to deck the tracks and bridge the gap it now creates.

As for a deck arching over from downtown to the islands and back, it can be done without ruining the dynamic our city plays with the island:

An iconic pedestrian bridge over to the island which would continue into the existing paths through the islands and out the other end to the future Lake Ontario Park and along the Portlands' shore back to the waterfront's eastern edge, would create a loop that would tell a narrative of our city's entire waterfront if one chooses to walk the entire distance.
 
I saw this in the paper (however long ago that was,) and immediately thought "bah stupid."
I look at it now, and think "bah stupid." Some of the same reasons, with the addition of the aforementioned concerns. This exact same product could be done by just sticking a bridge on either side of the island.
 
Being able to walk right on the water in a large dock walkway is something I've never even considered-- but it would be amazing to be able to surround yourself with the harbour like that. Definitely an interesting concept!

The application worries me, however. Shouldn't, and won't be done.
 
They couldn't build pedestrian bridges to the island fast enough. The arguments against building them are all very weak. Getting to and from the island on the ferry is such an unbelievably unpleasant experience, when city workers aren't striking.

The park is a resource that should be given back to the people of Toronto, year round. Freed's idea of making the harbour circumnavigable by foot, bicycle or skis is a good one but it should just involve foot bridges to the island park.
 
Toronto has the worst beaches I've ever seen, anywhere in the world. (and I've been to a lot of places, including third world countries) Is it too much to ask for this city to have one or two clean, beautiful resort type beaches? I'd love to see The Sunnyside Pavillion turned into a major attraction and beach resort. Right now, there is not a single decent beach in this city.:mad:
 
I have to agree with Torontovibe. And it's not just because we have temperate lake beaches. There are a number of beaches that have the potential to be absolutely beautiful and stunning, yet they all (perhaps Woodbine as an exception,) are really kind of gross and unlikable. People can harp on about how nice Cherry Beach and Humber Bay are, but they could be so much better. Clear all the crap out from around them, maybe add some more sand and beach, and then develop around it.

If we start developing those beaches now, they'll rival the world in 30 years when Global warming starts giving us a tropical climate! Boy, won't that be cool :rolleyes:
 
Second_in_pie said:
I have to agree with Torontovibe. And it's not just because we have temperate lake beaches. There are a number of beaches that have the potential to be absolutely beautiful and stunning, yet they all (perhaps Woodbine as an exception,) are really kind of gross and unlikable. People can harp on about how nice Cherry Beach and Humber Bay are, but they could be so much better. Clear all the crap out from around them, maybe add some more sand and beach, and then develop around it.

If we start developing those beaches now, they'll rival the world in 30 years when Global warming starts giving us a tropical climate! Boy, won't that be cool :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Not really no ...

What's this fascination with redeveloping every square kilometer in the GTA.

Who are we trying to emulate here, Miami? That seems like what you're going for.
Sure clean it up, the area around it is just fine the way it is today though.

Focus our efforts on the Port lands ... other downtown districts ... why should we go out of the way to redevelop this area just so we can say we have beaches lined with condos / shops ... who cares ... we have that elsewhere.
 
urbanboom said:
yeah! they should open up a Sandals! I bet that'd be real popular in February! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Why is it those without ideas or an ounce creativity, are the first to criticise? Oh yeah, it's just so much easier.

I think the fact that we have a limited time to enjoy it, only makes it more important to make it as nice as possible. We need to squeeze as much pleasure out of it as we can.

Hey, Montreal has even shorter summers and they managed to create a nice, man-made lake, with a clean beach on their islands. It has clean water, restaurants, showers, chair rentals, umbrella rentals, stores to buy swimwear and sun block, as well as pick-nick areas and other amenities. It might take a bit of cash but the investment would pay off. Hell, even Wasaga Beach has much nicer beaches than Toronto. Our beaches right now are an embarrassment.

What other city in the world has dog runs (toilets) and dead trees right on it's beach sand? (not to mention cement slabs, stones, twigs, branches, sticks, leaves, bark, cigarette butts, garbage and all kinds of other crap in the sand) Is there any other city in the world that does that?

The worst part is, Sunnyside Pavilion sits there, looking great but hardly ever used for much. The top floor is rented out for functions but why not have it open for all Torontonians to use? It would make a fantastic restaurant or night club, yet it's underutilized. (well, actually ignored) It should be a major attraction on our waterfront. I say, clean up the sand, throw up an attractive wall, plant some beautiful trees, put a large, heated tank with clean, fresh water and a few retail stands and we're ready to go. Oh and one other thing, a bandstand for weekend concerts/dancing on the beach. Build it and they will come. (and spend lots of money)

And who said line the beach with condos? I'd line it with great gardens and beautiful trees, behind the boardwalk. (and not the regular kind they have in the sand now, maybe some nice type of tall pine trees or those ones with the huge heart shaped leaves)
 
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Second_in_pie said:
I have to agree with Torontovibe. And it's not just because we have temperate lake beaches. There are a number of beaches that have the potential to be absolutely beautiful and stunning, yet they all (perhaps Woodbine as an exception,) are really kind of gross and unlikable. People can harp on about how nice Cherry Beach and Humber Bay are, but they could be so much better. Clear all the crap out from around them, maybe add some more sand and beach, and then develop around it.

If we start developing those beaches now, they'll rival the world in 30 years when Global warming starts giving us a tropical climate! Boy, won't that be cool :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Do some people consider Cherry Beach nice? As a beach? Really? lol I was there last weekend, as well as many times last summer, and that place is not a proper beach. It's a very ruff, rugged, unkempt park but not a nice beach. You will find more dog shit there than any other park/beach in Toronto. It's basically a park where people take Fido for a walk and crap. Few people use it as a beach, as far as I've seen. It's a good place for a bar bq, dance to techno or to kick a ball around but in any other city in the world, it would not be seen as a beach. Only in Toronto would people consider Cherry Beach acceptable as a beach.
 
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taal said:
Not really no ...

What's this fascination with redeveloping every square kilometer in the GTA.

Who are we trying to emulate here, Miami? That seems like what you're going for.
Sure clean it up, the area around it is just fine the way it is today though.

Focus our efforts on the Port lands ... other downtown districts ... why should we go out of the way to redevelop this area just so we can say we have beaches lined with condos / shops ... who cares ... we have that elsewhere.
Click to expand...
If we can do it, why don't we? If we could turn Humber Bay into a kind of Acapulca/Miami Beach area, why shouldn't we? I'm sure that there's tonnes of people who would love to live in that kind of area in Toronto, even if it's just for those 2 or 3 months in the summer (global warming giving us a Georgian summer notwithstanding.)

I don't think that all of the GTA should be redeveloped, but there's a lot of opportunity in a lot of places. And when we're talking Portlands or Humber Bay, there's really nothing to redevelop. There's barely anything currently existing in those areas, except for some condos around Humber Bay.
 
This concept has been in my head for the last few years. This would be an incredible gift to all Torontonians if this were to ever come to fruition; in one form or another. I don't like the idea of large statues being placed in the water, but the floating boardwalk is one of the most exciting ideas I've seen proposed in this city. This would instantly become one of the most popular destinations in the city. For those concerned about blocked views of the treeline from the shore https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=city+of+toronto&ll=43.637651,-79.380145&spn=0.00086,0.001742&hnear=Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&gl=ca&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=43.637567,-79.380387&panoid=k5hdykD59OagY315YSKx3w&cbp=12,166.88,,0,-0.37-- if the boardwalk was pushed back closer to the islands, the view from the mainland would barely be affected. From the renderings, the boardwalk is no more than a few feet above the water. Re the issue of mobility -- couldn't a moveable walkway be installed along the entire length of the boardwalk? This would give people the option of walking at a regular pace or using a walkway that would transport them to their desired location at a much quicker rate. The boardwalk wouldn't necessarily need to be connected to the mainland via an arch -- as depicted in the renderings -- though that would be preferable (probably around HTO Park in the west, and somewhere in the East Bayfront. A pedestrian bridge across the Eastern Channel would also be beneficial.

Does Waterfront Toronto not having anything planned for the Islands?

Another thing to consider...People have mentioned that similar views can already be enjoyed from the Islands themselves -- which is partially true -- but note that said views of the harbour/skyline are only available during the day. Imagining being able to walk along such a boardwalk when the sun is down. Right now, the only people that can relish the city from such vantage points at night, are Island residents and boaters.
 
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