Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

[snyberTO]

I see your point about scale - I really do like the intersection markers with the red arm, but i wish that aesthetic was represented in the other lighting - the current ones look too much like they came from a catalogue. But maybe thats just me.

How about something like the lights on Granville but scaled down to match the scale of Yonge? Anyway, it will probably all look better once there are wider sidewalks and there's room for other elements to soften things up.

 

[snyberTO]

Just went back to look at Granville - and the scale of those lights would fit pretty well on Yonge. Granville's lights are more sculptural and fit in well with the signage; they add to the visual excitement to the street (and i think they change colour too for special holidays/events). I guess I'd like to see a little more razzle-dazzle on Yonge...

 

[vz64]

I wonder if Yonge is wide enough to be converted to a boulevard with two traffic lanes on its periphery; something like Rambla in Barcelona:

 

[imperfect]

Old ideas in new packaging - Wong-Tam is grandstanding her arrival on the scene; Greenberg is looking for work; McKenna is doing what she is paid to do and the rest is hot air - how many proposals have there been to narrow or close Yonge - either from Queen north or some iteration thereof. Look back to the late 70's when the eaton Centre was completed - hot ait.

If our dear Councillor Wong-Tam (of QAIA sponsorship fame) really wanted to something useful for this strip of Yonge she can start with the EVERGREEN facility for street people - but she never will attempt to do anything with this gathering place for thugs and punks - remember she (like many here) is a bleeding heart die hard NDP version socialist and the EVERGREEN people have been there (and own the building) since way back - the 30's methinks.

 

[Torontovibe]

Old ideas in new packaging - Wong-Tam is grandstanding her arrival on the scene; Greenberg is looking for work; McKenna is doing what she is paid to do and the rest is hot air - how many proposals have there been to narrow or close Yonge - either from Queen north or some iteration thereof. Look back to the late 70's when the eaton Centre was completed - hot ait.

If our dear Councillor Wong-Tam (of QAIA sponsorship fame) really wanted to something useful for this strip of Yonge she can start with the EVERGREEN facility for street people - but she never will attempt to do anything with this gathering place for thugs and punks - remember she (like many here) is a bleeding heart die hard NDP version socialist and the EVERGREEN people have been there (and own the building) since way back - the 30's methinks.

Why do you guys always have to turn things into a right VS. left thing? Must every single thread get into this political bull-shit, newbie? Go play politics in the Rob Ford thread. I'm sure you'll have a lot to criticize there.

 

[Thanos]

Why do you guys always have to turn things into a right VS. left thing? Must every single thread get into this political bull-shit, newbie? Go play politics in the Rob Ford thread. I'm sure you'll have a lot to criticize there.

While i agree this should not be a left vs right thing and imperfect seems like a Ford clone, i think that this new plan, as much as i would love for it to happen (keeping my fingers crossed it does), will not be successful with evergreen there.

 

[imperfect]

Land use is politics at the most basic level;

Why is it that self righteous pompous so called non-political people always resort to name calling when their p.o.v. runs into a wall of reasoning ? Scratch their shallow surface and you will find a wet liberal afraid of their own shadow

For your information I did vote for Rob Ford - mainly because I detest the social engineering engendered by Miller and his ilk.

Architecture and Urbanism are not tools for social engineering.

Evergreen has stated clearly that they are not going anywhere.

 

[snyberTO]

If Evergreen owns the building - they have the right to use it. And, if an organization like Evergreen can't exist on Yonge Street - where should it be able to operate? the NIMBYS would never want it their residential neighborhoods' backyards. Social progams are important, even if you find them unsightly.

In a city we share space with people of all types - that's what I, and a lot other people really enjoy about big-city life. For those who dont like it, there's always the suburbs where things are tidy and more homogeneous.

 

[nfitz]

Yonge does have Bay Street one block west, University three blocks west.

Bay street is about 220 metres from Yonge; University is 600 metres. In Kitchener Charles Street is about 130 metres and Duke Street is about 140 metres.

Church and Jarvis do the same on the east

300 and 500 metres away.

The very short distance in Kitchener compared to Toronto is I think the key. It's just a theory though.

 

[TonyV]

Why do you guys always have to turn things into a right VS. left thing? Must every single thread get into this political bull-shit, newbie? Go play politics in the Rob Ford thread. I'm sure you'll have a lot to criticize there.

Spoken well.

Some just don't have that city-building attitude. They let their personal politics get in the way. One peculiar thing I find about some of the ones who put politics first -- they're often the first ones to dump on Yonge Street's condition, but they'll put obstacles in the way of getting something good done.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I wonder if Yonge is wide enough to be converted to a boulevard with two traffic lanes on its periphery; something like Rambla in Barcelona:

The wide Esplanade, and - to a lesser degree - Spadina and University Avenue, are our best hopes for that sort of thing.

 

[jje1000]

Land use is politics at the most basic level;

For your information I did vote for Rob Ford - mainly because I detest the social engineering engendered by Miller and his ilk.

Architecture and Urbanism are not tools for social engineering.

Urbanism is definitely a tool for social engineering, except at most times, developers unwittingly guide it. Compare masterplanned neighbourhoods with ones developed over time- the businesses and people they attract are completely different.

 

[js97]

^^ Exactly... yonge street developed organically.... the contrast would be something like Shops of donmills...

I'd be completely in favour of this, who's going to object to city beautification?. The one concern I have for this: who is going to pay for this major construction?

If the city ends up with the bill, won't the project essentially be massive corporate welfare??

 

[snyberTO]

I dont think I would call it corporate welfare - improvements to the public realm arent only about increasing profits - it ups the quality and livability of the environment that we all share. Plus improvements make the city more attractive for visitors who spread their money around the whole city - not just that strip.

 

[jje1000]

I'd hope it would be Section 37 funding + some money from the city. Maybe a collaboration between developers/landowners/BIA, who would all chip in.