Waterfront Toronto, in partnership with the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry, and Recreation Department, kicked off an international design competition in February to select designs for two new public parks in Downtown Toronto. Over 40 design teams from 18 cities entered the six-week competition to design the two Queens Quay parks—one at York Street and one at Rees Street—and the candidates have since been narrowed to a shortlist of just ten teams.

Artist's sketch highlighting the locations of two new waterfront parks, image via Waterfront Toronto


"Toronto's waterfront parks are a vital part of our green space infrastructure," reads a statement issued by Mayor John Tory. "I look forward to seeing the creative and cutting-edge vision these teams will bring to the competition." 

Context map showing both York Street and Rees Street parks, image via Waterfront Toronto


The five shortlisted teams for each park are, alphabetically: 
York Street Park 

·        Agency Landscape + Planning (Massachusetts) + DAVID RUBIN Land Collective (Philadelphia) 

·        Claude Cormier et Associés (Montreal) 

·        Hapa Collaborative (Vancouver) 

·        PLANT Architects (Toronto) + Mandaworks (Stockholm) 

·        Stephen Stimson Associates Landscape Architects (Massachusetts) + MJMA (Toronto) 

Rees Street Park 

·        PUBLIC CITY Architecture (Toronto) 

·        SCAPE Landscape Architecture (New York)  

·        Snøhetta (New York) + PMA Landscape Architects (Toronto) 

·        Stoss Landscape Urbanism (Boston) + DTAH (Toronto) 

·        wHY Architecture (New York) + Brook McIlroy (Toronto) 

Final designs are set to be selected later in 2018. Construction of the York Street park would commence next year, and Rees Street park would follow in 2020.


We will return with updates as further details on these spaces are released. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated linked Forum pages for the York Street and Rees Street parks, or leave a comment in the space provided below.