[BobBob]

As the year draws to a close, I thought I'd start a thread discussing the achievements of our city over the past year. Sure, there are plenty of things to gripe about, but also many things to celebrate. These can be small details, or big trends.

I'll start things off by listing some of my faves:

CN tower lighting - Toronto's favourite landmark is infused with new life by this inventive project. Seeing the CN tower at night in its sad "off" state nowadays, it's hard to believe that up until just a few months ago, that is how it always looked.

Traffic light countdown - A small detail, but very useful and welcomed by all.

Office developments - The surprising jump in the number of planned new office towers would excite any urban enthusiast.

HtO - New parks on the waterfront are a welcome addition and a positive symbol of what's possible along our shore.


Chime in with yours!

 

[JasonParis]

MoveOntario 2020 - A return to serious investment in transit infrastructure. The plan is far from perfect, but regardless will change the ways in which we move about the GTA (and for the better).

 

[Urban Shocker]

Push! Push! Push!: Design review is born. Three different midwives, each with different techniques, are bringing three new projects into the world: the infants are called Bazis, Corus and Aura.

Openings: Finally, the Crystal. He's a starchitect so he calls the shots. No escalators - by decree - for instance. Controversially, the building opens without exhibits in.

Closings: Bata Headquarters.

R.I.P.: Macy DuBois ( 1929-2007 ).

Reading Toronto: Concrete Toronto by Michael McClelland and Graeme Stewart is published.
"When one falls in love, one becomes credible; and so it is with a city when it falls in love with itself. It becomes credible, believable to itself. And it attracts." - Pier Georgio Di Cicco.

 

[buildup]

Did the Bata Museum close, or their headquarters? I've always felt guilty about not visiting that odd shoe museum, but I couldn't muster the interest frankly.

 

[ShonTron]

The Headquarters were closed for several years and are now demolished (?). The museum lives on at Bloor and St. George.

 

[allabootmatt]

MoveOntario, definitely, and hence the (hopefully) return of Queen's Park to major transit expansion.

 

[adma]

The Headquarters were closed for several years and are now demolished (?). The museum lives on at Bloor and St. George.

Forget the question mark, bucko

 

[grey]

Did the Bata Museum close, or their headquarters? I've always felt guilty about not visiting that odd shoe museum, but I couldn't muster the interest frankly.

You're not missing much. It isn't that great anyway.

 

[junctionist]

Closings: Bata Headquarters.

R.I.P.: Macy DuBois ( 1929-2007 ).

Those are achievements?

 

[Archivist]

Ireland Park

I'd also like to nominate Ireland Park, a smaller and harder to get to park, but an important reclaiming of part of our waterfront.

Luminato, the first successful festival, to be followed by many more.

 

[Bogtrotter]

- The new and much improved ROM opens
- TIFF centre gets underway
- after years of haggling and construction the ST. Clair ROW opens with spiffy new stops (I just hope service improves)
- Waterfront initiatives take shape- H20, Ireland parks
- Excavation starts on Toronto's second tallest building (Not my favorite project but I never thought I'd see this)

 

[Admiral Beez]

Openings: Finally, the Crystal. He's a starchitect so he calls the shots. No escalators - by decree - for instance. Controversially, the building opens without exhibits in.

Why is it called the Crystal? When I read that was the name, I expected glass walls, and instead we've got aluminum siding cladding the structure. It should be called the tin'u'im or something to donate that there's little glass in the structure. Oh, and good point, how about some exhibits for the grand opening?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Summer 2007, Admiral Beez returns to Toronto after three years in exile in New Brunswick. Ok, perhaps Andrea et al would prefer I stayed there, but here I am regardless

 

[Observer Walt]

^ Good point regarding the Crystal. I still have some mixed feelings about the building itself, but I continue to have no idea at all why it is called that. In all of the writings pro and con about the project, I have not seen this point mentioned.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Obs. Walt:

It's kinda cheesy as an explaination - but crystal can refer to crystalline form instead of transparency. Lots of mineral crystals are angular but opaque (e.g. hematite, pyrite, galena, etc). In fact, the ROM/Libeskind has been on the defensive on this since the shift from the original competition proposal.

AoD