Very true, they do help maintain the 'small town in the city' aesthetic that is beloved about Toronto. Moreover I would hate to see old Victorian storefronts demolished just to add another 5 feet of sidewalk. I'd much rather we lost a lane of traffic and make Yonge street between Bloor and dundas a more pedestrian friendly shopping district.
 
I don' think anyone is advocating demolishing the victorian retail heritage along Yonge - just that when new development opportunities (e.g. RoCP3) arise that the property line should be set back.

A great example is 18 Yorkville. The sidewalks were made wider by setting the building back a bit which allowed for nice large planters and trees - I think it definitely added to the streetscape.
 
The trouble with RoCP is that the Yonge streetline is *already* set back--and being set back or quasi-so sure doesn't help the 70s buildings across the way.

Another case in point: the two condo rehabs at Yonge + Wellesley. The livelier one by far is the NE one that they built out to the streetline.

Jane Jacobs was right, y'know. Congestion--ped-congestion included--can be a good thing, urbanistically speaking...
 
Adma,

I agree with you one Yonge and Wellesley, but I think the primary problem with the SE corner is not the set back, but the fact that there is a set of stairs and planters that create both a visual and physical seperation between the structure and the street.

One attribute I'm looking forward to with Metropolis is the wide sidewalks planned along Yonge as the pedestrian traffic at Yonge and Dundas is very busy.

I think we can all find example of both good and bad setbacks.
 
College Park nw of Yonge & Gerrard

I'm temporarily renting at ROCP and I look down on that pond/parkette on the North/West corner of Yonge & Gerrard. If the 3rd ROCP tower is approved the city should extract funding to re-design the park.

It has exceptional potential, surrounded by towers, some natural undulations, the pond, and chalet. But it's somewhat shabby right now. I think more trees, landscaping and an enlargement of the pond could turn this into a jewel.

If the condo owners in the ROCP financed it they would see welcome appreciation in their property values.
 
tennis courts!

Screw ROCP 3, I say they expand the park over the parking lot, put some tennis courts or something.

I realise this is never going to happen, where would the city get the money to buy the land? But still, too many condos, not enough green space. Oh wait, they can go to the new Toronto "Central Park" (aka Lake Ontario Park)... except it takes 20 minutes to get there by car!
 
Re: tennis courts!

would love to see a piece of artwork, similar to the one at the entrance to RoCP1, in the park....only bigger, about 100 ft high! :smokin
 
Re: tennis courts!

The city should have squeezed a little more money from the developers for that park. It has seen better days and yes, could certainly use some improvement. Let's hope that ROCP3 brings the needed money and improvements (of course, the building will largely overshadow the park, literally and figuratively).
 
Re: tennis courts!

The park is badly in need of some attention but I must confess it's my favorite park in my neighborhood. I'm not sure what draws me there, but it's where I most often meet friends for coffee on a nice day or simply a walking destination with my dog. Perhaps it's the water feature, busy foot traffic during the day or the good vibe I get there. In any event improvements to this space would be very welcomed, especially additional or enhanced green space.
 
Re: tennis courts!

That corners got a lot of potential. Avenua4, the same thought occurred to me, "Why not just extend the park to meet the street? That way we lose the wasteland of a parking lot which is currently there and we get a little more greenspace which meets the street. It would add another publc space to Toronto's busiest street and to an area developing fast.

Concurrently, this spot has the potential to be a city square. After the success of Dundas Square, I'd hope that the city would try to replicate its success elsewhere. Most major world cities have several prominent squares or wide open public spaces.

Anyhow, this is one of my favourite spots in the city to take a breather, buy myself a hot dog and pop and sit down on one of the elevated grass beds, and just take in the street life.
 
Re: tennis courts!

I'm guessing that parking lot is worth at least $20 million, probably much more... so it's not so easy to 'just extend the park to meet the street'.
 
Re: tennis courts!

Naw, leave the park as is and build a nice tall building at the corner to give the current park some nice definition.
 
Re: tennis courts!

Of course, I'm not kidding myself that anything other than a highrise will be built on that parking lot. I was musing out loud about the various possibilities.
 
Re: tennis courts!

The best scenario would be to have the developer that builds on the parking lot contribute section 37 funds to improve the current park and possibly contribute some portions of the site to expand the park.
 
Re: tennis courts!

ROCP3, along with 1 Bloor East and CityPlace's Signature tower, strike me as Toronto's 3 best sites for Absolute-type design competitions. Not that they'll happen, but in the case of Yonge & Gerrard, Canderel would likely get a more sympathetic ear from the City for more height (& floor space) if they went for a high-visibility international competition over the half-baked Graziani + Corazza design that they are pushing for now.

Mike in TO: any idea where that proposal stands now? Did it go to the OMB?

demanding 42
 
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