[M.Harris]

I know that the facades for this project along Yonge will be subject to heritage signage provisions.

Nice!

 

[Hamiltonian]

Why have they not decided to put trees along Yonge? What ever happened to the Yonge revitalization thing? Lol.

 

[interchange42]

What Yonge revitalization thing?

42

 

[Xray_Crystal_Junkie]

Perhaps he means the prospect of potentially making Yonge two lanes similar to what was done during Celebrate Yonge.

 

[junctionist]

They're probably waiting until Rob Ford is defeated or arrested to do that. But I think it could be done today with strong support from business owners and locals.

 

[Hamiltonian]

What Yonge revitalization thing?

42

This!

 

[SP!RE]

That is a plan for the Downtown Yonge BIA, which this project is not located in.

 

[rdaner]

I know that many feel contrary to the idea of retail along the lane but I see a lot of potential. And so does the owner of the building at the northwest corner of the laneway and Wellesley Street West.

 

[Edward]

With more density coming and the Yonge sidewalks so narrow back alleys like this will become more prominent.

 

[junctionist]

The laneway must become a vibrant space like those in places like Melbourne. Save the car-oriented laneways for "new urban" suburbia.

 

[confusion]

I imagine this laneway turning into something like the upscale shopping laneways of Amsterdam

 

[M.Harris]

The laneway must become a vibrant space like those in places like Melbourne. Save the car-oriented laneways for "new urban" suburbia.

If we had the vision in this city to do something like what they've done with the downtown lanes in Melbourne it would be fantastic. I'm not holding my breath though. Here are some pictures I took last year:

 

[M.Harris]

This!

Yeah right! In our dreams! Notice the date on that article...July 6 2011. When was the last time anyone heard about this scheme going forward?

I've posted a couple images from Melbourne elsewhere - it's a city much more like Toronto than anywhere else I can think of...except for things they have done right. Where we have an artist rendering from two years ago for a plan that is unlikely to ever be realized...

...they have this on their central thoroughfare called Burke Street:

Notice the tram line through the centre of the pedestrian mall? Can you imagine councilors in Toronto allowing such a thing with out barriers, walls, motes....you name it?

 

[Torontovibe]

Those small intimate spaces would be perfect in areas like the Entertainment District. With all the new development there, it would be quite easy to incorporate thees, yet the city is doing nothing to make it happen. Every chance we have to create unique, interesting neighbourhoods seems to just be squandered. I guess it would just take too much effort for our planning department and city council to implement. Then we wonder why Toronto has a problem marketing itself.

 

[UrbanAffair]

Yeah right! In our dreams! Notice the date on that article...July 6 2011. When was the last time anyone heard about this scheme going forward?

I've posted a couple images from Melbourne elsewhere - it's a city much more like Toronto than anywhere else I can think of...except for things they have done right. Where we have an artist rendering from two years ago for a plan that is unlikely to ever be realized...
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...they have this on their central thoroughfare called Burke Street:


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View attachment 16297

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Notice the tram line through the centre of the pedestrian mall? Can you imagine councilors in Toronto allowing such a thing with out barriers, walls, motes....you name it?

Looks great, lots of cities in Europe that actually started that concept long ago. Zurich and Istanbul come to mind. But hey thats too screwball european for a city like Toronto. It might just work too well and catch on...