Downsview Project Feedback | id8Downsview

We kicked off discussions with the public, community groups, and stakeholders in May 2020 to introduce the project and process, and to seek feedback and identify opportunities.
www.id8downsview.ca www.id8downsview.ca

CONSULTATION ROUND 1 WRAPS UP

Northcrest and Canada Lands are working to develop a Framework to guide the future development of 520 acres of land at Downsview. We kicked off discussions with the public, community groups, and stakeholders in May 2020 to introduce the project and process, and to seek feedback on:

• what people value in the neighbourhood, to help Northcrest and Canada Lands understand the area’s strengths,
• the challenges people see or experience, to help us identify what people don’t like and wouldn’t want repeated, and
• opportunities that people would like Northcrest and Canada Lands to consider for the future of these 520 acres.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1295830509285711872
 
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Some good feedback from the community in the consultation response - "12 opportunities identified by the public and stakeholders" are
  1. Employment should be a big part of Downsview’s future.
  2. Ensure neighbourhoods are walkable, bikeable, and connected.
  3. Expand and improve access to usable green space.
  4. This area needs new and more community facilities and walkable amenities.
  5. Provide housing, including affordable housing.
  6. Recognize the history of the site and the area.
  7. Be proactive in looking at issues of equity, inclusion, and power.
  8. Be a leader in sustainability, ecology, biodiversity, and hydrological function.
  9. Support aging in place
  10. Be bold, be ambitious, and be unique with design and architecture.
  11. Attract people to Downsview.
  12. Look at the area holistically and look at ways to push boundaries and deliver a truly innovative approach to planning and design.
Lots of things that people have mentioned above are referenced - I recommend reading the consultation doc, it's not actually that long at 24 pages, but rather comprehensive!
 
I hope they don't let it be redeveloped like the Stockyards area was in the 1990s and early 2000s, where few (if any) heritage buildings were preserved, major employers were replaced with big-box retail, no new community amenities were added except for a small park and a side street, and a couple of subdivisions were built around the edges. It must have been the laziest and most uninspired district redevelopment project of our time, a sort of antithesis to the likes of the West Don Lands, East Bayfront, or even Liberty Village.
 
junctionist said:
I hope they don't let it be redeveloped like the Stockyards area was in the 1990s and early 2000s, where few (if any) heritage buildings were preserved, major employers were replaced with big-box retail, no new community amenities were added except for a small park and a side street, and a couple of subdivisions were built around the edges. It must have been the laziest and most uninspired district redevelopment project of our time, a sort of antithesis to the likes of the West Don Lands, East Bayfront, or even Liberty Village.
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I'm still appalled whenever I drive along St. Clair and see those rows of townhomes with grass where the giant meat packing plants once stood. Shameful that city council approved that.
 
[sigh] I honestly wish this entire space were just turned into a park.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and once these lands are turned into housing, they’ll remain as such. My _opinion_ is that Toronto needs more large parks on the order of Prospect Park, Central Park, etc

I guess that ship has sailed.
 
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north-of-anything said:
A depressing amount of locals saying they want detached houses on these lands..
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Sure, but the consultation summary swings that around to say it in a positive sense - talking of the transition to the Ancaster neighbourhood:

Some people stressed the importance of respecting existing residents and the need to improve the transition to and integration of new residential areas to existing residential areas. For example if the Northcrest [former Bombardier] site becomes housing, make sure it is seamlessly integrated into the Ancaster area. Low rise residential (single detached homes and town houses) was more supported by some than taller buildings (condos and apartment buildings). Some suggested stacked townhomes or 4 storey walk-ups to create gentle density.

Anyway, the tallest buildings should be near to the transit stations, not next to the Ancaster neighbourhood.
 
allengeorge said:
[sigh] I honestly wish this entire space were just turned into a park.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and once these lands are turned into housing, they’ll remain as such. My _opinion_ is that Toronto needs more large parks on the order of Prospect Park, Central Park, etc

I guess that ship has sailed.
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I think existing Downsview park more than adequately serves that need, and development near it will enable greater use and for the park to live up to its potential.
 
The existing Downsview Park is pretty small IMO. And the trails are pretty linear, so...there’s actually not a lot of exploration potential.
 
^Theoretically they could expand it on the east side of the rail corridor and have a Downview East and Downsview West Park. That's something I actually think they should explore doing because the existing park needs to have better connections.

As it cuerrently stands, it just seems like it's seperated from everything and that's why it hasn't been as successful it should be.
 
One of the big complaints I saw other people make was how local high schools were crowded even pre-COVID. So I went to the TDSB website, approximately sketched out the approximate high school locations and boundaries, and stuck them onto this map. A high school could be placed in the middle of the property, perhaps with the athletics field and track being on the runway greenspace if that comes to fruition. If Sir Sandford Fleming is not re-opened as the Lawrence Heights revitalization continues, the site can be shifted further south. A Catholic high school could also be placed at the north end, to interfere as little as possible with Madonna Secondary School's catchment area. As for elementary schools, I would like to see them more in the lower-density areas to give more vertical space for midrises and retail.

downsview schools.png
 
north-of-anything said:
One of the big complaints I saw other people make was how local high schools were crowded even pre-COVID. So I went to the TDSB website, approximately sketched out the approximate high school locations and boundaries, and stuck them onto this map. A high school could be placed in the middle of the property, perhaps with the athletics field and track being on the runway greenspace if that comes to fruition. If Sir Sandford Fleming is not re-opened as the Lawrence Heights revitalization continues, the site can be shifted further south. A Catholic high school could also be placed at the north end, to interfere as little as possible with Madonna Secondary School's catchment area. As for elementary schools, I would like to see them more in the lower-density areas to give more vertical space for midrises and retail.

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Vaughan Road Academy could have been stayed open. But again, hindsight is 20/20.
 
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