urbanexplorer said:
I'm not sure how notorious it is actually. I've worked around the corner for the past few years and the blocks are always being sat on while people eat ice cream. I've gone there for lunches dozens of times myself.
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People will make things work, as I, coworkers and friends have done so many times as well when picking up Su&Bu or Sweet Jesus.

I'll point out that the crowds that are there don't necessarily speak to the quality of the public realm but the way people experience them do. I've heard several complaints about those different sized granite blocks that are too high and too low to sit on and the water feature that is an encumbrance given the small standing and seating space available.

At any rate, I'd rather have this space than not but it could use some tweaks.

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Towered said:
I think it's a backlash to how many of the older parks have too few features. I can think of several in Etobicoke alone that consist almost entirely of vast swaths of...grass. I always ask myself, "why would anyone be enticed to go there, and to do what?" I'm perfectly fine with the current impetus to add things to parks that people can actually use.
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Lots of things, look how popular the grass spaces at Trinity Bellwoods are. Aside from seating, do we really need all these "features" in our public spaces? I wonder how many people actually care about the overdesigned fixtures or public art installations, versus just having a nice open space with greenery and ample seating. On the contrary I don't really know how one uses that bizarre central element in this parkette.
 
egotrippin said:
Lots of things, look how popular the grass spaces at Trinity Bellwoods are. Aside from seating, do we really need all these "features" in our public spaces? I wonder how many people actually care about the overdesigned fixtures or public art installations, versus just having a nice open space with greenery and ample seating. On the contrary I don't really know how one uses that bizarre central element in this parkette.
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Bellwoods has large grassy areas, but it also has loads of features: a greenhouse, a community centre with pool, two large playgrounds with a wading pool, bike paths, tennis courts, an ice rink, a baseball diamond, a bandshell, and a toboggan hill. Did I forget anything? It's also situated between two busy retail streets with loads of shops and streetcar lines. I bet it wouldn't be nearly as popular if it only consisted of grass and trees.
 
Towered said:
Bellwoods has large grassy areas, but it also has loads of features: a greenhouse, a community centre with pool, two large playgrounds with a wading pool, bike paths, tennis courts, an ice rink, a baseball diamond, a bandshell, and a toboggan hill. Did I forget anything? It's also situated between two busy retail streets with loads of shops and streetcar lines. I bet it wouldn't be nearly as popular if it only consisted of grass and trees.
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I was specifically referring to otherwise featureless grassy areas, in the sense that open grassy spaces can attract plenty of people/activities. With a small parkette like this you're not going to have all those other amenities, but I imagine a simpler space with greenery and soft-scaping would be more inviting; people can use it to lounge, enjoy a picnic or nearby takeout. To the average person I think spaces like the one at PJ, or the other example above, look pretentious and unwelcoming.
 
egotrippin said:
I was specifically referring to otherwise featureless grassy areas, in the sense that open grassy spaces can attract plenty of people/activities. With a small parkette like this you're not going to have all those other amenities, but I imagine a simpler space with greenery and soft-scaping would be more inviting; people can use it to lounge, enjoy a picnic or nearby takeout. To the average person I think spaces like the one at PJ, or the other example above, look pretentious and unwelcoming.
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Hard to say what the avg person thinks based solely on anecdotal feedback. Clearly there's a mix of opinions. Personally, I don't know that I would sit on a small patch of grass at John and Adelaide for a picnic but again, that's just me. I'm all for thoughtful design of parks and parkettes regardless.
 
urbanexplorer said:
Hard to say what the avg person thinks based solely on anecdotal feedback. Clearly there's a mix of opinions. Personally, I don't know that I would sit on a small patch of grass at John and Adelaide for a picnic but again, that's just me. I'm all for thoughtful design of parks and parkettes regardless.
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Perhaps not a picnic here, but I did mention a place to sit and eat nearby takeout as well. In a small space I agree you'd need more than grass, and obviously seating which even the most barren of parks typically provide. Now this is also personal opinion, but I wouldn't consider this thoughtful design. It's a collection of cold, hard surfaces with no evident purpose. You can sit here, sure, but why not go with warmer materials, comfortable benches and more greenery? The renders depict trees, but I'm not sure where they'd fit in at this point.
 
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