Quote:
Originally Posted by hipster duck
^That would be cool, but I'm still of the "everything must be a park" camp when it comes to the Toronto Islands.
Most of the allure of the Islands is that getting there is a bit of an adventure. The ferry is a joy to ride, and acts like a natural barrier to their spaces being completely overrun by visitors.
I know of a few other cities of our size that have nature on the doorstep of their CBD, but nothing quite like the islands.
I agree that we need to densify our city and add much-needed housing, but literally every other square inch of this city is more suitable for this than the Toronto Islands.
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It's not that this land is
needed for more housing - I'd also prefer parkland to another mundane CityPlace-type development - so much as it is an opportunity to create a very special, one-of-a-kind urban neighbourhood.
I'm imagining some sort of futuristic Venice of lakeside plazas & attractions here, or laying the groundwork for a Kensington Market on the island. I think that would contribute something more important to the city as a whole than what a bit of extra green space could provide.