Public Realm in Canadian Cities - Developments

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

At least Toronto's street signs are better than Hamiltons, which are basically unreadable on arterial roads:

What intersection is this? good luck figuring it out!

Agree! Though there are also a couple of examples on Barton of the largest street signs I've ever seen:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/nVxzdLW9Ns4Qe8dt7

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Toronto has some great looking new parks, but then has to go and ruin them with signage that looks like it's been borrowed from a 1990s suburban middle school.

To me, signs like that aren't so much bad as they are just misplaced. Definitely very suburban and very casual looking. Good for neighbourhood lifestyle parks in North York culs-de-sac where people take their dog out for a poop after supper. Not some place in a fashionable part of downtown where tourists, business people, etc, will be passing by.

[hipster duck]

A couple of years ago, the City of Toronto ran a pilot to test out a new type of park signage.



They even surveyed residents around Riverdale Park, where the new signage was trialled. The results were positive, but I'm not sure why they didn't implement it.

[someone123]

Are the signs needed these days? What about instead creating some distinctive gates or public art?

[someone123]

Bell's Lane re-emerging from the Cogswell area adjacent to downtown Halifax. This used to be just outside of the old town walls in the 1700's, and just beyond the original planned town grid:


Source

1760's map (the area pictured above would to the right):


Source

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

A couple of years ago, the City of Toronto ran a pilot to test out a new type of park signage.



They even surveyed residents around Riverdale Park, where the new signage was trialled. The results were positive, but I'm not sure why they didn't implement it.

Kind of cool to have the pictograms informing users of the services in the park.

Originally Posted by someone123

Are the signs needed these days? What about instead creating some distinctive gates or public art?

How do you like this one then? McNabb Park, Ottawa.


https://www.yelp.ca/biz/mcnabb-park-ottawa

Originally Posted by someone123

Bell's Lane re-emerging from the Cogswell area adjacent to downtown Halifax. This used to be just outside of the old town walls in the 1700's, and just beyond the original planned town grid:


Source

That's pretty cool. Love when some history is revealed through these large projects. Funny that they used to just bury what they could instead of full demolitions. They've found old foundations on Parliament Hill and LeBreton Flats as well.

[Nouvellecosse]

^ Both the gate and the moderniszed sign are an improvement. Although I'm not sure I love the intense lime green colour scheme of the sign. I suppose green is appropriate for a park but something more subtle would be better imo. The gate looks the coolest but doesn't appear to give much (any?) park information. So if the Parks & Rec dep feel such info is necessary, the gate doesn't really solve the problem.

[niwell]

The colour choice may be questionable but I like the general design of that pilot sign in Riverdale. I think it is important to show what's available in any given park, as well as the address.

[J.OT13]

Yeah, gates and public art can be nice additions, but informational signs are more important. No reason you can't have both. Other than budget.

[WhipperSnapper]

Information should be at eye level. That sign could compete in height with a fast food restaurant off a highway. I do like the aestethic.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Information should be at eye level. That sign could compete in height with a fast food restaurant off a highway. I do like the aestethic.

I didn't realize it was that huge. Somehow didn't notice the people behind it.

[niwell]

It is too tall but I think they also took the pic from a weird angle looking up. In the articles I found about the pilot it looks more reasonable.

[WhipperSnapper]

Google mapped it. It's tall. There's a horizontal sign at the entrance. I don't know. I like the tower format more. I would probably split up the tower sign. Have the history lesson mid park and the info board at the entrance. That would provide enough room for 5 to 6 foot tower signs

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6657338,-...4TXw7fxCaNg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[shappy]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

To me, signs like that aren't so much bad as they are just misplaced. Definitely very suburban and very casual looking. Good for neighbourhood lifestyle parks in North York culs-de-sac where people take their dog out for a poop after supper. Not some place in a fashionable part of downtown where tourists, business people, etc, will be passing by.

I agree. Design aside, it’s not appropriate given context. At the very least, parkette signage should be smaller and more discrete.

[GeneralLea]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Google mapped it. It's tall. There's a horizontal sign at the entrance. I don't know. I like the tower format more. I would probably split up the tower sign. Have the history lesson mid park and the info board at the entrance. That would provide enough room for 5 to 6 foot tower signs

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6657338,-...4TXw7fxCaNg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Agreed. I do like this new type of sign, it sure beats the generic stuff you see anywhere else in the city. In nay case, it would be nice if some day the Parks department gets more funding and some sort of revamp, it's clearly not functioning as it should be, nor has for years.

[WhipperSnapper]

I don't think there's a single parks department that manages accounting and maintenance with design and community seamlessly. Toronto has BIAs. AFAIK, we don't have any neighbourhood park co-operatives and that's is what is missing. Can't expect a property manager to understand the nuances of every park. That's why you have superintendents. There are going to be more inconspicuous spots for garbage cans that are just as accessible to trucks and a catalog of custom cans that can be lifted up and dumped into a truck. (assuming lifting bags and hand tossing is not allowed by workers)

[davidivivid]

The park, sidewalks and forecourt of the cathedral situated next to City Hall were recently renovated. Here's an aerial view of the square. A small portion of the city's German Christmas Market is installed on the square.

[GlassCity]

Thought for a brief moment that was Europe! Quebec City is awesome.

[Acajack]

The City of Toronto has voted to rename Yonge-Dundas Square "Sankofa Square".

This because Dundas is accused of having played a role in the slave trade. Though this is disputed by some.

The new name has its origins in Ghana with the Akan people.

Ironically the Akan are said to have sold fellow Africans as slaves to the Europeans.

[niwell]

I think it's kinda dumb but reading between the lines seems to be more of a sop to avoid renaming the entire street. Odd choice of name though. Dundas Station will be renamed after TMU which is fine.

Originally Posted by Acajack

The new name has its origins in Ghana with the Akan people.

Ironically the Akan are said to have sold fellow Africans as slaves to the Europeans.

If we follow this one too far we probably don't want anything named in any existing language.... Newspeak?