Public Realm in Canadian Cities - Developments

[MonctonRad]

The city of Moncton is planning a project to rehabilitate Downing Street in celebration of our 125th anniversary of incorporation as a city.

Downing Street currently serves as a blind ending alleyway feeding into the Assumption Place and Blue Cross Centre parking lots. The plan is to reopen the street and let it serve as a connection between City Hall Plaza and Riverfront Park. It would extend between Main Street and Assumption Blvd. On the other side of Assumption, the redevelopment would continue on to the riverfront, and would include an observation platform for the tidal bore.







Several of the buildings shown lining Downing Street don't exist yet, but the plan is that a refurbished (pedestrian friendly) street would encourage downtown condo development with ground floor retail and dining establishments. Downing Street would also serve to host downtown street festivals in the summertime, which could also incorporate the plaza in front of city hall and the Riverfront Park.

Our 125th anniversary is next year, and this development is pretty much a go……

[ue]

A couple Edmonton improvement projects...

Federal Building & Centennial Plaza revitalization - ongoing (with delays in 2011, 2012, and 2013, hoping to be done this year)


Source: http://kasian.com/project/edmonton-f...-redevelopment


Source: http://kasian.com/project/edmonton-f...-redevelopment


Source: http://kasian.com/project/edmonton-f...-redevelopment

Jasper Ave New Vision - ongoing (since 2012)

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisv...072950/sizes/l


Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisv...012592/sizes/l


Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisv...916301/sizes/l

[Innsertnamehere]

Canada square recently opened on the Waterfront. It involves a multi level parking garage below ground and a square / park above ground.



Parking Entrance


The Square:

http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/newpublicspaces/

[GreaterMontréal]

• Video Link

[telyou]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

No but, Grange, Berczy, Barbara Ann Scott and I believe things like the removal of right turn lanes for softer, pedestrian friendly intersections are part of the section 37 package.

Hasn't the city already received the funding for the Barbara Ann Scott park? And I believe the Grange redevelopment is funded by the Weston family.

[Chadillaccc]

Canada Square in Toronto looks great.


Calgary's award-winning RiverWalk is to begin construction of Stage Two this year. The design of this stage (2 of 3) has not yet been released, but if it is even half as beautiful as the first, it will be an incredible addition to the city.

[Chadillaccc]

A Kensington Streetscape Revitalization Project Update
The awarded $4.5 million will be used to address the ageing and damaged sidewalks, furniture, street-lighting and trees in the area.

The Kensington Business Revitalization Zone successfully lobbied the City of Calgary last year to have 2012-2013 surplus parking revenues designated for a Public Realm Improvement project to redesign and replace the streetscape of the commercial areas within the BRZ boundaries (10 street, Kensington Road and a portion of 14 street).


Silva Cells allow tree roots to grow under sidewalks, allowing for taller, healthier trees.

So there are big changes coming to Kensington in 2015! One of the first steps is the inventory and assessment of existing trees, furniture, sidewalks and streetlights. Then a new streetscape design will be commissioned with a consultant this summer. Finalized plans will be released to the public in the winter of this year and followed by extensive engineered plans to incorporate all elements, spacing, accessibility and shallow utility impact/changes. The major installation phase of the project will be completed in the spring/summer of 2015. To mitigate business impact, accessibility during construction will be included in the design phase and a targeted media campaign will be run during construction to encourage shopping in the area and specifically at businesses in the active construction zone as it moves systematically through the commercial district.

Full article: http://thedobbingroup.com/wordpress/?p=774

[Chadillaccc]

Work has finally recommenced on East victoria Park. The park will include a century old home, converted into a large restaurant. The park will be located on the same block as Canada's first Marriott ClubSport, to begin construction this summer.

[GreaterMontréal]

Square Cabot in Ville-Marie


http://www.mtlurb.com/forums/showthr...re-Cabot/page5
https://www.facebook.com/centreville...type=1&theater

just in front of the Old Forum.

[ue]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Work has finally recommenced on East victoria Park. The park will include a century old home, converted into a large restaurant. The park will be located on the same block as Canada's first Marriott ClubSport, to begin construction this summer.

I am so glad they are preserving the house in this development.

[MonkeyRonin]

Cawthra Park in Toronto's Gay Village was undergoing a redesign and opened just in time for Pride to great results. The paving stones are gorgeous and the LED lights add a colourful, vibrant touch; and the way the park urbanely meets the street before receding into the greener areas at the rear is at just the right scale.



https://twitter.com/JonPludowski


https://twitter.com/thinc_design


By dt_toronto_geek at UT


By dt_toronto_geek at UT

[SteelTown]

The City is renovating parts of Gore Park (phase I has started), suppose to be completed in 2016. They are trying to get as much done before the 2015 Pan Am Games.

The plan

CityofHamilton
https://twitter.com/cityofhamilton

They've dismantled the cenotaph, it'll be restored and brought back piece by piece

CityofHamilton
https://twitter.com/cityofhamilton


CityofHamilton
https://twitter.com/cityofhamilton

Sir John A MacDonald statue will be relocated across the street, next to Royal Connaught

CityofHamilton
https://twitter.com/cityofhamilton

The City closed King St South to cars so the street is gone and replaced

CityofHamilton
https://twitter.com/cityofhamilton

The old underground Gore Park washroom will be filled with concrete.

CityofHamilton
https://twitter.com/cityofhamilton

Rendering of Veterans' Place at Gore Park

CityofHamilton
https://twitter.com/cityofhamilton

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

Square Cabot in Ville-Marie


http://www.mtlurb.com/forums/showthr...re-Cabot/page5
https://www.facebook.com/centreville...type=1&theater

just in front of the Old Forum.

About time they cleaned up this park. Was once nice. But it has long been overtaken by homeless and the odd dope seller.

http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/cabot-squ...nity-1.1827404

[J.OT13]

Nice one for Hammer. Reminds me of Square Victoria in Montreal before it was ruined in 2003-2004.

1887

http://retrofutur-montreal.blogspot....-victoria.html

2006


With history of the Square: http://montrealjemesouviens.blogspot...-victoria.html

[Martin Mtl]

Square Victoria hadn't look like the 1887 picture in decades. It even became a parking lot during the Drapeau era.
The work done ten years ago was a huge improvement, notably by adding fountains, trees and restoring the Art Nouveau parisian metro entrance.

[Rico Rommheim]

Ruined? It was brought back to life after decades of neglect and use as a glorified car park.

The church spires may be gone, but they have been replaced with some of the city's finest modern towers.


Cabot needs a redo and the surrounding condo projects are and will continue to help.
Canada Place is currently being revamped (as Dorchester has)
I'm anxiously waiting for a Phillips square revamp, including the construction of a large tower on the east side parking lot.
The most impressive urban square in Montreal (and probably canada) is Place d'armes. Martinmtl's avatar pic shows why.

[Chadillaccc]

I was just in Hamilton yesterday. Was going to post about the Gore Park Reno going on! It looks like it's gonna be great. Such an awesome space, right in the middle of the historic core.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Square Victoria hadn't look like the 1887 picture in decades. It even became a parking lot during the Drapeau era.
The work done ten years ago was a huge improvement, notably by adding fountains, trees and restoring the Art Nouveau parisian metro entrance.

Indeed, the square I recall from many years ago was a bleak and nasty corner of the city.

[beatlesque]

Great thread - there are a lot of amazing things here that I'm going to take a deeper look at. I've been living in France a lot in recent years and these kinds of public space improvements in Canadian cities move this country more in
the direction of Europe.

I posted this in the city skylines of the past thread but guess it belongs here too - there are others in WPG that I or others could post after I've had more of a look at what's been posted. Once again, very good thread.

The ongoing transformation of The Forks and Upper Fort Garry area of WPG - National Historic Site and Provincial Park. This area is found at the confluence of the Assiniboine (left) and Red (right) rivers. Historical anecdote: The name Winnipeg comes from the Western Cree words for "muddy waters".



Before - rail yard area:


More recent - Canadian Museum for Human Rights (scheduled to open September 2014), Forks market and Children's Museum, Inn at the Forks, riverside walkway and boat landing, Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge re-establishing historic link to French St.-Boniface district at right across the river, Shaw Park baseball stadium, extensive green spaces and First Nations areas, revitalized Union Station:



Proposed re-development of shaded area above, including residential and green spaces to replace surface parking lots beside the museum:











Across the street to the left of the Forks Market, the former Upper Fort Garry site is being re-developed as a provincial historical site, with part of the old wall and a new green-roofed interpretive centre. It will be at the left of the Hotel Fort Garry in this shot:



Painting of historical fort:




http://www.theforks.com
http://www.upperfortgarry.com

[HomeInMyShoes]

I look at what Winnipeg got with The Forks area and what Regina has so far got out of it's railyard area directly south of the warehouse district and I weep.

My city needs to stop building suburbia in the core.