Canadian Urban Canyons

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by Darkoshvilli

The definition of canyon is really being stretched

You can say that again. Except for a portion of Bay Street, Toronto really does not have huge sections of canyons. Our high-rises are so spread out throughout the downtown core, that you just don't get that samy canyon effect, that you do in other cities.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

You can say that again. Except for a portion of Bay Street, Toronto really does not have huge sections of canyons. Our high-rises are so spread out throughout the downtown core, that you just don't get that samy canyon effect, that you do in other cities.

King
Yonge
Bloor
Richmond
Adelaide
Wellington
Victoria
York
University

...all have pretty major canyons.

[Ruckus]

Vancouver (mine).

[entheosfog]

Originally Posted by Darkoshvilli

The definition of canyon is really being stretched

well, let's have a definition of canyon then. I was just going by what I'd seen posted earlier.

[Darkoshvilli]

Originally Posted by entheosfog

well, let's have a definition of canyon then. I was just going by what I'd seen posted earlier.

I wasn't singling you out, just the thread in general.

[caltrane74]

WTF?

Here is the list of all the canyon streets in Toronto... btw, Bay street is a canyon all the way from Cumberland to the lake or about 1 and a half miles..

Wellington
Queens Quay
Yonge street
College Carlton at yonge to church
King Street
University ave
Bloor street in Yorkville

[ozonemania]

Vancouver isn't really a canyon city. The CBD is so compact, and we all know about the point tower form. You need long streets which are lined with closely-spaced, tall, fat buildings with uniformly-small setbacks. Which is pretty well the exact opposite of the direction Vancouver has gone.

The only streets that come to mind that would most closely resemble canyons would be Cordova west and parts of Alberni. These streets are not very wide and the buildings' placement, height and spacing emulate a canyon, even though it isn't. It has that presence when walking those streets.

[1ajs]

1939

[caltrane74]

• Video Link

Here is more of me strolling down wellington.... in the new canyon created by the Ritz, Rbc, Metro Hall, and Roy thompson Hall...

[MolsonExport]

that 2nd exchange district (Winnipeg) photo is awesome

[mike474]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

that 2nd exchange district (Winnipeg) photo is awesome

+1 I'd like to see more of these.

[David1gray]

heres one of toronto, not sure what street this is though lol (taken by me last summer)

[MolsonExport]

Some are canyons. Some are gullies. Some are gulches. and then there is ditchmond.

[Traynor]

Cal I applaud your tenacity and I am a Toronto lover too, but one block of a street does not make a canyon. The above video is an example of what could be, but filling in the rest of it with your imagination doesn't make it so. A canyon either exists or it doesn't.

Even saying Bay street is a canyon from the lake to north of Bloor is a bit of a stretch. The east side of Bay north of City Hall is a cliff for sure, but the west side never matches its consistency and height to be a real canyon. Sections of it work but others don't.

In my opinion Toronto has many short spurts that are canyon like, if you squint and don't think about what happens at the end of the next block (ahem... surface parking lot).

In my humble opinion, a canyon should stretch for many city blocks, have consistent height on both sides of the street and few if any setbacks.

[WhipperSnapper]

Yep, Toronto has fewer actual canyons as one who think. There are a few complete blocks and a few more partials here or there but Corbusier's philosophy and unrealized 60s/70s redevelopment has certainly left its mark. The future is very bright with projects like 550 Wellington and Boutique.

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by Traynor

Cal I applaud your tenacity and I am a Toronto lover too, but one block of a street does not make a canyon. The above video is an example of what could be, but filling in the rest of it with your imagination doesn't make it so. A canyon either exists or it doesn't.

Even saying Bay street is a canyon from the lake to north of Bloor is a bit of a stretch. The east side of Bay north of City Hall is a cliff for sure, but the west side never matches its consistency and height to be a real canyon. Sections of it work but others don't.

In my opinion Toronto has many short spurts that are canyon like, if you squint and don't think about what happens at the end of the next block (ahem... surface parking lot).

In my humble opinion, a canyon should stretch for many city blocks, have consistent height on both sides of the street and few if any setbacks.

why do you have to single me out, you could have singled out the others.. if Bay Street is not a canyon, then which of the other posted pictures is?

This is the Canada section, and in those terms, Bay street is the monster here..

[Traynor]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

why do you have to single me out, you could have singled out the others.. if Bay Street is not a canyon, then which of the other posted pictures is?

This is the Canada section, and in those terms, Bay street is the monster here..

Sorry if you feel persecuted, I wasn't singling you out as much as I was singling Toronto out. 90% of the proponents of Toronto's possible canyons have been either you or Ramako. Yours was just the most recent post. I was just stating my belief that Toronto is not a city of canyons, in my (admittedly personal) definition of canyon. Some of the Vancouver and Calgary and even Ottawa submissions more closely resemble what I constitute a canyon.

Toronto has a lot of tall crap, for that it is the hands down winner, but sporadic height doesn't make a canyon in my opinion.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Traynor

Cal I applaud your tenacity and I am a Toronto lover too, but one block of a street does not make a canyon. The above video is an example of what could be, but filling in the rest of it with your imagination doesn't make it so. A canyon either exists or it doesn't.

Even saying Bay street is a canyon from the lake to north of Bloor is a bit of a stretch. The east side of Bay north of City Hall is a cliff for sure, but the west side never matches its consistency and height to be a real canyon. Sections of it work but others don't.

In my opinion Toronto has many short spurts that are canyon like, if you squint and don't think about what happens at the end of the next block (ahem... surface parking lot).

In my humble opinion, a canyon should stretch for many city blocks, have consistent height on both sides of the street and few if any setbacks.

Man, you're strict! If you have kids I'm sure they always get their homework done on time.

As far as the actual "rules" I agree to a point, but I disagree about having consistent height and stretching for many blocks. As long as a section of street is lined with highrises, it should be considered a canyon even if they vary is height. And not all canyons need to be expansive. Short ones can be nice as well. Remember, the rule should be for defining canyons, not NY/Chi caliber canyons in general, which would obviously have much stricter criteria.

[caltrane74]

^ whatever guy.

University Ave Streetwall by me

• Video Link

yonge street by me






imma post some shit and make traynor look stupid..

Toronto doesn't have Canyons????

good loard..

Bay Street isnt a canyon...??



Ramako you used one of my pictures.... .now I'm double posting that !!

ha....well what can I say, it's hot..



ok Traynor, im ready forya smacktalk now...

let me have it.... i gotta thousand photos ready to go...

Here is the King Streetwall forming further west there with the Toronto Film Festival



the low rise section of Yonge Street.. I was actually posting this in the 11 to 30 thread and said oh geez.. I can post this shot in the Canyon thread too..

[Traynor]

That statement and your photos accomplishes the exact opposite Cal. They make you look stupid.... You are only showing ONE SIDE OF EACH STREET. That makes them cliffs not canyons. Anyone familiar with Toronto will agree with this.

The other side of the street of every example you show is either lower rise, spartan, empty lots or full of setbacks. Those are all great examples of Toronto's development... but not of canyons. Please photograph from the centerline of those same streets, showing both sides, so the rest of Canada can be the judge.

Just keepin' it real. Don't take it personally. You didn't build the stuff.