Public Realm in Canadian Cities - Developments

[🌳🌱🌿🌴🍁]

Accessible dock in WPG demonstrated by wheelchair user/kayaker.

https://youtu.be/jxuxxXqfHcY

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Are they leaving that building on the left open and gutted as a public space? If so that'll be a super unique place to chill.

Nothing planned for that building as far as we know. I wish they could build a floor and partial roof to open up a small bistro similar to Tavern on the Hill and Tavern on the Falls.

www.tavernonthehillottawa.com

[Martin Mtl]

The city of Montreal will put the final touch around the Place des Festivals in the Quartier des spectacles with a new park call A Garden for Emiliano.

The design is the result of an international competition won by Mario Nájera + Raquel Peñalosa + Diana Elizalde + WAA Montréal in collaboration with Vinci Consultants, BES, Pageau Morel, Atomic3 and Les Ateliers Ublo.

It will replace a surface parking lot at the northern end of Place des Festivals.

[shreddog]

Vancouver is installing a new art piece along the False Creek shoreline

Would you want this sculpture in your neighbourhood? Public art piece draws criticism from some Vancouverites

CBC

For me the issue is not whether it is nice or not, but rather the location. The spot chosen for this statue is right off the seawall, in a place that is extremely busy with foot and bicycle traffic. Moreso, the specific location of this piece means that pedestriations will have to cross the bike trail to get to/from it on a tight, somewhat blind corner.

I ride by this spot almost daily and more than once encountered people cutting the corner in the bike lane.

In the end this will be resolved, likely to everyone's dissatisfaction, however it does bring up a question: Historically we oriented many aspects of the public realm around vehicle based safety (i.e. limited foliage near intersections). As we move to more alternate forms of transportation, are our cities adapting fast enough with new traffic pattern models, or are we trying to social engineer too much? (is the role of the bike lane to support slow recreational riding or as a means to commute instead of driving by car?)

FTR - here is the statue

[JHikka]

229 Richmond Street.

Last Year- a private parking lot.

Today - recently acquired by the city and temporarily an outdoor patio.

Future - the largest new park in King-Spadina in 20 years.

Transforming parking lots into parks and affordable housing one property at a time.


https://twitter.com/joe_cressy/statu...76570552033282


https://twitter.com/Rezasaurus__/sta...60694780465153

[J.OT13]

That's awesome! Well needed future park for that area of the city.

[Chadillaccc]

Saw that on Instagram, very cool. It'll be great when a decent amount of tables can be in the space.

[Martin Mtl]

Montreal is on fire with improved public realms!

This time, it's the Olympic park that will see a major investment of $165 millions to transform what is now very much a concrete jungle into a more welcoming and pleasant space, with greening and new water features (Montreal will soon be drowning in fountains !)

The project is designed by the firm Daoust Lestage. The completion date is 2024.

[Rico Rommheim]

Great!

For various reasons, I've had to spend a lot of time on the concrete plazas surrounding the stadium, and these are dreary, cold and empty spaces. This is much needed.

[SpongeG]

Brentwood, main plaza, more of the public spaces opened today.

2021-06-17_04-37-06 by snub_you, on Flickr

main blvd
2021-06-17_04-37-38 by snub_you, on Flickr

2021-06-17_04-37-50 by snub_you, on Flickr

[Architype]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

The city of Montreal will put the final touch around the Place des Festivals in the Quartier des spectacles with a new park call A Garden for Emiliano.

The design is the result of an international competition won by Mario Nájera + Raquel Peñalosa + Diana Elizalde + WAA Montréal in collaboration with Vinci Consultants, BES, Pageau Morel, Atomic3 and Les Ateliers Ublo.

It will replace a surface parking lot at the northern end of Place des Festivals.

...

This resembles the structure at the art gallery plaza in Vancouver.


source

[TorontoDrew]

Toronto City Council voted today to change the name of Dundas Street. This will include all public parks, building's, and TTC stations that have it in their name by next April.

I wonder if the town of Dundas will follow suit.

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Toronto City Council voted today to change the name of Dundas Street. This will include all public parks, building's, and TTC stations that have it in their name by next April.

I wonder if the town of Dundas will follow suit.

That'd be up to the Hamilton city council to decide

you know, the one that just voted to keep that SJAM statue up

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by ShavedParmesanCheese

That'd be up to the Hamilton city council to decide

you know, the one that just voted to keep that SJAM statue up

I read somewhere that there's not much that can be done officially, because legally the Town of Dundas was dissolved when amalgamation happened.

Given local pride in the name, and maintaining it unofficially to keep the Valley Town distinct from the broader city of Hamilton, I doubt it will ever go away. Perhaps some businesses will eventually adopt new names, but I can't see people here not referring to it as Dundas.

Apparently there are some who dispute Toronto's interpretation of the history and Henry Dundas's role in abolishing slavery in Britain.

[SpongeG]

all those businesses will have to pay to change all their identity, envelopes, business cards, signage etc. It's quite a big process.

What will they rename Dundas square to?

CBC report
• Video Link

[urbandreamer]

^Tim Hortons Square. I don't think Dundas should be renamed - it's part of our history. It'll probably get as controversial a name as Dorchester Blvd's renaming. Rob Ford Way?

[SpongeG]

in the news story, there is an African/Canadian woman who said she can't walk down Dundas street because of the name and is happy that is finally getting changed.

[Al Ski]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

^Tim Hortons Square. I don't think Dundas should be renamed - it's part of our history. It'll probably get as controversial a name as Dorchester Blvd's renaming. Rob Ford Way?

Selling the naming rights to Dundas Square is a no-brainer.

It's the ugliest, tackiest, worst excuse for a square in the world.

Nobody would care who was sponsoring it.

I guess the sponsor would dominate the screens, until the next sponsor came along.

And nobody would notice the difference.

[Al Ski]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

in the news story, there is an African/Canadian woman who said she can't walk down Dundas street because of the name and is happy that is finally getting changed.

Now that's legit funny!

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

^Tim Hortons Square. I don't think Dundas should be renamed - it's part of our history. It'll probably get as controversial a name as Dorchester Blvd's renaming. Rob Ford Way?

Lol, Rob Fords Way, no thanks. Aslo didn't Dundas Square already have a name change a few years back? Dundas Square has only been around for about 20 years now so it's name really isn't part of Toronto's history. Dundas Street has been around since 1796 and I don't know of anybody who is against dropping the name. I live on Dundas, my only hope for the name change is that it's representative of the people of the city, or celebrates our native history.