When something is easy, we say it’s like riding a bike, and the ride is about to get a whole lot easier thanks to a plan approved by Toronto City Council that could see new bike lanes installed on Yonge Street by the summer.

The vote to introduce protected bike lanes on a six-kilometre stretch of Yonge Street, running from Bloor Street to Lawrence Avenue, won by a huge majority (19-3) at a city council meeting late last year. The next stop is Toronto’s Transportation Services department. If all goes well, the lanes could be installed by the second quarter of 2021, offering people yet another convenient option to whiz across, around, and through midtown.

The move is part of a “complete streets” approach, an attitude that has gained traction despite, or perhaps because of, the state of global affairs. In a year where the city, the province, the country, and the world at large have been grappling with a global pandemic, Toronto has shown an incredible capacity to quickly adapt.

In June of last year, Mayor John Tory announced the introduction of CafeTO, a program that the mayor described as cutting through red tape “with wartime-speed” to allow restaurants and bars to expand their patios onto sidewalks and streets (we wrote about some of the local businesses taking part of the program in this post).

Similarly, the new bike lanes are part of another recent city initiative, ActiveTO, designed to make sure people have space to get around while respecting physical distancing, in part by expanding the cycling network.

Toronto has rapidly expanded its network of bike lanes since the start of the pandemic, introducing the largest one-year increase in on-street bike lanes in the city’s history. Approximately 25 kilometres of new bikeways have been installed, with new lanes on University Avenue, Danforth Avenue, and Bloor Street, allowing cyclists to move around safely, connecting the city, and mirroring major transit routes.

The new lanes on Yonge Street will introduce what local Ward 8 Councillor Mike Colle calls “a new way of looking at transportation,” ensuring the safety of cyclists, while relieving traffic congestion, and encouraging much needed support for local businesses. Residents, like those at 44 Broadway, will have even greater access to Yonge Street’s exciting lineup of shops, employers, and schools, and enjoy yet another way to stay connected to the rest of the city.

As more and more Torontonians opt for bikes as their means of transportation – staying active, saving time and saving the planet – the introduction of new infrastructure like the new lanes on Yonge Street will make it an even easier choice, and make midtown more appealing than ever.

For more on the Yonge Street bike lanes, check out this article from CBC News.

And for more on 44 Broadway and the connected midtown lifestyle coming soon from Collecdev, register here.

A park designed by the people – what would that look like?

At TRETTI, we’re about to find out.
Continuing the Collecdev mission of collaboration and human-centred design, we’ve gone straight to the source for plans for the new community park, a joint venture between TRETTI, the City of Toronto, and the surrounding mixed-use developments.

In November, the City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation division hosted a virtual public meeting, engaging local residents to have their say. We followed up with an online survey, once again inviting the public to weigh in on playground and programming elements, gathering feedback that will help ensure a design that meets the needs of the community and its residents, and inspires a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Participants reviewed early concepts for Tippett Park, a sprawling green space that stretches 2,580 square metres – that’s the size of four tennis courts or nearly six NBA-size basketball courts! – south of Wilson Avenue, just west of Tippett Road. While the details are still in development, early plans include four main zones, all designed for four seasons of outdoor fun.

Zone 1: The Water Plaza

The water plaza (or vandplads, as the Danish might say), marks the arrival to the park. On warmer days, children will be tempted to run through the spray fountains, while adults may prefer to enjoy the view from the shaded comfort of an umbrella at one of the nearby tables. The plaza is the hub of the park, where numerous pedestrian pathways converge, connecting TRETTI and the surrounding buildings to the subway, the local community, and the vibrant neighbourhood of Wilson Heights.

Zone 2: Children’s Play Area

The spray fountains aren’t all that’s in store for kids. A children’s play area will encourage activity and spark imaginations with a variety of exciting playground elements. A giant rope tower, geometric rock climbing, a dream catcher net climber, and, of course, classic swings, are all under consideration, each element selected not only to inspire little minds, but to adhere to the highest standards of quality and safety.

Zone 3: Fitness Area

When a simple stroll isn’t enough to break a sweat, the outdoor fitness area will offer a great place to tone up. A mix of benches and bars provide myriad options for routines to suit any level, all on equipment that combines form and function, blending seamlessly into the park setting. Not only is an outdoor workout easy on the wallet and great for your health, but the fitness area will provide a convenient place for the whole community to get in shape.

Zone 4: The Lawns

Of course, no park would be complete without a wide-open space under the sun. The lawns are perfect for picnics and play, for impromptu pickup games, for snow angels and afternoon summer naps, for gathering with friends and enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle.

So, what does a park designed by the people look like? Well, final plans for Tippett Park will be announced this Spring, but one thing is certain – the park will introduce an exciting new outdoor space to TRETTI and the surrounding neighbourhood, a community element to encourage connection to people and to nature, and to promote a healthy, active lifestyle in the great outdoors. The people have spoken.

At Collecdev’s latest addition to a new hub of residential density at Wilson subway station, the early stages of site activity are setting the stage for the upcoming construction of Nørdic Condos. In this area of Toronto just to the northeast of the Highway 401 and Allen Road interchange, Nørdic , like Collecdev’s Tretti Condos—already under construction—is designed by gh3. Over the past few months, crews have been clearing away the three outdated rental apartment buildings on the Wilson Avenue site in advance of the early 2021 start of shoring work.

The first signs of activity were spotted in September, when interior gutting began for the single office building and pair of apartment buildings on site. We last checked in about a month ago, when the first structural demolition work had begun to chip away at a shuttered four-storey commercial building at 530 Wilson Avenue: it was last used by Collecdev as a presentation centre for Nørdic and their earlier projects in the area. With the commercial building fully demolished, its footprint will soon be backfilled to create a flat surface for shoring rigs to operate on.

To the east, demolition has advanced considerably on the four-storey rental apartment buildings at 470 and 490 Wilson Avenue. They were still undergoing interior demolition at the time of our last update. A month later, the eastern building has been reduced to rubble while the west building is in the process of coming down.

Nørdic is set to rise 12 storeys to a height of just over 41 metres, and house 429 condominium and rental replacement units. Among the features awaiting purchasers and residents are a selection of amenities appointed by interior designers ESQAPE Design.

Source: Urban Toronto