[Northern Light]

...is that part where they plan to turn Queens Park Crescent West into a pedestrian only path or something? Or was that something else?

That was 'University Park'.

The overall plan for that is on ice for the moment.

But some of the ideas it featured at the north end........we'll see.

Don't hold your breath on a full road closure though.

Never say never....... but that's a much bigger idea.

 

[Northern Light]

Here's the Globe article: Big gift from the Westons. Janet Rosenberg is consulting.

The above piece confirms that the Conservancy (or like) money will be on top of the 50M.

***

It also offers:

 

[Northern Light]

Once again a link to the article, by way of giving credit for the drawings from Janet Rosenberg:

A big gift to fix a Toronto gem

The Weston family is donating millions for Queen’s Park North

www.theglobeandmail.com

Not good renders, unfortunately.

They also only partially reflect earlier discussions. Hmmm.

 

[old boy]

Once again a link to the article, by way of giving credit for the drawings from Janet Rosenberg

View attachment 639432

View attachment 639433


Not good renders, unfortunately.

They also only partially reflect earlier discussions. Hmmm.

I like the way the root systems are shown. Will there be more trees planted ? The trees do look isolated to me. However, it looks a bit busy to me with the activity. I'm very happy to see a rejuvenation here and I hope that this kind of attention takes hold in all our parks. To me, it's an indication that at least in some parts of Toronto, an added value is possible.

 

[Northern Light]

I like the way the root systems are shown. Will there be more trees planted ?

Yes. I'm not privy to exact details that will go to consultation, but the intent was to include a couple of small naturalized spots with more vegetation, that would both add aesthetic value, improve air quality, and also might include some formal link to an indigenous component in some way.

The trees do look isolated to me. However, it looks a bit busy to me with the activity. I'm very happy to see a rejuvenation here and I hope that this kind of attention takes hold in all our parks. To me, it's an indication that at least in some parts of Toronto, an added value is possible.

We'll have to wait and see what comes forward initially.

I will have thoughts. LOL

The budget here will allow great things. We should insist on just that.

 

[Northern Light]

Report (and thus authority to negotiate the donation agreement) adopted at Council.

Had a quick review of submissions from assorted residents associations, they were all broadly supportive. But a couple did raise concerns about the park being maintained as a natural respite from the City and not be endlessly programmed with major events.

 

[ADRM]

Were Public Work and CCXA not available?

Cause, just so we're all clear, we're talking about this Janet Rosenberg Studio...

Link

 

[Northern Light]

Were Public Work and CCXA not available?

Cause, just so we're all clear, we're talking about this Janet Rosenberg Studio...

I have some concerns here too.

Janet tends toward landscapes as art gallery set piece.

Her style is typically formal and contemporary.

She is not a populist.

****

I think the formal leanings could work here .....but she'll need to lean in to heritage, to green space, and public desires.

I'm not generally someone who wants to see her designs for public parks............but I will say, given the right direction by client, she can achieve.

I think her best public work is probably the Rock Garden at Royal Botanical Garden.

Janet Rosenberg & Studio

jrstudio.ca

 

[nightstreak]

Once again a link to the article, by way of giving credit for the drawings from Janet Rosenberg:

A big gift to fix a Toronto gem

The Weston family is donating millions for Queen’s Park North

www.theglobeandmail.com

View attachment 639432

View attachment 639433

Not good renders, unfortunately.

No kidding, this makes no sense:

That's the ROM as seen from the east looking west from just below Bloor Street and the Gardiner Museum as seen from the west, looking east. Neither of these are seen from Queen's Park which is much farther south.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

^I guess it's a another one of those buildings that tend to move around a lot in renders... >.<

 

[junctionist]

Too many Janet Rosenberg projects have cast-in-place concrete walkways, which scream cheapness and utilitarianism. I don't know if the client is to blame, but even high-profile Rosenberg projects like the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Alberta legislature plaza project got cheap concrete pavements. It almost seems like a deliberate aesthetic choice.

 

[Red_Bulmer]

I really like a lot of the elements in The Grange Park re-design, specifically all the seating areas and lighting that keeps the park a lively hangout spot late into the evenings (PFS Studio), I wish the same landscape architects could be hired for this one.

 

[Blixtein]

I get frightened when I hear ‘programming’ and ‘park’ in the same sentence.

 

[nightstreak]

I get frightened when I hear ‘programming’ and ‘park’ in the same sentence.

A park in this location is missing the kind of foot traffic that self programs. Placemaking could come in the way of defined spaces, like the statue that is there now with seating around that intuitively invites people to sit. The rest of the park is just grass and over the years that I've lived nearby, I've seen very few people make use of the lawn to sit and picnic like you see at other large parks like Trinity Bellwoods for example. Queens Park needs more of these self evident spaces and yes, programming like concerts and art shows and other events, to attract people to a park that isn't well used today.

A second part to this is to create that missing organic traffic by directing people who live nearby or go to school at UofT to walk through the park and maybe sit for a bit. I walk to Trinity College daily from the east side of the park, and usually go north first and avoid the park because I find that there are invisible barriers on its east and west sides, flanked by effectively a three lane highway, leaving the sides of the park barren of activity.

If they were to do an activity study, they'd find almost all of it concentrated along the centre path from the SE corner to the north and NW branches. The neighbourhoods to the east need to have more fluid movement E-W across the park. The crosswalk lights take too long to change. They should be nearly instant so people start to use the park as a path more organically.

Also, look at how wide these lanes are. It practically mandates speed, cutting the park from the community. Queens Park needs to be thought of as a district and pedestrian movement needs to be encouraged through it by making that movement effortless, safe and intuitive.

 

[Northern Light]

Queens Park needs more of these self evident spaces and yes, programming like concerts and art shows and other events, to attract people to a park that isn't well used today.

I'm going to disagree some here. While the park has shortcomings to be sure.......... my experience with it is that is quite busy during the school year, in good weather.

I made the NW (of the park) to SE (of the park) crossing countless times in my student days heading from Northrop Frye/Pratt/Vic over to UC/Sid Smith etc.

But I also still pass through it even now semi-regularly.

On a nice day I see people out sitting on benches, at picnic tables and on the lawn.

Could there be more traffic, sure......but I don't think this needs to be Trinity Bellwoods, which can literally be overcrowded to the point where finding an open patch of lawn to sit on can take longer than finding a parking spot at Yorkdale mall during a December weekend.

A second part to this is to create that missing organic traffic by directing people who live nearby or go to school at UofT to walk through the park and maybe sit for a bit. I walk to Trinity College daily from the east side of the park, and usually go north first and avoid the park because I find that there are invisible barriers on its east and west sides, flanked by effectively a three lane highway, leaving the sides of the park barren of activity.

I must admit, I don't get this. The park is pleasant enough, and it comes with traffic lights both at Hoskin and at Hart House on the west, and very convenient to NF and Pratt etc on the north-east then Wellesley to the south.

If they were to do an activity study, they'd find almost all of it concentrated along the centre path from the SE corner to the north and NW branches. The neighbourhoods to the east need to have more fluid movement E-W across the park. The crosswalk lights take too long to change. They should be nearly instant so people start to use the park as a path more organically.

There is no version of a traffic light that will ever be 'instant' aside from that being a recipe for accidents; the lights are sequenced and timed in relation to one another.

Also, look at how wide these lanes are. It practically mandates speed, cutting the park from the community. Queens Park needs to be thought of as a district and pedestrian movement needs to be encouraged through it by making that movement effortless, safe and intuitive.

The lanes here are not inordinately wide. The majority are 3.0M which is the minimum mandated for a travel lane, the largest are still less than 3.3M. The road here also has to allow for buses.

If the province didn't interfere, the cycle tracks here would have been physically separated in the next few years....and would have made the road 'feel' narrower and discouraged speed. The painted buffer makes it feel wider than it is.