DSCToronto
Superstar
Yes, there are places where plants are simply not appropriate but they CAN go in many places - IF THEY ARE LOOKED AFTER. That is the big problem in Toronto where plants are often put in but then ignored!
nightstreak
Senior Member
I mean, we have an entire department dedicated to this. Parks & Rec. haven't been their best over the last two administrations but they've rebounded. We have parks and sidewalks with flower beds that are well taken care of, I'm sure the city could dedicate some of that effort into maintaining the first impression to many (most?) visitors to our city and hundreds of thousands of Torontonians who go in and out of that station every day.
DSCToronto
Superstar
Planters are often the responsibility of the local BIA or of Transportation Services. Parks are generally only responsible for plants in parks.
Chris R.
Senior Member
Again, Toronto (and Hamilton) is not exceptional in this regard. The rest of.... Earth.... exists. Take a look around and we can find examples that make this work.
1) Hardy plants that don't require a lot of water
2) Protection for plants
3) Give jobs to older folks or something to walk around and water the plants for minimum wage or something.
I don't know why nobody who works for our cities in Southern Ontario looks at everything in our cities with a telescope with black cardboard taped on covering anything outside the borders of their own city. It's not my job to figure this out, it's the city's, but I can certainly point out... again, dozens of cities around the world that do this.
Dan416
Senior Member
Don't we see this in virtually every realm? Public transit / streetcars are another. Where we're completely incapable of learning best practices from other places.
Remember, TTC staff have never even been to or talked to the new Ion LRT to see how it works. They figure there's nothing to learn there.
This is sadly not unique to flower planting or public realm issues.
Northern Light
Superstar
Toronto does manage to maintain flower beds and planters in many locations (as do BIAs). The key is simply that it must be someone (or some department's) clear responsibility, and they must have budget to deliver same.
Northern Light
Superstar
The trees in planters on streets are maintained (for better or worse) by Forestry.
Forestry used to be part of Parks bit was shifted to Environment, Climate and Forestry.
Forestry handles removal, planting and pruning, as well as changes to the physical boxes above grade.
It does not do litter management that would be waste management/BIA.
It does not do flowers. Flowers within BIAs are their prerogative.
Flowers in boulevards/medians (where no BIA is present) would be maintained by Horticulture which I think is still with Parks.
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isaidso
Senior Member
It never ceases to shock me how parochial and. obstinate Toronto can be. There's a pervasive aggressive mindset that Toronto has nothing to learn from other places and/or there couldn't possibly be a better way of doing things. Plants, flowers, trees? This isn't hard Toronto.
Natika33
Active Member
Is it just me or does this seem unnecessarily complicated? Could one body be in charge of all growing things and the BIAs worry about funding what's planted (maybe), nagging when the planted things are neglected & picking up litter/ general tidying/ neighbourhood aesthetics (definitely)? Perhaps if more people that lived/ worked in the area were seen more regularly picking up litter & straightening things, other people in the area would feel more shame about messing it up? And maybe the BIAs could even generate mini rivalries between them on who could have the most pleasing streetscape thus peer pressuring the citizens of this city into also caring about pleasing streetscapes? I guess I'm off topic...
Northern Light
Superstar
No, its not just you. Some complexity is inherent. Growing herbaceous (flowers, ferns, sedges) is a different specialty from pruning trees. (horticulturist vs arborist) while the design element is landscape architecture.
There is no reason someone can't have all those disciplines though, nor any reason they can't all be in the same department, overseen by the same manager.
The BIAs doing their own thing isn't really an issue for the active ones, they tend to hire pros who keep things nice. The issue is more about the complexity in non-BIA scenarios where you get a high risk of 'not my department'.
See above, in BIAs, they tend to hire a landscaping firm which does everything they're allowed to do Its those other scenarios where things get murky. I could come up with lots of ways to re-organize things....but we can leave that to another thread and another day.
Suffice to say, I'd agree the current arrangement is sub-optimal.
Well cared for spaces definitely inspire a greater degree of respect; and disorderly, unkempt ones definitely inspire more indifference.
And maybe the BIAs could even generate mini rivalries between them on who could have the most pleasing streetscape thus peer pressuring the citizens of this city into also caring about pleasing streetscapes? I guess I'm off topic...
East York used to have a garden award for best apartment landscaping, and the landlords would compete for the best displays. Toronto has never had such a thing.
And yeah, its tangential as a topic, but relevant in how we maintain landscapes around Union Station and other public spaces.
Civdis
Senior Member
Yesterday, looks like rebar in place for floor and partial columns in the east part of the concourse.
mburrrrr
Senior Member
APTA-2048
Senior Member
nightstreak
Senior Member
I really do need to do more exploring in there. I’m often with my dog when going through the station and while it appears to be allowed, out of respect for people eating, I only go to the food counters that are near the central aisle or spots I can order on mobile and quickly pick up. I’m ashamed to say that invariably that means McDonalds.
According to the story on NOW:
NOW’s suggestions aren’t much better than McD’s. Any have any better recommendations, preferably that can be ordered ahead with an app and picked up?
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APTA-2048
Senior Member
Roywoods, Hashtag Desi, Mean Bao, Tuts, and Kibo Market are some of the other places I frequently go to there. Not sure which ones can be ordered ahead, though.