2 DRIVING TECHNOLOGY Durham innovates

REVAMPED TARGETS 3 Amendments proposed

WEDNESDAY, GREATER JANUARY 23, 2019 Vol. 22 & HAMILTON AREA No. 4

URBAN DESIGN & PLACEMAKING REVITALIZING HAMILTON

Rachael Williams

s the City of Hamilton “I see a very strong will come,” said Torne. efective economic development prepares for signifcant connection between getting With the success of Art tool,” said placemaking, public A redevelopment along the the public realm right and Crawl, the community saw art and projects manager Ken waterfront, LRT corridor and promoting development and an opportunity to organize a Coit. in the downtown, the planning city-building, especially in a lot four-day music festival along Inspired by the success of and economic development of our older commercial areas James Street, where artists, James Street North, Coit told department is pulling together where we want to drive a lot of chefs, photographers and other NRU the new staf team will a staf team that will put a activity of pedestrians and foot vendors could showcase their attempt to follow a similar much-needed emphasis on trafc,” said Torne. creations. Te festival, known formula, looking at how to placemaking and public realm. Te synergy between art, as Super Crawl, attracts 200,000 repopulate under-utilized areas Led by Hamilton’s planning placemaking and economic visitors annually and results throughout the city through and economic development development has been playing in an economic impact of the use of public art and urban general manager Jason Torne, out in Hamilton over the past $16.9-million. design. the city is creating a new two decades, particularly along “It was a community driven One area that the city section within the tourism and James Street North. Budding thing, but it shows how the use is looking to revitalize is culture division of the planning artists and vendors began of public space...can be a really CONTINUED PAGE 6 and economic development showcasing their work twice department. Tis new section, a month on the sidewalks of dubbed “placemaking, public James Street North at an event Rendering of a new public park, known art and projects,” will be known as Art Crawl. Tis as Copps Pier, adjacent to $140-million waterfront redevelopment. made up of fve employees grassroots event animated SOURCE: FORREC with professional experience the streetscape and brought in architecture, landscape thousands of people to the area. architecture and public art. “Te more you can feed a Te focus will be on enhancing place with activity, the more underutilized spaces across the people want to come to that city through efective urban place and it kind of has this self- design and public art, and reinforcing efect and I think a incorporating these elements lot of really good placemaking into city-led infrastructure is about getting people to go projects. there, and then more people TRANSITWAY AMBITIOUS DESIGN

Rob Jowett

reating an open, inviting focus on user experience and operation in phases between she says. “Tis was a new environment to attract treating each station as a transit November 17, 2014 and transit system in a very car- C riders was a design node and as a civic space November 22, 2017. centric condition, and their priority for the 12 Mississauga that’s worthy of light, beauty, In designing the stations, intention was to be able to draw Transitway stations. visibility, and comfort… we D’Abbondanza says it was people to the BRT. What’s going Using the Mississauga can create great public spaces a priority to create open to get you to get out of your car Transitway as a case study, IBI that beneft the public and environments, which would in Mississauga and take transit? Group transit architecture transform the way we think encourage people to use them, So we developed a consistent associate director and project about infrastructure.” and to employ a consistent design language of elements lead Lisa D’Abbondanza Te Mississauga Transitway design with unique aspects in that would be applied at all told Interior Design Show is the second grade-separated each station to diferentiate stations so that they would be Toronto attendees that transit (BRT) them. Stations needed to recognizable and would serve infrastructure has to be system in Canada. Ottawa be well connected to their as a new brand for Miway.” designed with a focus on user also operates a BRT system. surrounding neighbourhoods, She says that several experience to encourage use. Te 18-km transitway and to feel “iconic” to users. methods were used to achieve IBI Group designed eight of the begins at Winston Churchill “It was very important from this, such as a consistent use 12 stations. Boulevard and progresses east the onset—the client had a very of coloured glass, concrete, “Toughtful design does along Highway 403, Eastgate strong objective to create a new, and wood roofs, along with an matter in public transit Parkway and highly identifable landmark abundance of greenery in the projects,” she says. “With a to Renforth Drive. It began identity for the transit system,” CONTINUED PAGE 6

Clockwise from bottom left: The 18-km, 12-stop Mississauga Transitway began full operation in November 2017. SOURCE: CITY OF MISSISSAUGA

Openness and design consistency are key aspects in the design of the Mississauga Transitway stations. PHOTOGRAPHER: SHAI GIL SOURCE: IBI GROUP

Coloured glass is used differently at every station to provide each with a unique character. PHOTOGRAPHER: SHAI GIL / STUDIO SHAI GIL SOURCE: IBI GROUP

Toronto-based artist Panya Clark Espinal created a public art exhibit, which is installed at seven transitway stations. While the theme is consistent across the stations, each is a unique installation. PHOTOGRAPHER: BEN RAHN / A-FRAME SOURCE: IBI GROUP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2019 NOVÆ RES URBIS GREATER TORONTO & HAMILTON AREA 5 AMBITIOUS 500,000 new residents by 2041 east of and to its current population of focusing on the stations there 721,000. With no greenfeld and focussing on how to get DESIGN sites lef, the city is expanding more intensive development vertically. around those stations.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Mississauga development Te system is also future- and design director Lesley proofed in that it can be stations. Te roofs are also was there wouldn’t be a lot of Pavan says that the areas of easily upgraded to a light rail designed to direct rainwater to vandalism—that people would greatest intensifcation are transit system when ridership planters around the exterior of actually appreciate the station. going to be around transit demands it, which would be the stations. And we’ve really noticed hubs, including the transitway more than double the current “One of the things I’m that. We’ve had very little stations. ridership. really impressed with [about vandalism.” “We did the Downtown 21 “As designers, we care the design] is they didn’t really Additionally, Toronto-based master plan a few years ago a lot about design,” says go high-end, they didn’t really artist Panya Clark Espinal was where we’re looking at having D’Abbondanza. “Building a new go low-end, but they went retained to develop public art 70,000 people and 70,000 jobs, transit system in this manner with a design… that looks installations for seven of the and the transitway as it travels was bold and ambitious for warm, looks inviting, [has] stations. along the 403… comes into Mississauga. Tey’ve changed lots of glass [and] exposure,” Te transitway is also our downtown,” she says. “As the nature of public transit in a BRT senior project manager intended to be a catalyst for it moves out of the downtown car-centric community, and it’s Scott Anderson told NRU. further growth in the city. along Eastgate Parkway and set a precedent for future transit “And by building it up above a Mississauga is expanding Eglinton, we… [prepared] a projects in the area.” minimum standard, the hope rapidly, and is expected to add land use study for the lands

urban design, public art and and 13,000 square metres of REVITALIZING placemaking and that this industrial space. Adjacent new staf team will have a to the development will be a vital role to play in facilitating public park, known as Copps HAMILTON discussions with developers Pier, designed by Forrec Ltd. to enhance their proposals, Torne said he expects the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 particularly around large-scale new team will be integral to Summers Lane, an underpass exploring ways to beautify and developments. ensuring placemaking, public near City Hall which connects pedestrianize the area. “We are seeing a variety of art and efective urban design two arterial downtown “It’s just a poster child for applications come forward, are incorporated into what streets—Main and King—and this new [team],” said Ward 2 some are in the works, some will be the crown jewel of the provides access to the Art councillor Jason Farr. “When are nearing completion so I waterfront redevelopment. Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton it’s done...it’s going to be night think there’s a great opportunity “I think it’s been shown Convention Centre and and day. People are going to there,” he said. time and time again, in many Hamilton Place. Currently a be feeling pleased and feeling Te West Harbour area is municipalities that if you can dark, dingy space with excess pleasant when they make that also undergoing a signifcant create really great public spaces, parking, it is traversed by walk and they might not even transformation. Waterfront well animated public spaces, thousands of people per day. know why.” Shores has been selected to lead you can attract people to an Coit said if council approves Farr said the city’s new a $140-million redevelopment area and that will also have its revitalization, this new downtown secondary plan of a 5.4-ha site which will a very signifcant economic team would be tasked with also has a renewed focus on feature 1,500 residential units impact,” he said.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2019 NOVÆ RES URBIS GREATER TORONTO & HAMILTON AREA 6