DEFINING THE PUBLIC REALM WATERFRONT CULTURE AND HERITAGE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN PART II - EAST AND WEST WATERFRONT PREPARED FOR THE CULTURE DIVISION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE AND TOURISM DEPARTMENT, CITY OF TORONTO BY ERA ARCHITECTS INC. AND URBAN INTELLIGENCE 2003 In 2002 Toronto City Council adopted the Culture Division’s report, Canada’s Urban Waterfront. This plan was limited to the central core and was undertaken in conjunction with other major waterfront studies. In adopting Canada’s Urban Waterfront report, City Council authorized its completion by examining the rest of the waterfront – all 46 kilometers from Long Branch to the Rouge Valley - in this second report. The initial plan presented a waterfront vision centered on cultural resources and showcased Toronto as an imaginative and creative model of civic identity for urban Canada. This plan, entitled Defining the Public Realm, continues that approach of a cultural laboratory for research into the creative city – the city founded on the cornerstones of its culture and heritage. Defining the Public Realm plan is intended to complement initiatives underway, to highlight community interests and concerns and to raise our combined understanding of the complex cultural landscape we inhabit. Like the initial plan it provides a framework for envisioning the opportunities for cultural initiatives available on Toronto’s immense waterfront. Toronto, since its amalgamation five years ago, is still formulating its broader identity, and this waterfront plan assists by bringing together ideas of our shared experiences, our cultural memory, and a vision of a truly great waterfront city. Rita Davies Executive Director, Culture Division 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PAGE 3 LARGER CONTEXT PAGE 5 GOALS AND VISION PAGE 7 PRINCIPLES PAGE 9 CULTURE AND HERITAGE INFRASTRUCTURE GRID PAGE 11 THE URBAN SPINE AND WATER’S EDGE PAGE 14 CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES PAGE 18 NATURAL CORRIDORS AND BIRTHPLACES PAGE 24 WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES PAGE 28 CULTURAL FACILITIES PAGE 32 NEXT STEPS PAGE 34 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 35 METHODOLOGY PAGE 37 APPENDICES PAGE 39 CREDITS PAGE 42 2 INTRODUCTION This plan extends the exploration of the culture and heritage of Toronto’s waterfront initiated by Canada’s Urban Waterfront – a waterfront culture and heritage infrastructure plan (www.city.toronto.on.ca/culture/waterfront_plan.htm) The initial plan highlighted the diversity of the central waterfront and brought forward an infrastructure framework based on two significant concepts: Cultural Corridors – Canada’s Urban Waterfront defined new ways to connect the centre of the city to the water’s edge, called Cultural Corridors. Starting from the commonly held notion that the central core of the city was disconnected from its waterfront, the plan defined cultural corridors that demonstrated the potential for a reconnection. The plan used cultural and heritage resources to overcome perceived barriers and knit the waterfront back into the fabric of the city. Cultural Opportunities – Canada’s Urban Waterfront illustrated the concept of a waterfront that is already amazingly rich and complex by identifying twelve major cultural and heritage resource areas, called Cultural Opportunities. This concept focused on the unique sense of place and the deeply embedded history that is part of Toronto’s central waterfront. This report adds two additional concepts to the framework of the infrastructure plan: Waterfront Communities – In the immense variety of Toronto’s waterfront, recognition is given to the character of the stable neighborhoods and former villages which line the water’s edge and create unique areas of activity. The waterfront plan must balance the needs of these local communities for cultural and recreational development with larger city-wide attractions and initiatives. The Urban Spine – With Lake Shore Boulevard in the west to Kingston Road in the east, Toronto’s waterfront has two heritage routes that link together the communities and a series of public parks and open spaces. Seen as an Urban Spine these routes are the catalyst for connecting the former municipalities of Toronto, Scarborough and Etobicoke together as a seamless urban waterfront. 3 4 5 LOWER ROUGE RIVER WEST ROUGE ROUGE HILL PORT UNION WEST HILL LOWER HIGHLAND CREEK EAST POINT , is the follow-up GUILD INN SCARBOROUGHVILLAGE SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS CLIFFCREST CLIFFSIDE BIRCH CLIFF R.C. HARRIS FILTRATION PLANT BALMY BEACH SCARBORO BEACH KEW BEACH LESLIEVILLE Defining the Public Realm LARGER CONTEXT TOMMY THOMPSON PARK RIVERDALE PORTLANDS DON RIVER THE DISTILLERY CHERRY BEACH CORKTOWN WARD’SISLAND waterfront vision, it was recommended fully explore the City’s ronto’s waterfront are all important elements of Canada’s urban waterfront are all important elements of Canada’s ronto’s ST. LAWRENCE ronto. however, just one part of a much larger waterfront and a much however, larger city with a range of diverse cultural and heritage resources stretching from Etobicoke to Scarborough. To that studies be commissioned to look at the many cultural and heritage opportunities along the entire waterfront. The cultural the Rouge, the Scarborough Bluffs, landscapes of the Humber, High Park and the rich heritage of the Guild Inn, the Lakeshore Assembly Hall site, and the more than 20 communities along To waterfront. This plan, JARVIS STREET ALQONQUIN ISLAND study commissioned by the Culture Division of the Economic Department at the City of Development, Culture and Tourism To ROYAL CANADIAN YONGE STREET YACHT CLUB JOHN STREET TORONTO ISLAND PARK HARBORFRONT QUEEN’S WHARF & ISLAND WATERWORKS BATHURST QUAY GIBRALTAR POINT FORT YORK CORONATION PARK plan remained ONTARIO PLACE GARRISON CREEK was one of those CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION LIBERTY VILLAGE Canada’s Urban Waterfront – Urban Waterfront Canada’s PARKDALE YACHT CLUB SUNNYSIDE HIGH PARK SWANSEA LOWER HUMBER RIVER Canada’s Urban Waterfront Urban Waterfront Canada’s HUMBER BAY LOWER MIMICO CREEK MIMICO NEW TORONTO THE ASSEMBLY HALL LONG BRANCH relate to the City’s Secondary planning exercise for the Central relate to the City’s aterfront, the focus of MARIE CURTIS PARK In November 1999, the three levels of government announced a 46-kilometer waterfront. As bold new vision to revitalize Toronto’s Force was formed part of this announcement, a jointly-funded Task to report on the implementation costs, investment, timing, and assets and opportunities for government and private sector Revitalization involvement. In December 2000, the Waterfront Intergovernmental Steering Committee commissioned a number of studies to analyze and refine the vision. a waterfront culture and heritage infrastructure plan studies. To W within the central waterfront area. The central waterfront is, BOYS EXPLORING WATER’S EDGE AT SUNNYSIDE, 1928 6 GOALS AND VISION GOALS OF THE PLAN A VISION FOR THE WATERFRONT The goals of the Waterfront Culture and Heritage Canada’s Urban Waterfront developed a vision for a revitalized Infrastructure Plans are to: waterfront that is reiterated here and is maintained as a core Create a distinctive framework through which to visualize component of this plan. the cultural landscape of Toronto’s waterfront; The three elements of the vision set out in this Plan are: Identify some of the important places in the cultural Protect, enhance and promote the natural, cultural and landscape that are strategic cultural and heritage resources; heritage resources of Toronto’s waterfront; Articulate a cultural and heritage vision for the waterfront Establish a strong visual identity for the entire 46- and establish the principles, objectives and opportunities for kilometer waterfront; and culturally conscious development; and Promote and enhance cultural activity and public life on the Make general recommendations and suggest specific next waterfront. steps to advance efforts to achieve the vision set out in this report. Our vision of a revitalized waterfront includes all the diversity of Toronto’s urban life and showcases Toronto as an imaginative and creative model of civic identity for 21st century urban Canada. 7 A VISION TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC REALM AND STRENGTHEN THE URBAN SPINE AT KINGSTON ROAD THE CITY OF TORONTO’S REURBANIZING OF ARTERIAL CORRIDORS 8 PRINCIPLES CREATIVE REUSE Creative reuse and integration of existing facilities and resources should be integral to any redevelopment of the waterfront. The revitalization of what we already have is important, including extending the life of buildings and seeking adaptive, creative new uses for existing structures and facilities. An excellent example of creative reuse is the CULTURAL DIVERSITY Lakeshore Assembly Hall. It is important to recognize and promote social inclusion and cultural diversity. The development of the waterfront cultural zones should be based on wide public debate, partnerships and collaboration with all of Toronto’s communities. COMMUNITY VISION In the east and west waterfronts, it is important to recognize the waterfront communities as stable, long-standing YEAR ROUND ACTIVITY residential neighborhoods whose community needs must be It is important to attract visitors and sustain activities all measured with other civic interests. Cultural and heritage year round on the waterfront. Open space should encourage facilities should have commercial and community attractions winter uses and interior public spaces should be designed to and both the waterfront communities and cultural support cultural and artistic programming that builds on communities need