PART IV PLANNING CHERRY BEACH 19. Port Lands 19.1 Current conditions The Port Lands area that is in focus of this work The major green area at the Port Lands is Cherry Gardens with about 240 lots that Torontonians can 19.1.3 Buildings is constructed land from the time when Toronto Beach, also referred to as Clarke Thompson Park, rent and use for growing vegetables, fruits and There are many large industrial buildings at the did massive lake filling (see chapter x). Since the from the man who created it in the early 1930s. flowers. Port lands placed on vast lots. Most of these Commission transferred land to TEDCO, they Even though the park is situated in a rough port buildings are serving the needs of todays activity are the primary land owner at the Port Lands and industrial area it is a gathering place used by 19.1.2 Communications but have little value for conserving and are hard (marked with blue on map below), but also the Port Torontonians for recreational purpose. The water The port and major roads to re-use for new purposes. The architecture is Authority, the Province and the Municipality own is clean enough for swimming and the beach is The Toronto Port situated in the area provides very versatile ranging from a wooden beach house some land. frequently used especially in summertime. Cherry container and storage service and takes in cargo to large tin houses and small brick houses. There beach park is made up by trees and brushwood and containing for example; cement, asphalt and salt. are some newer buildings among them a Chinese 19.1.1 Greenery and bluestructure through it runs the Martin Goodman waterfront Since the port is serving for a wide market with supermarket (T&T) and a new studio area, the Man made by lake filling and functioning as trail as well as a couple of beaten tracks. The large shippings in both Canada and northeastern Filmport, that is under construction (see chapter Torontos port, the Port Land area is surrounded by isolated location has resulted in the use of Cherry U.S the roads at the Port lands are wide and 4.5 Current plans, pg. 18). Further there are an old water. Industrial plots stretches all the way to lake beach as a party place. Recently the park has straight, connecting to major highways and the rest and a new power plant and a re-cycle area at the Ontario with a couple of places where the public undergone improvements. Two new artificial of the city net in north. The Port has also access to Port Lands. can get watercontact and a view of the Toronto soccer fields are under construction as well as rail facilities and of course marine routes. skyline, the Spit, and the Islands. Most of the planting of new trees on contaminated ground. ground at Port Lands is hard surface with some There are a couple of bridges that stretches over the green leftovers and some trees along the streets. There is also a municipal allotment garden at the different channels. The one over the Ship Channel Port Lands called The Leslie Street Allotment is a folding bridge so that larger ships can enter. Parking Most of the parking is done on private property and on the wider roads, but there are also a couple of arranged parking lots. Pedestrians A separate bike lane stretches from Downtown to the Port Lands where it ends. Sidewalks are found here and there. There are traffic lights on the major intersections so that pedestrians can cross. New investments on extending bike lanes and side walks have been done in the eastern part of the area. Public transportations The public transportation at the Port Lands is made up by two bus routes with a couple of stops in the Port Lands area. One connects with the subwaystation at Pape (north) and goes further to Union Station, Toronto’s major mobility hub. The other bus line goes between Union Station and Cherry Beach. Both lines have limited service, Ownership map for the Port Lands (TEDCO, 2007) Cherry beach is a seasonal stop. The estimated time from Port Lands to Downtown is about 10 minutes. 49 Entrance to Port lands Salt stock FilmPort under construction Typical streets Seperate bicycle lane Exit from Port lands Leslie street allotment gardens FilmPort Power Generation Plant Supermarket T&T Ship Channel Martin Goodman Trail Toronto port Toronto Port - seen from the Islands The Spit (Lake Ontario Park) New sports fields The Islands Port land industries Bridge and entrance The beach 50 on functionality. There are currently plans for 19.2 Analysis new functions in the Port Lands directly north of Cherry Beach with the Filmport project as well as 19.2.1 Four key subjects the new soccer field which will attract people to Greenery and blue structure Public transit Our analysis of the Port Lands and particularly Cherry Beach. The different functions with their • Low public access • Poorly served with public transit Cherry Beach has resulted in four key issues with character create barriers; elements such as large • Poor quality • Car-oriented their positive and negative aspects. The issues are industrial plots hinder people from using the entire • On-going upgrade of the Spit presented below and depending on their specific area. Architectural elements such as the bridge character together with our theories on sustainable over the Ship channel, the port, the Ontario power community development and public transit, we generation building all acts as landmarks in the have chosen to design our proposal by this. area. 19.2.1.1 Connections 19.2.1.4 Greenery and blue structure Connections in and to/from the Port Lands and There is an abundance of water and greenery Cherry Beach are currently relatively few and surrounding Cherry Beach but it is hard to reach the railroad tracks and The Gardiner Expressway because the land surrounding it is often private acts as barriers when entering the Port Lands. owned. Cherry Beach is one of the more popular Within the area there is only one bridge across recreational areas in Toronto but connections the ship channel, and the road system is fairly (seasonal bus stop) to the area are poor, and some simplistic with few, long, and car-oriented roads, of the green areas are run-down and of poor quality although there are a few pedestrian and bicycle although plans for the Spit suggests an upgrading paths. Thus the Port Lands and Cherry Beach have of Cherry Beach. The Ship channel acts as a barrier few connections to the city of Toronto as well as as there is only one bridge crossing the channel and within the area. There are visual connections to the problem with the amount of private land also downtown, the islands, and the spit acts as obstacles to reach the water by foot. 19.2.1.2 Public transit Public transit in Toronto is of a relatively high standard but the Port Lands is poorly served. There are no residential communities and mostly heavy and noisy industries in the area and the lack of public transit is to som extent understandable. And because the road system is car-oriented very few people come here by other means besides the car. A few buses pass through northern Port Lands daily in a few stops at Commissioner’s Street. During the summer season the bus also stop at Cherry Beach. 19.2.1.3 Buildings, density, and functions The Port Lands is not dense since the main Connections Buildings, density and functions function of the area is industrial with a focus on • Few connections to Toronto • Low density industries connected to the port or other noisy Downtown • Architecture - focus on functionality, activity. There are several large buildings with • Only one bridge across the large scale buildings no cohesive architecture and most of the vast Ship Channel • Large industrial plots - barriers plots are not well maintained and concentrated • Long car-oriented streets 51 PROPOSAL 20. Cherry Beach community ”The community is like a playing board made The frame decided by the committee could by builders and architects. Then the players take comprise the following: over.” (Malmö stad, 2002). • The whole area is to be developed As the analysis shows Cherry Beach currently • Arrangement of blocks and standard of consists of large industrial plots. The vision is streets, including walk and bike paths to place a net or a frame that controls the most • Expected density fundamental sustainable aspects in the community • The area must have a main park and two to reach an environmental sustainability and at the new bridges across the Ship Channel, space same time in a high degree involve Torontonians for allotment gardens and ponds. in the planning process to let them develop • The area must have at least one Community the community so that it will become socially Centre – for information and coordination sustainable. Emphasizing on Everyday Urbanism • Each builder can own and develop the new community will be planned with a bottom- maximum one block up approach that will give people a sense of place • 10% of the housing units in each block and encourage them to act and understand why you must be affordable housing should act in an environmentally sustainable way. • Each block must be connected to the district heating system and deep lake cooling The area will be open for a diversity of people system with attractive public spaces as well as backsides • Each block must be connected to the water open for creativity of everyday life.