Posted Jul 5, 2011, 4:17 AM
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,213
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http://www.thestar.com/business/arti...ge-street?bn=1
Bold vision sought for Yonge Street
Published On Mon Jul 04 2011
Vanessa Lu
Business Reporter
A rendering of what Yonge St. might look at Gerrard St. if the road were narrowed to two lanes of traffic and the sidewalk widened to allow for cafes and greenery.
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The report, to be released Wednesday, proposes dramatic changes in the section between Dundas and Gerrard Sts., including widening sidewalks, reducing car traffic to two lanes, and making it pedestrian only for special festivals.
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The Yonge Street Planning Framework, written by Ken Greenberg of Greenberg Consultants and Marianne McKenna of KPMB Architects, is a blueprint for turning around this tired area that includes historic buildings, a new 75-storey condo tower and Ryerson University.
It’s designed to improve the public space, make the area more welcoming for retailers and encourage small businesses, including high-tech ventures, to set up shop.
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Some ideas are obvious, such as encouraging cafes and restaurants at the ground level so patrons spill out to outdoor patios, creating a friendly neighbourhood. It also calls for more street vendors to draw people in. Small details such as garage-like doors or French doors can link the stores to the street in good weather.
But other suggestions break new ground, such as sending large-scale retail stores from ground-floor locations to upstairs or below-ground spots.
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“Big box is welcome to Yonge but not at the street level,” said Wong-Tam. “The planning rationale we want to have as many doors at grade at possible. There is an appropriate place for large-format retail.”
The proposal calls for a better balance of retail including higher quality stores, though not necessarily high-end businesses. Wong-Tam argues there’s a place for dollar stores and strip clubs, but they can’t be the only businesses on Yonge St.
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Greenberg, co-author of the report, said this framework strikes a balance between preserving heritage buildings and balancing new development, including offices and condos such as the planned 75-storey Aura tower at the corner of Gerrard St. It calls for certain setbacks to ensure large towers don’t engulf Yonge St. and protects sunlight access to the low-rise heritage buildings.
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“This is a great period for cities in which pedestrian life is being celebrated,” Greenberg said, noting that Yonge St. pedestrians outnumber drivers by more than two-to-one, and Yonge-Dundas square draws large crowds.
According to the city’s statistics in November 2006, 53,434 pedestrians were counted at Yonge and Dundas, compared with 22,038 drivers in an eight-hour period, long before the scramble intersection, which at times allows pedestrians to cross in any direction, was introduced.
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City staff will bring their own recommendations based on this framework to community council likely in October, and then it would go to city council. Wong-Tam’s goal is to have a pilot project with temporary landscaping in place for next summer.
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