Open Space Revitalization Office

Investing in the Landscape represents the beginning of an ongoing process. To be successful, the elements of the plan must become an integral component of the culture of the University administration. To this end, the University should establish a permanent office dedicated to the design and revitalization of the campus open spaces. This office should be separate from the Campus and Facilities Planning and the Operations and Services functions of the existing administrative structure.

For the purposes of this Plan the office is called the Open Space Revitalization Office (OSRO).

The mandate of the OSRO should be broad, to allow participation in all aspects of the creation and maintenance of the campus landscape. The mandate should include:

1. Creating a communication strategy to integrate the Revitalization Armature into the mainstream of the University's decision-making activity. The strategy should involve the administration, academic departments, students and alumni groups.

2. Working with the University Development Office to establish a program to raise capital for projects within the Revitalization Armature, including the six Demonstration Sites.

3. Creating terms of reference, finding sponsors and coordinating design competitions for selected projects within the Revitalization Armature.

4. Developing terms of reference and organizing consultant selection processes for designers hired to undertake open space projects on campus.

5. Working with the Physical Planning and Design Advisory Committee, the University Art Committee, the University Arboretum Committee, Campus and Facilities Planning and Operations and Services to fully inform these groups of the ongoing revitalization efforts and to assist in the integration of other University projects with these efforts.

6. Coordinating open space and landscape improvement projects with existing buildings and facilities projects and providing assistance to design professionals undertaking capital projects on the campus to integrate potential open space improvements into these projects.

7. Coordinating the services of a landscape architect, placed on retainer to the OSRO, to provide advice on matters of landscape design on an as-needed basis.

8. Working with Operations and Services personnel to improve open space maintenance and stewardship of the campus landscape.

9. Applying the Pedestrian Priority Zone requirements to the campus.

10. Developing partnerships with City of Toronto departments on issues related to street infrastructure matters, the Taddle Creek Millennium Project, issues of traffic calming and the re-connection of the major open spaces in the district.

11. Liaising with the University Arboretum Committee and the City of Toronto Parks Department on matters related to urban forestry on campus and the possible certification of an urban arboretum on campus.

12. Liaising with the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design to build an ongoing relationship and to give the OSRO the advantages of the technological and research capabilities present at the school. A specific emphasis should be placed on the relationship between the Centre for Landscape Research (CLR) and the OSRO.

Within the area of the Revitalization Armature, the OSRO can organize a wide range of projects, through its own forces and in partnerships with other bodies.

The OSRO should not become an in-house design department and should not build in-house staff design resources. It should function to organize the efforts needed to acquire the support, resources and design expertise to undertake landscape design and installation of the highest quality on the campus open spaces. The OSRO should be provided with resources to undertake five specific activities:

1. To engage on an annual basis an industry-recognized landscape architect as an advisor to assist in the interpretation of landscape design issues.

2. To undertake small-scale additions to projects already under way to allow them to reflect the recommendations of Investing in the Landscape.

3. To support communication, promotion and publication of the open space revitalization program.

4. To attend supportive seminars, conferences and symposia on institutional open space design and design competitions.

5. To obtain technical services and communication material from the CLR at the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

The director of the OSRO should be a registered professional with a background in the initiation and implementation of large scale projects in a multi disciplinary environment. The director should have a direct professional interest in a range of design fields including landscape architecture, urban design, architecture, environmental design, public art, industrial design or engineering.