Open Space Revitalization Opportunities Related to Ongoing Projects

Infrastructure Projects

One of the most successful methods of changing the landscape and site conditions of a large urban place is to build change into the ongoing process of street infrastructure upgrades and reconstruction. The success of this process is demonstrated in the City of Toronto, where regular street reconstruction includes redesigning and upgrading the pedestrian amenity and streetscape condition.

The benefits of integrating design changes into regular life cycle replacements were evident when the City made the decision to rebuild St. George Street, using a joint program of infrastructure replacement and amenity and image improvement. The same value was not gained in the Hoskin Avenue reconstruction undertaken several years earlier.

Many of the opportunities outlined in Investing in the Landscape are related to city streets that will be rebuilt over time. The University should be prepared to participate in each of these projects and other infrastructure reconstructions as they occur.

Building Projects

The many building projects undertaken by the University present opportunities to improve the open space and landscape of the campus outside of the major Demonstration Sites identified in this Plan. Generally these projects fall into two categories: renovations to existing structures, and new buildings created on identified sites throughout the campus.

The University has existing policies that create budgets for landscape development within building projects. In the past, these budgets have been project-specific and without the benefit of an overall plan for open space improvements. Resources for building additions or renovations have been scarce and often the improvements that provide academic space or facilities have been considered more important than issues associated with the landscape and open spaces of the campus.

Two possibilities exist to connect building projects to improvements for the larger campus environment.

A percentage of all capital projects could be contributed to a central fund for landscape and open space improvements prioritized annually by the OSRO.

• All projects could be required to undertake improvements to immediately adjacent open spaces, under the guidance of the OSRO and through review with the Physical Planning and Design Advisory Committe (PPDAC).

Effective management of an open space revitalization program would benefit from the availability of both methods.