The Revitalization Armature
The vision and Primary Objectives outlined in Investing in the Landscape have led to the creation of a Revitalization Armature or framework for campus open space improvement. The Armature represents a connected land base of streets and open spaces that can form the basis of targeted actions to revitalize and reconnect the major open spaces of the St. George Campus and the district.
The Armature is consistent with the policies of the Campus Master Plan and the City of Toronto Part II Plan for the University of Toronto Area, which seek to improve streetscapes and pedestrian amenity, enhance and preserve significant open spaces and retain the character of the University district with identifiable landmarks, gateways and entrances through coordinated, high quality landscape improvements.
It includes all of the entrances and major north-south and east-west pedestrian routes on campus, including Huron Street, St. George Street, Devonshire Place, King's College Road, Taddle Creek Road, Philosopher's Walk and Queen's Park Crescent, as well as Bloor Street, the Harbord-Hoskin corridor, Willcocks Street, Wellesley Street, Spadina Circle and Russell Street, and College Street. Significant existing open spaces that could be enhanced include the New College courtyard, the green space to the south of Robarts Library, Front and Back Campus, the Sir Daniel Wilson Residence Quadrangle, the Hart House Green, and Queen's Park. The Affiliated and Federated Colleges and Universities, while outside the terms of reference for the Open Space Master Plan, are linked to the Armature through opportunities to enhance and revitalize pedestrian connections and open spaces that are shared with the St. George Campus.
Investing in the Landscape is largely about doing many small things to improve the landscape of the campus. At the same time, it presents the opportunity to consider a few bold strokes to initiate a new direction, a new way of thinking and highlight significant opportunities. Six Demonstration Sites were identified within the Armature, along with the Taddle Creek Millennium Project, which has been underway for some time. The Demonstration Sites represent those areas that have the highest priority and can contribute most to the revitalization of the campus open spaces. They are bold strokes that provide examples of the types of targeted actions that will achieve the Primary Objectives.
The Demonstration Sites are as follows:
- Hart House Green - Queen's Park - Wellesley Street
- King's College Circle - Convocation Hall Plaza - King's College Road - St. George Street Pedestrian Linkages
- Back Campus
- Willcocks Street - Sidney Smith Hall - New College - Huron Street
- College Street
- Spadina Circle - Russell Street
These are described and illustrated in detail in the Demonstration Sites section of the Plan.
The Taddle Creek/Philosopher's Walk Millennium Project has been included within theRevitalization Armature in addition to the six Demonstration Sites. It is an ongoing project to create a storm water management system through the creation of water features along the former course of Taddle Creek, to help reduce combined storm water and sewage overflows to Lake Ontario.
Prior to 1860, Taddle Creek was a strong physical feature in the landscape, running along the current alignment of Philosopher's Walk to McCaul's Pond on the current Hart House Green, before splitting into two branches that continued to Lake Ontario along the current alignment of University Avenue and Taddle Creek Road. McCaul's Pond was filled and Taddle Creek disappeared as the city grew and the University developed its academic facilities.
Several existing studies of the site have been undertaken, including a technical analysis of the amount and quality of storm water and the possible location of storm water retention facilities within the Philosopher's Walk corridor. There is a continuing interest in this project in both the community and the City of Toronto, within its ongoing program of disconnecting storm water downspouts from various buildings in the area. Both interests are positive forces to the future landscape of the campus.
There are several potential linkages between the Demonstration Sites and the Taddle Creek Millennium Project. The redesign of the Hart House Green has been structured to accommodate a large pond area that would be suitable as a storm water storage and management facility. In this scenario, the final design of Philosopher's Walk could include an at-grade linear water feature to convey storm water to the Hart House pond, placed between and around the existing trees to mark the former course of Taddle Creek.
The proposed reconstruction of Queen's Park Crescent could also include the construction of a storm water conveyance system from Hoskin Avenue to the Hart House pond around Wycliffe College and Hart House. In addition, a discussion of University Development Site 21 in the Development Sites section of the Open Space Revitalization Strategies portion of the Plan outlines the important relationship between the Varsity redevelopment and Philosopher's Walk.
Federal Millennium Project funding could be used to fund all or part of the design of an overall storm water management system from Hart House Green through Philosopher's Walk to Bloor Street. The Millennium Project funding could cover a range of options, from simple demonstrations of effective storm water downspout disconnect systems, or if significant funds are available, the design and construction of an at-grade conveyance system and associated landscape improvements for Philosopher's Walk from Hart House Green to Hoskin Avenue. The federal decision on Millennium Project funding is pending.
Together, the Armature, the Demonstration Sites and the Taddle Creek Millennium Project present tremendous opportunities for the revitalization of the landscape of the St. George Campus.
What's Next: Strategies and Demonstrations
The next part of Investing in the Landscape presents recommendations and strategies for achieving the vision and Primary Objectives. These strategies provide guidance for the University as it embarks upon a new program of landscape design, revitalization and maintenance.
The final part of Investing in the Landscape presents the six areas within the Revitalization Armature to be profiled in detail as Demonstration Sites. These should be considered as first steps to illustrate the potential of the campus open spaces to achieve the vision and Primary Objectives outlined in the Plan. Most of the sites contain a wide range of opportunities for both large and small scale projects.
