The Primary Objectives of the Open Space Master Plan

The following Primary Objectives have been framed as high level goals for the University open spaces. They are founded upon policies contained in the Campus Master Plan and City of Toronto Part II Plan for the University of Toronto Area and provide direction for both the prescriptive portion of Investing in the Landscape, and the general operation of the University as it creates physical additions and changes to the campus.

The Primary Objectives should be adopted formally by the University to provide long term direction for open space revitalization and the integration of the campus with the larger district.

Primary Objective 1

The considerable energy of the University should be focused toward the common goal of achieving the highest quality design for the campus open spaces.

There are many opportunities across the campus to enhance spaces within an overall program of site improvements. Investing in the Landscape will re-focus attention on the potential for high quality design of the campus open spaces. Following this objective will, over time, create spaces and landscapes of landmark status that have a direct association with the University of Toronto.

Primary Objective 2

The University should require all building projects, including the identified University Development Sites, to improve public open space.

The general activity of adding to the University building stock represents potential to improve open space conditions on campus. To this end, any project which significantly renovates or reconstructs a building provides an important opportunity to undertake improvements to the adjacent open spaces. Major new development sites offer an additional opportunity to accomplish some of the larger aspects of open space renewal.

The process of revitalizing the open spaces of the campus will require a significant effort on the part of the entire University community. Most of the larger scale open space projects will likely establish their own source of funding for construction and long term maintenance.

Primary Objective 3

The University should participate in the planning, design and construction of capital works that will unify the separate open spaces of the campus and the City, within this important district of Toronto.

The University of Toronto area has a remarkable and historically significant legacy of public spaces which, at one time, were part of a single land base. These spaces have been progressively separated and marginalized. Investing in the Landscape can be used as a blueprint, to begin to revitalize the landscape by finding ways to reconnect its parts.

In consultation with the City of Toronto, an opportunity was identified to adjust the infrastructure of Queen's Park Crescent to make it more responsive to the operation of the University and other uses in the district. The removal of the grade-separated overpass in favour of an at-grade intersection is one example of a large scale move that will set the stage to reconnect the important open spaces of the district.

This activity will be the basis of a long term partnership between the City of Toronto, the Ontario Legislature and the University of Toronto, in the management of this land base. It is perhaps the single most important opportunity in the Plan.

Primary Objective 4

The University should establish a Pedestrian Priority Zone to implement the policies in the University Master Plan and the Part II Official Plan, which place a high priority on the quality of the pedestrian environment on campus. This zone should include the reduction of surface parking in the primary open spaces of the campus.

The University should be a leader in the integration of high quality pedestrian systems in an urban environment. Placing a high priority on the function and quality of the pedestrian environment is important to a large number of campus users and is a major focus of the Plan.

When developing a design program for any capital works within the Pedestrian Priority Zone, first preference should be given to pedestrians, second preference to cyclists and third to automobile use.

Primary Objective 5

The University should encourage and support community and cross-jurisdictional partnerships in open space and streetscape enhancements.

The University has the opportunity to partner with the City of Toronto, community groups, the Province of Ontario, the Affiliated and Federated Colleges and Universities and several adjacent institutions to increase the scope and value of improvements to the open spaces on campus and in the district in general. Several initiatives currently underway include the Taddle Creek Initiative with the City of Toronto and the neighbourhood, and the associated joint federal millennium application by the University, Royal Ontario Museum, Royal Conservatory of Music and the City of Toronto. Additional projects could include Bloor Street streetscaping and traffic calming on Queen's Park Crescent in partnership with the City of Toronto.

Primary Objective 6

The University should place a high priority on the preservation of existing mature trees and support all activities that will enhance and increase the overall tree density on campus open spaces and streetscapes.

One of the great losses the campus has suffered in the post-war period is the removal of large canopy trees. Replacement of these structural landscape elements requires generations to restore the lost effect. In addition to Primary Objective 3, aimed at reconnecting the open spaces of the district, a parallel effort should be placed on significantly increasing the urban forest of the campus.

Primary Objective 7

On the West Campus, the University should place a priority on developing a significant open space and on improving the streetscapes.

The West Campus was created from a nineteenth century residential neighbourhood by placing large university buildings into the existing block structure. No overall provisions were made to create a West Campus open space network in balance with the existing campus. As a result the landscape of the West Campus is largely related to individual building sites.

A significant open space, suitable for special events and student gathering on the West Campus, with good connections to St. George Street, should be a high priority for the University.

The City of Toronto streets on the West Campus need to be rethought, redesigned and reprogrammed to provide a higher quality streetscape and pedestrian environment that is distinctive to the University of Toronto.

Primary Objective 8

The open spaces on campus should support and promote the activities of the academic programs and represent the cultural diversity of the University community.

Academic departments and user groups should be encouraged to play a role in the creation and use of the primary open spaces of the campus. This objective could be met through thematic design choices in gardens or by creating settings in the landscape that reflect the internal activities of the adjacent academic functions. The contemplative character of all of the major open spaces should be increased significantly.

Primary Objective 9

The University should promote opportunities to increase public art on the campus.

The campus provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate public art into an outdoor environment. Public art can add to the richness and visual character of the campus, provide additions to the seasonal and winter landscape and is a valuable addition to a landscape design collaboration.

Primary Objective 10

The University should increase its investment in open space improvements. These improvements should, over time, achieve a consistent palette of material use on campus and promote long term life-cycle design and construction methods. The investment should be protected by providing sufficient resources for high quality maintenance of open spaces.

There are many reasons, including the process of time, for the diversity of materials present in the campus landscape. A short walk presents asphalt, concrete, precast, stone, and gravel pavers, in many methods of installation and in many combinations. Many types of light fixtures, fencing and furniture are also present. A new program of capital improvements should develop a palette of materials for site development that can be used successfully in repeated applications, have a long life cycle and potentially improve with age. The result of this method, over time, should be to provide a more consistent appearance to the campus landscape that can be recognized as unique to the University of Toronto.

The program of creating better quality open spaces, streetscapes and landscapes on the campus must be supported by increased resource allocations for the maintenance and management of the landscape, to protect the long term value of the initial capital investment. Investments in regular repair and upkeep will allow the landscape to mature and improve, while avoiding costly replacement due to deterioration.