West Donlands Revitalization Posted on October 24th
The current state of the West Donlands is abysmal, despite the fact that two regional expressways (Gardiner Expressway, Don Valley Parkway) and a number of streetcar lines (Parliament, King, Queen) border or traverse the site. This is partly because Toronto’s urban fabric is non-existent in the neighbourhood; by redeveloping this fabric carefully, and by intensifying the existing transportation infrastructure and encouraging connectivity between them, the West Donlands become an integral part of the city.
At the center of the project is a canal, reintroducing the Don River into the city, and connecting the green spaces of the proposal to new and existing green spaces outside of the site, notably The Esplanade and Commissoner’s Park. The canal loosely follows the edge of the former Don River Delta, before it was straightened, then diverted - at a right angle - into the Keating Channel. A dam, at the junction between the canal and the river proper, controls flooding and feeds a filtration plant. The canal becomes a central aspect in re-naturalizing the river, as well as encouraging a clean-water initiative throughout the Don Valley (hopefully, preventing sewage from being dumped into the river).
Team members: J Cheng / J Lee / N Lee / M Lin / D McNinch / R Micacchi / A Ng
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