At Toronto’s Edge

Sometimes adversity becomes inspiration. Such is the case of Waterfront Toronto, an extremely ambitious and extensive initiative to revitalize Toronto’s neighbourhoods bordering Lake Ontario in what will be one of the largest urban-renewal projects in the Western world.

“[Waterfront Toronto] is transforming 2,000 acres of brownfield lands into beautiful, accessible, sustainable mixed-use communities and dynamic public spaces,” says John Campbell, president and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “When finalized, the area will be home to 40,000 new residential units, 10 million square feet of commercial and entertainment space, and 90 parks and public spaces.”

The initiative began in 2001, following Toronto’s failed bid for the 2008 Olympics, which generated a groundswell of excitement about potential renewal of the waterfront area. The three arms of government—the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the City of Toronto—decided the revitalization should proceed regardless, and to begin the process, each committed $500 million toward the project. Over the 30 years planned to complete the renovation of Toronto’s waterfront, an estimated $30 billion of public- and private-sector money will be invested.

“Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainability, and economic development are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization,” Campbell says. “This project is not just about real estate but is about building a community. Our goal is to create vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods that will reconnect Toronto with its waterfront.”

For this approach to result in a successful revitalization, it will require bringing together the most innovative approaches to sustainable development, urban design, real-estate development, and technology.

“We are taking an integrated planning and design approach that looks not just at buildings but at all the things that make cities great, such as walkable streets and green spaces,” Campbell says. “Our goals include reducing urban sprawl, creating quick access to public transit, building mixed-use communities where resident needs can be met close by, and developing parks and public spaces for community gatherings.”

Given its size and scope, Waterfront Toronto has divided the initiative into several key project areas to facilitate planning and construction. “We are implementing development in a phased approach to ensure the success of each individual project,” Campbell says. “East Bayfront and West Don Lands are the first two communities underway. Built on former industrial sites, these new mixed-use neighbourhoods will deliver an exciting new kind of sustainable urban living.”

The first phase of the revitalization is also incorporating significant funding for parks and public spaces. “[This] is a critical step since these spaces draw people into new areas and demonstrate that change and development is happening,” Campbell says.

The master plan also looks beyond simply building new, modern spaces, but also hones in on expanding culture and the arts in the area. Waterfront Toronto recently issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for a waterfront cultural and animation strategy, which will look at opportunities for museums, public art, performing-arts centres, and festivals on Toronto’s waterfront. “Our hope is to create a cultural legacy for the city of Toronto by creating a premiere destination for both residents and visitors,” Campbell says.

Such a vast undertaking presents varying degrees of challenges to ensure the project achieves its goals. Waterfront Toronto has to balance a multitude of stakeholders, from private investors to members of the government. One key has been ensuring that the private sector can enter into development with a high degree of certainty. Waterfront Toronto has done most of the legwork—planning public spaces, ensuring that zoning and approvals are in place, building infrastructure, and managing the environmental risks. This gives the builders more freedom, necessitating that they only handle market and construction risks.

On the financial front, Waterfront Toronto has finalized numerous public- and private-sector development deals valued at $1.475 billion, far exceeding the $900 million in public investment spent to date. While the majority of the land being revitalized is publicly owned, Waterfront Toronto has development control of the land and facilitates revitalization by working with public- and private-sector partners who buy or lease the land for development. “We diligently screen our partners and choose innovative, experienced teams that share our commitment to sustainable development and design excellence,” Campbell says.

To date, several projects have already been completed. Three wavedecks represent a central feature of the waterfront design. A series of wooden platforms, the wavedecks mimic the contours of the Lake Ontario shoreline and provide public gathering spaces on main, waterfront streets. Designed by West 8 and DTAH, these unique spaces also give visitors an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the lake in areas that previously lacked public access.

Sugar Beach, designed by Claude Cormier Architectes Paysagistes and located in East Bayfront, draws upon the industrial heritage of the area and its relationship to the nearby Redpath Sugar factory. The park features an urban beach, plaza space, and a tree-lined promenade. The beach allows visitors to relax in the sun or play in the sand. One facet, a dynamic water feature embedded in a granite maple leaf beside the beach, allows the chance to cool off when needed.

Neighbouring Sugar Beach is Corus Quay, a 500,000-square-foot office and broadcast centre located at the water’s edge. Home to Corus Entertainment Inc., Corus Quay is a round-the-clock broadcasting hub, the design of which helps to promote the area’s business and culture. “The lower level of the building was designed to open to the outside so that the company can host concerts and other events for the community and visitors to Sugar Beach,” Campbell says. Designed by the renowned Diamond and Schmitt Architects, Corus Quay, like all new buildings in East Bayfront, has targeted LEED Gold certification.

But for Campbell, the defining project of the revitalization is the waterfront’s main street, Queens Quay Boulevard, which started construction in September 2011. The revamped boulevard will feature two lanes of traffic on the north side of the street and a dedicated transit line in the middle, while the south side will feature a wide, pedestrian promenade. “The newly designed Queens Quay Boulevard will truly change the face of the waterfront,” Cambell says. “It is the centrepiece of the overall project.”

Excited by the work already happening and the projects to come, Campbell believes that a city has an opportunity to revitalize its waterfront once every couple hundred years. That time is now for Toronto. “We’re rethinking, reimagining, and redefining what the waterfront can be, and working to create a world-class destination where people will want to live, play, and work,” Campbell says. “It is an exceptional city building opportunity that will benefit future generations for years to come.”