May 11, 1999

To:Toronto Community Council

From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

Subject:Report on Urban Design Guidelines for the Railway Lands Central and West (Ward 24-Downtown)

Purpose:

To recommend approval of Urban Design Guidelines and the District Public Art Plan for the Railway Lands Central and Railway Lands West and to establish terms of reference and membership of the Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group.

Source of Funds:

Not applicable.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

1.Council adopt the Urban Design Guidelines attached as Appendix A to this report.

2.Council adopt the membership of the Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group attached as Appendix B to this report, including the provision that this membership may change from time to time to allow for full public consultation.

3.Council adopt the Terms of Reference for the Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group, included in this report as Section 2.

4.Council direct Urban Planning and Development Services staff to convene meetings of the Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group as necessary to provide input respecting individual development applications or public initiatives in the Railway Lands Central and Railway Lands West.

5.Council adopt the District Public Art Plan attached as Appendix C of this report.

Council Reference:

At its meeting of June 3 and 4, 1998, City Council adopted Clause 26 contained in Report No. 6 of the Toronto Community Council authorizing the establishment of an Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group for the Railway Lands Central and Railway Lands West and directed staff to prepare urban design guidelines for the area and report on the terms of reference and membership of the Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group.

This report also responds to the City's obligation under the Part II Official Plan to prepare a District Public Art Plan for the area. The Urban Design Guidelines and the District Public Art Plan have been prepared by staff as inter-related documents with mutually supportive objectives .

Comments:

1.The Urban Design and Environmental Advisory Group

In the spring of 1998, the City of Toronto established an Urban Design Task Force representing

area landowners, local residents groups and other interested parties to establish a summary of issues to be addressed in the urban design guidelines for the Railway Lands Central and West. The attached urban design guidelines (see Appendix A) address the issues identified through this earlier consultation process. These guidelines will provide the framework for evaluating future development applications in the area including proposals for public spaces such as streets and parks. An illustrated version of these guidelines will be distributed prior to the consideration of this report by the Community Council.

The future development of the Railway Lands presents particular challenges with respect to integrating this area with other established areas of the City and creating a safe and amenable public realm. In order to ensure that the specific interests of those stakeholders likely to be affected by future development are adequately addressed, it is recommended that staff of Urban Planning and Development Services convene meetings with an Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group as development applications are submitted to my Department for review. Staff from other departments will be called upon as required. It is not envisioned that all members of the Advisory Group (see Appendix B) will be required to meet on all development applications, but rather that different groups will be called upon depending on the scope of issues raised and location of particular development applications.

2.Terms of Reference

The Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group will provide an opportunity for area landowners and community and business groups to review individual development proposals, including proposals for the public realm such as parks, streetscape, etc., in accordance with the policies of the Official Plan, the Zoning By-law and the Urban Design Guidelines. The review of each proposal will consider matters such as:

(a)how the proposal acknowledges and enhances the Open Space Master Plan for the Railway Lands Central and West;

(b)the proposal's design response to the public open space system, streetscape and civic design, view corridors and buffering from the negative aspects of the rail corridor;

(c)the location and phasing of public art;

(d)public safety and accessibility;

(e)the improvement of connections to the rest of the City;

(f)the relationship of grade level uses to the street and abutting open space;

(g)the relationship of development proposals to historic aspects of the community (including Fort York and Garrison Creek); and

(h)the significance of landmark buildings.

Comments of the Advisory Group will be subject to further review by staff and each applicant would be asked to respond to the issues raised. The Advisory Group will also consider Environmental matters and objectives as set out in the Part II Official Plans in accordance with initiatives of the City's Environmental Task Force to identify opportunities for environmental improvements in the area, including innovative approaches in energy conservation, storm water management, etc. It is important to note that this group will act as an advisory body only to provide input respecting new development in the Railway Lands Central and West. Their comments will be considered during staff's comprehensive review and be reflected in the reporting on any applications.

3.The Urban Design Guidelines

The objectives of the Urban Design Guidelines can be summarized as follows:

Objective 1: Parks and Open Space Systems

The Railway Lands Central and West are structured around a system of high quality useable, linked parks, open spaces, and setbacks which provide spatial relief to, and appropriate settings for adjacent development.

An open space master plan has been prepared as part of these guidelines which illustrates the location of existing and future open spaces, both public and privately owned, and indicates how and where connections should be made.

The connected system of parks and open spaces should consist of a variety of spaces, and extend existing city patterns wherever possible. Optimum microclimate, noise and vibration conditions should be achieved throughout the system.

Objective 2: Connections to the City

An important objective in developing the Railway Lands Central and West is to unite the central city with the waterfront by extending the existing urban pattern southwards towards the waterfront and by decreasing the impact of the existing Rail Corridor and Gardiner Expressway barriers. This is combined with the objective to create a new neighbourhood with a strong sense of place centered at the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Bremner Boulevard.

Supporting this objective development should:

-strive to have public infrastructure in place as early as possible, recognizing its key role in creating a positive public realm;

-provide a continuous public realm forming a southern extension of the King Spadina neighbourhood

-establish Bremner Boulevard as a significant public street acting as an east-west spine for the entire Railway Lands; and

-incorporate Bremner Boulevard as a new street joining the major open spaces in the Railway Lands and acting as an address for public buildings and community facilities in the district, in addition to its functional role of providing frontage for new development, and accommodating pedestrians, cyclists, public transit and private vehicles.

Objective 3: Creating the Public Realm: Built Form

The public realm is considered to include all areas to which the public generally would have access, including streets, parks and other public open space. The public realm creates the structure, setting and support for public life in Toronto. A public realm that is well proportioned, connected, visually comprehensible, comfortable, safe and attractive contributes to the quality of life for all citizens. In the Railway Lands Central and West the public realm is the framework around which private development should occur. The public realm should:

-be made up of generously proportioned public streets, parks and publicly accessible open spaces;

-be defined by buildings that help to create a public realm that is amenable, safe and inviting for the residents, workers and visitors to this neighbourhood; and

-establish edges created by adjacent buildings and landscape elements, the types of grade uses such as retail which help to animate the public realm, and the relationship of the grade uses to the public realm.

4.District Public Art Plan

Section 7.3 of both the Railway Lands Central and Railway Lands West Part II Plan sets out Council's policy to adopt a District Public Art Plan for the area. Staff have prepared a District Public Art Plan (see Appendix C) which ensures that public art will be provided in a coordinated manner. This plan was presented to the Public Art Commission and received unanimous support for the document at the Commission's March 4, 1999 meeting.

This District Public Art Plan identifies priority sites, on both public and private lands, as opportunities for public art projects throughout the district. This plan also establishes the process and objectives for future more detailed public art plans as each phase of the development progresses. As such, it provides the basis for preparing and evaluating the public art proposals which will be prepared by the landowner(s) and submitted to the city for approval by the Toronto Public Art Commission and City Council. An illustrated version of the District Public Art Plan will be distributed prior to the consideration of this report by the Community Council.

Conclusion:

The adoption by Council of the Urban Design Guidelines, the District Public Art Plan and the membership and terms of reference of the Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group are an essential step required prior to staff being able to proceed with the review of development applications within the Railway Lands West and Railway Lands Central. The first development application for the lands known as 401 Front Street was submitted on February 22, 1999. The adoption of the recommendations of this report will allow for review this application to proceed smoothly.

Contact Name:Angus Cranston

Telephone: (416) 392-0425

Fax: (416) 392-1330

E-Mail: acransto@toronto.ca

Beate BowronRobert Glover

Director, Community Planning, South DistrictDirector, Urban Design

(p:\1999\ug\uds\pln\to991909.pln) - smc

APPENDIX A

Urban Design Guidelines

Objectives for City Building

Introduction

The Railway Lands West and Central is the area of the city generally bounded by Front Street, the Gardiner/Lake Shore Corridor, Bathurst Street and Simcoe Street. It includes the SkyDome and the CN Tower at the east end, and abuts Fort York at its west. These Urban Design Guidelines are intended to provide a context for development of these lands into a predominantly residential neighbourhood for approximately 7,500 residential units, along with non-residential and entertainment uses, new streets, parks, schools, day cares and other amenities.

Role of Urban Design Guidelines

These Urban Design Guidelines are an attachment to the Part II Official Plans for the Railway Lands Central and West. The City's Part I Official Plan, Zoning By-Laws No. 1994-0806, 1997-061, 1994-0805, and 1997-0614 as amended, and the Railway Lands Precinct Agreements, work together to address, among other matters, the objectives of the City with respect to the definition and design of the public realm and the role of buildings and building uses to define and support it.

The urban design guidelines illustrate and describe an urban design framework; and provide a context for coordinated incremental development, and for evaluating development applications for review under Section 34 and 41 of the Planning Act.

Similar urban design guidelines have been implemented for the University of Toronto, Harbourfront, the Railway Lands East, and the East Bayfront in order to achieve many of the same City building objectives.

Guidelines are intended to:

-promote the highest quality of design;

-describe the anticipated approach to site planning, built form and amenity;

-provide a coordinated approach to the design and definition of the public realm; and

-allow for a range of development scenarios, ownership patterns, architectural and landscape architectural expressions and phasing approaches.

While these guidelines apply to the public realm for the entire Railway Lands Central and West, the blocks currently owned by the City of Toronto (18AB, 31, 32 and 36), Canada Lands Corporation (18C) and Wittington (33 and 37) continue to be governed by the 1994 By-laws, and therefore, should reference the Urban Design Guidelines prepared by the City as an appendix to the 1994 Official Plans for built form issues.

Site Plan Review and Development Context Plan

The Railway Lands Central and West Part II Official Plans require that a Development Context Plan be prepared as part of any site plan application to provide context, ensure coordinated incremental development, and assist City Council in evaluating site plan applications. The Development Context Plan will assist the City in coordinating new developments with existing and anticipated developments in the vicinity, and will be reviewed by the ongoing Urban Design and Environment Advisory Group for the Railway Lands, as well as City staff.

The City has developed a Public Art Master Plan for the Railway Lands Central and West identifying opportunities and priorities for the Public Art Program on these lands as a companion to these Urban Design Guidelines.

History and Significance of the Site

The Railway Lands historically were occupied by rail lines and railway related infrastructure as passenger and freight access to the City was focused on the water. As industry and related freight services moved out of the City core, plans began to evolve for this area to permit more urban uses and to provide connections from the central city to the waterfront. Along with numerous opportunities to acknowledge the railway heritage of this site as it develops the Railway Lands also includes parts of the former shoreline of Lake Ontario and the mouth of Garrison Creek. Historic analysis and background information about the Railway Lands can be obtained in the following documents:

-City Patterns: An Analysis of Toronto's Physical Structure and Form. Produced as a background to CityPlan91 (#29), it provides detailed information about the City context.

-Urban Design Guidelines Railway Lands Central (Revised September 8, 1994) and the Urban Design Guidelines Railway Lands West (Revised June 2, 1994). These are appended to the 1994 Official Plans Part II for the Railway Lands Central and West.

-The Garrison Creek Linkage Plan, approved by Toronto Community Council in September 1998, it provides a background of the Garrison Creek system, including the historic shoreline, and recommends a coordinated approach to civic improvements along the Garrison Creek alignment.

The Structure Plan

The structure plan (Figure x) which forms part of the Official Plans for the Railway Lands Central and West summarizes the urban design objectives for the area and shows this neighbourhood in the context of the Harbourfront, Bathurst/Strachan and King Spadina districts.

Objectives

Objective 1: Parks and Open Space Systems

The Railway Lands Central and West are structured around a system of high quality useable, linked parks, open spaces, and setbacks which provide spatial relief to, and appropriate settings for adjacent development.

An open space master plan has been prepared as part of these guidelines which illustrates the location of existing and future open spaces, both public and privately owned, and indicates how and where connections should be made (see diagram B)

The connected system of parks and open spaces should consist of a variety of spaces, and extend existing city patterns wherever possible. Optimum microclimate, noise and vibration conditions should be achieved throughout the system.

Objective 2: Connections to the City

An important objective in developing the Railway Lands Central and West is to unite the central city with the waterfront by extending the existing urban pattern southwards towards the waterfront and by decreasing the impact of the existing Rail Corridor and Gardiner Expressway barriers. This is combined with the objective to create a new neighbourhood with a strong sense of place centered at the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Bremner Boulevard.

Supporting this objective development should:

-strive to have public infrastructure in place as early as possible, recognizing its key role in creating positive public realm;

-provide a continuous public realm linking to the King Spadina neighbourhood, Harbourfront, Railway Lands East and Bathurst Strachan;

-establish Bremner Boulevard as a significant public street acting as an east-west spine for the entire Railway Lands; and

-incorporate Bremner Boulevard as a new street joining the major open spaces in the Railway Lands and acting as an address for public buildings and community facilities in the district, in addition to its functional role of providing frontage for new development, and accommodating pedestrians, cyclists, public transit and private vehicles.

Objective 3: Creating the Public Realm: Built Form

The public realm is the structure, setting and support for public life in Toronto. A public realm that is well proportioned, connected, legible, comfortable, safe and attractive contributes to the quality of life for all citizens. In the Railway Lands Central and West the public realm is the framework around which private development should occur. The public realm should:

-be made up of appropriately proportioned public streets, parks and publicly accessible open spaces;

-be defined by buildings that help to create a public realm that is amenable, safe and inviting for the residents, workers and visitors to this neighbourhood; and

-establish edges created by adjacent buildings and landscape elements, with uses at grade such as retail which help to animate the pedestrian realm.

The sidewalks of the public streets, paths in public parks and areas of private property where the public is welcome are shown on Map x as the general location of public pedestrian routes.

Introduction to Built Form

Buildings should clearly define and give form to the edges of streets, parks and open spaces, and contribute to the creation of public streets with pleasing proportions, appropriate scale and visual continuity, adequate sunlight and sky views. An intensive development of street frontages provides for clear public private demarcation and helps promote an active public realm.

The aim of built form guidelines is to achieve the following:

-create a-well defined public realm;

-ensure adequate street walls through appropriate base building heights adjacent to public streets and open spaces;

-recognize Spadina Avenue and Bremner Boulevard as the principle spines to the new neighbourhood, and their intersection as a significant place;

-allow for flexibility within the Zoning By-law envelopes (see Figure E illustrating the building envelopes in which buildings can be designed);

-allow for architectural expression and permit high quality architectural design, particularly on the landmark tower on block 22, through design competitions, whenever possible;

-create "gateways" to the neighbourhood at the intersections of Spadina Avenue and Front Street and Spadina Avenue at Lake Shore Boulevard West with streetwalls and towers to clearly define the public realm at both the pedestrian and cityscape scales;

-minimize sun shadows and wind effects on the pedestrian realm;

-contribute to mitigating the impact of the Gardiner Expressway and the Rail Corridor through building massing; and

-arrange towers to allow views through the Railway Lands, to frame open spaces, and to create gateways.

Participation in Design

-the use of one architect to design multiple buildings is not appropriate and will not achieve the objectives of these guidelines.

-the use of multiple architects will ensure diversity in architectural styles in the context of a co-ordinated development plan.

-a single architect may design individual projects across the street from each other to create a sense of cohesive containment and to generate "gateways" where appropriate.

-over time, the entire Railway Lands Central and West should be the result of the collaborative effort of many architectural firms.

Street Wall: Build to Zone and Height

A street wall building is a building or a part of a building adjacent to the public street that provides spatial definition and sense of enclosure for that street. The low rise buildings and the bases of taller buildings will be the street wall building elements that define the public realm The street wall is controlled by a built to zone and a street wall height identified in the appropriate Zoning By-law.

Build to Zone

The Zoning By-law for the Railway Lands includes build to zones along major streets which ensures that buildings will provide a substantial presence along the build to position at the street edge. The exception to this principle is on Bathurst Street north of Bremner Boulevard where the "street wall" has been eroded to open the site to the street for the interpretation of historic Garrison Creek and to improve views from Fort York's "West Gate" toward the skyline view of the financial district towers. Where the lot is not fronted with buildings, additional building or landscape elements should be considered to define the edge of the public realm.

Street Wall Height

An appropriate street wall height depends on many factors, including the width and intended character of the street. The Railways Lands Zoning By-law sets out minimum and maximum street wall heights for new buildings. Within this range of heights the urban design guidelines includes a preferred street wall height that reflects the scale and importance of each street.

Spadina Avenue and Bremner Boulevard are two generously scaled streets which traverse the Railway lands north south and east west. These unifying elements of the plan should have the characteristics of great urban boulevards including well defined edges, publicness, lively uses and attractive sidewalks. A strong and continuous street wall system should be established for these two streets. Building setbacks along the north side of Bremner Boulevard should follow the curve of the street.

The public realm will should be defined with the following appropriate street wall heights:

-12 metres on side streets

-20 metres on Bremner Boulevard and Portland Street (between Bremner Boulevard and Lake Shore Boulevard)

-30 metres on Spadina Avenue and Front Street

Spadina Avenue

The built-form guidelines recommend a street wall height of 30 metres for 75% of the frontage base buildings along Spadina Avenue, and a maximum of 35 metres. This ensures compatibility with the King Spadina built form to the north, and an appropriate streetwall environment within these major thoroughfares.

Bremner Boulevard and Portland Street

A street wall height of 20 metres is recommended for the north side of Bremner Boulevard and Portland Street. Along these streets, a minimum of 66% of the block frontage must be occupied with a building, and the maximum height for a base building is 26 metres. Buildings constructed on these important frontages should form generally contiguous street walls.

Corner Conditions, Spadina and Front, Spadina and Bremner

Street corners, which sometimes entail the convergence of canopies, colonnades, tall buildings and podiums of different heights require special architectural resolution. To allow for different forms of design expression, a zone extending 18 metres to either side of the building envelope corner should be developed in a particular manner other than that which governs the respective constituent streets, as long as adequate wind deflection and pedestrian weather protection is maintained.

At the intersection of Bremner Boulevard and Spadina Avenue, the Zoning By-law identifies a corner condition with modified build-to requirements that permit more flexibility and allow for a range of massing alternatives. The minimum percentage of built-to is increased from 75% to 90% to ensure that the corners are defined and occupied.

Local Streets

The recommended street wall height for buildings along minor north-south streets is 12 metres, which will achieve an effect similar to typical Toronto residential streets.

Buildings constructed on these frontages should form generally contiguous facades at the build to zones within the 12 to 18 metre height zone.

Individual expression of buildings is encouraged through the provision of a two-metre lateral zone for the build-to. This will allow for individual building expression as well as building articulation that will promote quality residential design.

At grade this zone will allow for the building of porches, stoops and other residential building elements appropriate for grade accessible units that are encouraged in these locations. Above grade this allows for the provision of habitable bay windows and other residential building elements.

Building Massing

Building and building elements rising above the street wall height may be the source of undesirable wind effects which could, at least locally, compromise sunlight and sky exposure. Street wall buildings and other lower building elements can mitigate the effects of tall building downdrafts. Taller building elements above the base building height will be reviewed in conjunction with the requirements for the street wall and base buildings on each block.

Setback

Buildings rising above the maximum street wall height should step back a minimum of two metres from the street wall, to ensure that the primary definition of the street is in proportion with the width of the street and that the adjacent streets and open spaces are protected from adverse wind effects.

Cornices

The consistent use of such architectural elements as a cornice and belt courses on individual street wall buildings is encouraged.

These types of elements can provide for the harmonious composition of several buildings into a single street wall and when they are applied to buildings on opposing sides of the street, will help to unify the space between the buildings.

The general location for these elements is up to individual builders and will be examined at the time of site plan review.

To allow for building articulation, reveals and variations in the thickness of construction materials, all build-to zones allow for a building face to be located within a specific distance of the setback line. Depending upon which building face it is, this thickness is either 1.2 or 2.0 metres.

Permitted projections are allowed into setback areas for certain building elements including cornices, canopies, lighting fixtures and other building elements.

The design of adjacent buildings on the same block should be coordinated to provide continuity to any street wall elements such as canopies, arcades, and projecting cornices.

Towers

The relationship of tall buildings in the Railway Lands West to others in adjacent areas is an important consideration for the location and height of the zoning envelopes for tall buildings. Priority is placed on consistency of the street wall in terms of scale, alignment and pedestrian level protection, but tall buildings will also develop architectural character and contribute to the visual coherence of the city. The greatest permitted building heights are along Spadina Avenue ranging in total height between 95 and 160 metres. Height at these locations is encouraged to assist in establishing Spadina as a significant, processional street; a street of arrival to the City. A building of up to 160 metres in height at the northeast corner of Bremner and Spadina will provide a landmark for other heights and buildings in the area. All other heights descend from this location. An architectural competition should be held for this building.

Tower locations have been coordinated to ensure views from and across the Railway Lands. Map 7 shows the preferred placement of towers to ensure landmark elements, framing of public spaces, skyline composition, and coordinated views.

Location

Most development blocks can accommodate more than one tower. In each case, a primary and a secondary tower for each block should be established, and placed, to reflect the primary and secondary streets in the area. Map 7 shows their preferred location.

The main entrance and address for primary towers should be off a major street; the entrance and address for secondary towers may be off a minor street.

The position and shape of the towers should be considered as one composition to create urban design coherence, frame streets and parks, and define intersections.

Significant pairings of towers are encouraged between Bremner and Lake Shore Boulevard and at Front street. The design of each pair should create a gate at these important threshold locations.

Towers should be placed to form a cluster at the two north corners of the community park at Bremner Boulevard and Brant Street and Bremner Boulevard and Portland Street

Heights and Spacing

Tower heights, as shown on Map 6 and Map 7, illustrate the maximum heights set out in the Zoning By-law.

Tower separation is regulated by the Zoning By-law which has a minimum facing distance of 11 metres. No two towers may be joined to create a double floor plate tower.

Orientation and Floor Plate Restrictions

The orientation of the towers should generally be in a north/south direction to permit views and sunlight.

Floor plate restrictions in the Zoning By-law provide a maximum floor area for towers on some development blocks. This is to ensure slender towers which cast smaller shadows, have shorter hallways and permit better sky views between buildings and through the site.

It is anticipated that residential towers in the Railway Lands will be "point towers" or concentric rather than elongated slab construction.

Design

The design of all towers should include distinct base conditions, a shaft, and a skyline or roof treatment. Corner conditions should receive a distinctive architectural treatment.

Given the visual prominence of the land mark tower on Block 22 on the skyline of the City every effort to ensure architectural design excellence should be pursued including the possibility of a design competition. Detailed design guidelines for the landmark tower on Block 22 should include: a description of base, shaft and cap definitions and potential for a tapering floor plate.

Grade Related Uses

The provision of community services, restaurants, cafes, stores and display windows at grade provides visual interest, encourages the use of sidewalks, promotes retail continuity and feasibility, and contributes to a safer and more vibrant pedestrian environment. Priority retail is no longer mapped in the By-law, but is permitted and encouraged over time at the base of all buildings.

Over time, ground floor uses will change to adapt to a variety of community needs. The design of each building should anticipate and allow for residential, live/work and retail to occur at grade.

-A floor-to-ceiling height of at least 3.6 metres for grade level spaces will ensure flexibility of use for these spaces over time.

-Along Bremner Boulevard, Spadina Avenue and Front Street, the ground floor level of buildings should follow the level of abutting sidewalks.

-Entrances to all retail and public uses should be at grade and street related. No entrances to these uses will be permitted from courtyards (Blocks 20, 22, 24, 25).

-Residential uses at grade should be either set back an additional 2.0 metres from the build-to line or be elevated a half level above the grade of the finished sidewalks in order to generate some protection and privacy from the street (particularly Bremner Boulevard).

-Commercial and live/work uses should be constructed at the same grade of the sidewalk, or within 0.2 metres.

Pedestrian, Parking and Service Entrances

In order to reinforce the street as a primary public space the location of pedestrian and parking and service entrances needs to be carefully considered. In general principal pedestrian entrances for large buildings should occur off of major streets while parking and servicing access should occur off of minor streets.

Pedestrian Entrances

The general location of principal pedestrian entrances is indicated on Map 8.

Principal pedestrian entrances have been located away from major intersections in order to avoid unnecessary congestion and conflict associated with pick up and drop off.

Buildings on north/south streets should reflect the topography of the site by having entrances at the same grade as the adjacent sidewalk.

As the number of retail stores and community services is limited, residential units directly accessible from grade are encouraged at the base of buildings along streets, in courtyards and at mid-block connections to assist in animating the public realm.

The use of traditional elements like stoops, small porches and gardens to provide privacy are encouraged at the base of taller apartment buildings on both street and lane faces, and on interior courtyards.

It is intended that the final location of principal pedestrian entrances will be determined in the context of full site plan review for any given lot. All applicants will be expected to demonstrate a coordinated solution which does not provide unnecessary congestion with adjacent development on the block.

Parking and Service Entrances

The general location of service and vehicular access has been identified on Map 9.

These locations take into account vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist safety. In general ramps and access to underground servicing and parking should take place within the mass of building, not in open space.

The number of crossings of pedestrian sidewalk and the width of these access points should be minimized to reduce potential conflicts.

Minimize the width of access points and the visual impact of the opening on the facade.

Service and parking access should be consolidated wherever possible within blocks and off lanes.

In general, parking and service access should be coordinated on the block to achieve the above guidelines.

Placement of exhaust vents should be incorporated into building faces at 2.0 metres or greater above grade, or remote from any pedestrian activity.

Above Grade Parking Garages

The Zoning By-law requires that above grade parking garages be constructed to have an animated facing use with a minimum depth of 9 metres. This is to mask the parking from public view. The facing use should occur for the full height of the parking structure, and should resemble adjacent typical residential or commercial buildings with respect to windows, entrances, materials and roof lines, and grade uses.

-The facing uses should be directly accessible for pedestrians from the street or adjacent public areas.

-The parking should be directly accessible for pedestrians from the street or adjacent public areas.

Parks and Open Space Systems

The Open Space Master Plan for the Railway Lands west of SkyDome (Map 10) includes a full network of parks, linkages into publicly accessible open space, and public streets. The design and location of all existing and future open spaces should be components of the overall system and priority placed on the streets as primary open spaces. Consideration should be given to the seasonal effect of landscape materials, particularly the use of evergreen plant materials, for public areas such as the community park and linear parks, as well as in private open spaces and courtyards.

A plan for an interconnected system of bicycle and pedestrian routes within the Railway Lands and surrounding area (Map 11), forms a layer of the Open Space Master Plan, and should seamlessly overlap with the streets, bridges and pedestrian connections.

Views

Views through the site are a primary way of connecting the site to the city and the Lake and assuring its status as a public place for the larger city. Views are largely coincident with north south streets and pedestrian ways. All major view corridors and termini are indicated on the Structure Plan (Map 4).

-Consider views along major and minor corridors, and through mid-block openings.

-Preserve and enhance all significant vistas through the site, especially those from the existing city to the water and the skyline view of the city from the water.

-Locate high quality architectural features at points were views terminate within the new development (such as corner sites, ends of streets and sites which frame open spaces).

-Place towers to structure views and act as landmarks and organizing elements which can be seen from across the city. (See Map 7, tower placement and structure plan, Map 4)

Central Community Park

The community park located south of Bremner Boulevard between Portland Street and the proposed school/community center is the principal public open space in the Railway Lands west of Spadina Avenue. The Round House Park and the Central Community Park are the two major public places located along the serpentine Bremner Boulevard as it traverses the land between Fort York and the Air Canada Center. The process for its detailed design and development and construction is outlined in the Agreements.

The needs of the local residents should be accommodated in the design of the community park, as well as the programming requirements of the proposed community center, elementary schools, and daycare. The park should provide a focus for the neighbourhood, and be designed to organize all programmatic requirements and be integrated into the surrounding urban form.

Despite the functional purposes which must be provided by the park , it must remain cohesive and sustain an open space amenity as its primary objective. The functional requirements should be subjected to this purpose, keeping equipped and screened activities in landscaped areas at the periphery of the park.

Program and Design Considerations

-active and passive uses, e.g. playing fields, strolling

-community center programming, e.g. outdoor classes, community events

-school requirements, e.g. hard and soft play areas

-preschool daycare requirement for secure outdoor play space

-hard and soft areas

-adults' and children's programs

-local circulation patterns and views

-planting and greening

-historic references, e.g. shoreline

-storm water detention

Grading

There is an approximately 8 metre change in elevation across the north/south section of the park, and this could be used creatively in the design of the park.

Any changes in grade across the park space should be carried out in a manner that minimizes stairs and is accessible everyone.

The perimeter of the park should be maintained at the same elevation as the adjacent streets.

View Corridor

The 20-metre zone at the east end of Community Park will provide a view corridor across the park to the Toronto harbour south of Queens Quay.

-This space should be designed as an extension at the same level as the Bremner Boulevard sidewalk connecting to the southern Linear Park.

-This space should contain elements of the design language of the adjacent public realm including decorative paving, pedestrian scale lighting and street furnishing including benches, landscape and bicycle storage.

-Any paved area necessary for service access to the adjacent block or park should be minimized and integrated into the larger landscape design for the space. The space will be accessible at all times.

Linear Parks

In addition to the community park, two linear parks (Northern and Southern Linear Parks) are planned within the Railway Lands West. They are to be considered extensions of the public street system, and should be treated as streets with an address and visual overlook. Above-grade parking garages, if adjacent to the linear parks, are required to be faced with a compatible use, such as retail, amenity space or residential. The minimum depth for these uses is 9 metres. Buildings adjacent to the linear parks with at-grade units should have entry doors and principal windows facing the park; upper storey units should also have principal windows facing this area. Landscape design and furnishings should reflect the public nature of these spaces.

Northern Linear Park

The 23-metre wide northern linear park is south of the rail corridor, and extends from the existing northern linear park under Spadina Avenue to Block 37 at Bathurst Street, which is intended for the interpretation of Garrison Creek, and then under the Bathurst Street Bridge to Fort York and Garrison Park. The Garrison Creek system begins within the Railway Lands West, (Block 36) where the old shore line met the creek (see map). Interpretation of the mouth of the creek is proposed at this location to orient and commemorate this system. Northern linear park design strategies should include: privacy zone adjacent to residential uses; provision for pedestrian and bicycle passage; and coordinated tree and shrub planting.

-This linear park may have a private road to service the adjacent development blocks on its southern 15 metres. The design should complement the linear park's primary role to provide pedestrian, bicycle circulation and landscaping that will help provide a buffer to the rail corridor.

-The northern linear park should be defined and designed as a public route in its entirety, including design of facing uses, a fire access route, if necessary, pedestrian and bicycle access, and a continuous narrow street, if feasible, to enhance safety and public character.

-A lane along the northern limit of Block 32 should be considered as an extension of the road system, and materials used in the lane should be the same as those used in the park.

-Introduce planting along the northern limit of the park, possibly a double row of trees.

-The design of the space should allow for informal play areas for children.

-There should be no street or lane along the northern limit of Block 36, immediately east of Bathurst Street.

-Provide bicycle and pedestrian routes in the parks, particularly in the northern and southern linear parks.

-Grade the northern linear park to permit connections under the Bathurst Street Bridge, under or over the Portland Street Bridge abutment, under the Spadina Avenue Bridge, and connections to the Garrison Creek system.

-The change in elevation from the finished park level and the railway track level should be either a retaining wall or absorbed as part of the landscape design.

-The fire route along the northern limit of Block 24, visually an extension of Blue Jays Way and an entrance into the northern linear park, should be designed to read as a public route, with standard city pavers, lighting, curbs and benches. The fire access route should have a clear dimension of 6.0 metres. A stair and/or ramp in this area will connect the northern linear park under Spadina Avenue.

Southern Linear Park

Adjacent to Lake Shore Boulevard, along the south edge of the Railway Lands West, a 12-metre wide linear park is proposed. Its role is to provide a transition between the development on the adjacent blocks and the Gardiner Expressway/Lake Shore Boulevard Corridor and to connect the Roundhouse Park, across Spadina Avenue, to the community park. The park will also provide an opportunity for pedestrian circulation, bicycle circulation and linkage between blocks, and in particular will link Spadina Avenue, Globe Street and the Bathurst-Spadina community park:

-the Southern Linear Park should be graded to be compatible with adjacent development blocks and provide barrier free connections to all adjoining public streets and parkland.

Bicycle Planning

A master plan for bicycle and pedestrian routes in the entire area of the Railway Lands West and Central conforms with the Open Space Master Plan. (See Map 8/10)

-Separate bicycle and pedestrian routes should be provided in the parks, particularly in the northern and southern linear parks.

-Bicycle routes and systems should connect to the proposed pedestrian bridges.

City Connections - Streets and Pedestrian Routes

The Railway lands is structured by a grid-like public street system which creates blocks comparable in size to blocks elsewhere in the city, allows for street-oriented development, and establishes new and existing north-south streets as major connections between the central city and the waterfront. Streets, the primary pedestrian open space of the district, should be the primary address (i.e. front door access) for all buildings.

Spadina Avenue and Bremner Boulevard, the two major streets in the neighbourhood, should have all the characteristics of a great urban boulevard. All built form and open space guidelines should be met to achieve well-defined edges, a public character, lively uses and attractive sidewalks and the intersection should act as a focus for building and public space design.

Spadina Avenue

Spadina Avenue is a major north south streets which passes through the railway lands and connects the City to the waterfront. South of Front Street it has a right of way width of 45 metres. Development along both sides of Spadina Avenue will be set back an additional 7.5 metres from the street line allowing for generous sidewalks, landscaped areas and where possible, a continuous double row of trees. It is also an important area for street related retail and service uses.

-The existing public sidewalk and the setback from the street line should be treated as continuous landscape space that reinforces pedestrian passage to the waterfront.

-Conceptual "gateways" to the neighbourhood at the intersections of Spadina Avenue and Front Street and Spadina Avenue at Lake Shore Boulevard should be created through street design and adjacent building design.

-Streetwalls and towers at these locations should clearly define the public realm at both the pedestrian and the cityscape scale.

Bremner Boulevard

To facilitate its role as a east-west primary spine, the Bremner Boulevard right-of-way is wider than normal streets at 30 metres. This boulevard creates important intersections with north south streets, links public open spaces and is the address for public institutions in the area and accommodates pedestrians cyclists, public transit and private vehicles. The intended landscape quality and pavement width for this street has been realized in the section of Bremner Boulevard adjacent to the Round House park between Rees Street and York Street.

-A generous landscaped boulevard (of approximately 10 to 14 metres wide) is proposed along the north side of Bremner Boulevard, and is meant to connect the open spaces with significant street tree planting, cafes, benches, and weather protection. (See Figure) The section of Bremner Boulevard between Portland Avenue and Bathurst Street will be reviewed in further detail to ensure adequate landscape treatment on both the north and south sides.

-Buildings on the both sides of Bremner Boulevard will be set back and have weather protection canopies and/or colonnades at the significant corners.

Local Streets

New local north-south streets will serve as addresses for adjacent development as well as connect the northern linear park to Bremner Boulevard.

-Views and access along these streets should connect south to the community park, Lakeshore and north to Front Street wherever possible.

-The minor streets and open spaces will be narrower, with less traffic, smaller sidewalks and lower scaled buildings.

-Portland Street will eventually continue as a bridge across the rail corridor to Front Street, either as a temporary pedestrian bridge, or more appropriately as a vehicular bridge, connecting northwards to the existing Portland Street, and southwards to Lake Shore Boulevard and Queen's Quay. The local north-south streets between Spadina and Portland will connect south of Bremner Boulevard into a public park.

-The bridges at Portland Street, Brant Street as well as Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street will be the major pedestrian connectors to the waterfront. On these streets, buildings will be systematically set back allowing for generous sidewalk, landscaped areas and, where possible, a continuous double row of trees.

Gardiner/Lakeshore Corridor

The Gardiner/Lakeshore corridor forms the southern boundary of the neighbourhood. These roads currently form a barrier both physical and visual between the neighbourhood and the waterfront.

As future plans may include removing the elevated Gardiner Expressway, the neighbourhood has been planned to anticipate this scenario.

-All north south streets in this area should be designed for future extension across the corridor.

-Pedestrian connections across, through or over this corridor are critical to integrating the Harbourfront neighbourhoods with the Railway Lands, and will be examined both as part of incremental development and as City initiatives.

Weather Protection

The Part II Plans call for a coordinated system of weather protection. Locations for colonnades and canopies are identified in the Railway Lands Central and West Zoning By-law and are summarized on Map 12. The location, scale and dimensions of these elements are in the Zoning By-law:

"Dimensions for colonnades should be: minimum width of 3.5 m and maximum width of 5.0M, with a minimum vertical clearance of 4.5M except for beams, suspended lighting fixtures and signing element, which may have a minimum vertical clearance of 3.5 metres. Canopies must have a minimum vertical clearance of 3.0 metres and a maximum vertical clearance of 4.0 metres and cover a minimum horizontal width of 3.0 metres."

These elements are intended to reinforce the public sidewalk at grade as the primary pedestrian realm by providing shelter from sun, wind and rain parallel to the public sidewalk and open spaces. The continuity of this system will ensure its success in enhancing the public realm.

-Design of colonnades should take into account the ease of maintenance to ensure long term attractiveness. They should be inviting and safe to use.

-A continuous colonnade or canopy should be built along the length of Spadina Avenue from Front Street to Lake Shore Boulevard, including spaces between buildings and across the bridge. Upon submission of the context plan for this street, a single and consistent treatment will be determined. The first building on either the east or west side of Spadina will dictate whether this entire section of street is arcades or canopies in order to ensure cohesiveness.

-Weather protection along Bremner Boulevard beyond that which is required in the By-law is encouraged and could vary depending on the type of building facing the street.

-Colonnades or canopies must be provided at the following corners: Bremner and Spadina, Bremner and Bathurst.

-Ensure that canopies are permanent, well maintained, and of the appropriate height and width.

-At the south edge of Blocks 22 and 25 along Spadina Avenue adjacent to the Gardiner where there is no build-to requirement, a permanent colonnade structure is preferred which can either be stand-alone as part of the park entrance or incorporated into a building.

-Bathurst Street and Spadina Avenue will each have a continuous colonnade system to provide weather protected access to the waterfront.

-Bathurst Street may be reconstructed after the development of Blocks 36 and 37. Integrated colonnades within the new development for pedestrian circulation are to be linked by bridges to the existing Bathurst Street bridge as an interim condition.

Bridges

Design of Permanent Pedestrian Bridge

The location of the pedestrian bridge between Spadina Avenue and Portland Street has not been determined. Location criteria will be established as part of the Development Context Plan for the area and consideration be given to a technical review of the alternate locations at either the Brant or Draper Street alignments.

A design competition is encouraged for the permanent pedestrian bridge and the design team should include an artist. Similar bridges in the Toronto region are the John Street bridge (52-metre span, 15 metres wide), the Humber Bridge (100-metre span, 6.5 metres wide), the Mimico bridge, the Wallace Avenue rehabilitation and the Innis Avenue bridge. The design process for this bridge will include further participation of the Railway Lands Urban Design Advisory Group.

The following considerations should be included in the design brief for the pedestrian bridge:

-sufficient widths to accommodate two-way, bicycle and pedestrian use

-use/lane distinctions: colour, texture changes, low barrier or edging

-connections to the northern linear park, the community park, the community center and the school

-locations for public art

-lighting (including low level lighting of the bridge deck)

-"landmarking" or identification features, such as the verticals of the John Street Bridge, the arch of the Humber bridge

-improve sidewalks along Front Street and south secondary street

-signage

-level changes at verges: ramping, no stairs, maximum gradient 1:12

-safety

-wind conditions

-clearances over the rail corridor

-seating

Any future development on parcels that span the rail corridor must provide a minimum clearance of 8.3 metres (27 feet 3 inches) above the tracks to allow for future electrification, as per GO Transit standards.

Temporary Pedestrian Bridge

The objectives and guidelines for the temporary bridge at Portland are the same as the previous section, except that this bridge will be constructed for at least a twenty year life span. Design consideration should be the same as for the permanent bridge.

Portland Street Bridge

The Portland Street bridge should be built early, including the vehicular bridge over the rail corridor and connections across Lake Shore Boulevard West.

The phasing of the bridge should not take precedence over the construction of Bremner Boulevard. The design process is subject to approval by the City of Toronto.

Design of Spadina Avenue Bridge

A split level sidewalk could be constructed along the Spadina Avenue bridge, with one level following the grade of the street, and another level aligning with the finished floor level of the adjacent buildings. Both levels should be designed as part of a single public walkway, with frequent connections and clear views.

The design of the bridge should recognize the long-term potential for retail uses being incorporated into the structure of the Spadina Avenue bridge.

Safety and Accessibility

The objectives for both the Central and West Railway Lands calls for "generously proportioned public streets, parks and publicly accessible open spaces". It is the intent of these guidelines that these spaces should be safe and accessible.

-The linear parks should include wide pedestrian paths to ensure a clear view of destinations; paving stones or concrete paths should be finished with a hard, smooth surface to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers comfortably.

-In parks and parking lots, trees and shrubs should allow a line of sight from knee to head level. Low shrubs and trees with high crowns of foliage allow anyone using the spaces to be aware of other people in the area.

-Pedestrian bridges should provide a direct sight line over the top of the railway yards, and views to the bridges from surrounding public and private spaces is encouraged to passively monitor these "movement predictors".

-Entrances onto the bridges at either end should be generous and include seating, telephones and clear views to and from passing traffic.

-Access onto the bridges should include stairs and ramps for wheelchairs, bikes and strollers.

-Mid-block pedestrian routes should be clearly marked with directional signage and clear views of destinations where possible. Dead end streets should have clear walkways to other public spaces.

-Informal surveillance such as street facing windows, balconies and porches increases the safety of the neighbourhood.

-Street related uses should be built and occupied early, to generate a sense of animation and safety. Doors to residential units should be visible from the street, not sunken or tucked behind corridors.

-Lighting should be at both at the upper level and at a pedestrian scale, and should be throughout the parks and along walkways.

-The City's Safe City Guidelines should be incorporated into each Development as well as the public realm.

Streetscapes

Developments in the Railway Lands Central and West will continue the Toronto streetscape tradition by using high quality materials, both hard and soft. The streetscape elements include pavers, tree planting, pedestrian scale lighting, and street furnishings and when implemented consistently along streets will provide a sense of unity to the public realm district.

-Coordinate underground servicing in order to optimize tree planting opportunities.

-In particular, on Spadina Avenue, Portland Street and the north side Bremner Boulevard, a second row of trees to complement curb side street trees will be secured and coordinated at the time of site plan approval.

-Pedestrian scale lighting and general street lighting are proposed to follow the theme as developed by the City and implemented along the constructed Railway Lands streets.

-Lighting fixtures are to be "Railway Lands" types, and should be both high level and pedestrian-level luminaries. This fixture type should extend into parks and other publicly accessible open spaces. Smaller residential streets should have a lower-scaled, closer spaced, lower-intensity light quality.

-Benches, waste receptacles and bicycle parking rings will be provided where appropriate.

-Where the entire lot is not fronted with buildings, additional building or landscape elements should be considered to define the edge of the public realm.

-Coordinated location of underground servicing is required within street rights-of-way with Works and Emergency Services and others to ensure maximum potential for healthy tree planting within the public realm.

-Planting beds within the boulevard should be raised, and include appropriate irrigation, under lighting, low fencing, and be maintained by adjacent developments to City Parks and Recreation standards.

Pedestrian Crossings at Major Intersections

-Preliminary designs should be reviewed for the intersections at: Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bathurst Street, Portland Street, Spadina Avenue and Rees Street; Spadina Avenue and Bremner Boulevard; and Bathurst Street at Bremner/Fort York Boulevard. Full pedestrian movements and signals should be incorporated, and the designs should consider options with and without the Gardiner Expressway. See Map 11, Pedestrian Routes, and Map 4, Structure Plan.

-Pedestrian safety and TTC access should be considered in the design of the Bathurst Street and Bremner Boulevard intersection. Design solutions could include special lighting, paving, weather protection and planting.

Setbacks, Mid-Block Pedestrian Connections and Courtyards

Privately Owned Setbacks and Open Spaces

The provision of publicly accessible, privately owned open spaces in the Railway Lands Central and West continues a tradition in Toronto of providing high quality open spaces as part of development. These open spaces will complement the public open space system and proceed incrementally with development.

-Develop private gardens, setbacks and courtyards as complementary spaces related to the public open space system.

-Developments facing Spadina Avenue and at the corners of Bremner Boulevard will extend the public streetscape to the building face on setbacks. Additional trees will be placed level with the ground and on privately-owned setbacks at regular intervals.

-Attach lighting on buildings in association with canopies and arcades along with other benches, waste receptacles, bicycle parking rings and other amenity as appropriate.

-The primarily residential streets which run north and south from Bremner Boulevard may have soft landscaped setbacks between the public sidewalk and building face. This area will provide an additional zone for landscaping. Planted elements in the setback, including hedges and trees, should be planted flush with the adjacent sidewalk or to provide a transition up from the public sidewalk to the finished floor of adjacent residential units

-Architectural elements of traditional residential architecture are encouraged here, including stoops, gates and low hedges, fences and gates.

Mid-Block Connections

Mid-block pedestrian connections are encouraged within the development parcels, and are intended to be designed as pedestrian landscaped mews (for example Block 20/23).

The design of these spaces should visually and physically connect Bremner Boulevard sidewalks to the linear parks.

The sidewalks should be flush to and connected to the public sidewalks to the north and south. Any changes in grade should be taken up in a manner that minimizes stairs and is accessible.

On Block 20, the east edge will define an open space. If there are residential units at-grade they should face this open space, and have a transitional landscaped "front yard" zone.

Mid-block connections should provide pedestrian access and an address to individual residential units along its frontage.

Any paved area necessary for service access to the adjacent blocks should be integrated into the larger landscape design for the space. This space should contain elements of the design language of the adjacent public realm such as decorative paving, pedestrian scale lighting, benches, and bicycle rings, if practical it should be accessible to the general public.

Residential Courtyards

Courtyards will be formed by most of the residential developments. Their principal role will be to provide for an on-site open space amenity for the residents in the adjacent development. In the context of site plan review for the first development on a block, applicants will be expected to demonstrate a coordinated design concept which will provide appropriate grading, facilities for pedestrian circulation and landscaping, coordinated servicing and automobile access and connectivity to the adjacent lands to maximize amenity and usefulness for pedestrians. To be most effective, the courtyard should have a unified landscape design, with open space amenity such as gardens and play areas on individual sites shared with those of the block.

The design of residential courtyards should consider:

-venting for parking garage below;

-air quality;

-noise quality;

-sun/shade patterns;

-access from units;

-access from street; and

-impact of rail corridor (particularly Blocks 21 and 28).

In addition to the above, courtyards should have low level lighting, wheelchair access, solid surface pathways, benches, garbage receptacles, and weather protection. Secured gates should prevent general public from access, but should be designed to be visible and accessible to residents. A view into the courtyards from adjacent streets, parks, walkways and surrounding units allows informal surveillance.

Courtyards should be physically accessible from within the development as well as from the public street. However, the principal address should always be from the public street.

Elevated courtyards should not have any service functions.

Trees planted on slabs in courtyards should have appropriate soil cover on top of waterproofing to permit the design intent to be met.

Block 36

A portion of the Block 36 residential courtyard has been given to the interpretation of the mouth of the former Garrison Creek. The on-site amenity and uses are reduced by the change in size of the courtyard. The amenity and uses associated with courtyards in the district should be relocated to the roofs of the buildings on this block.

Special care should be taken in designing roof top amenity space to provide adequate shelter from prevailing winds with architectural and landscape elements to promote comfortable use.

Public Transit Facilities

The Bathurst and Spadina Streetcars currently pass along the perimeter of the neighbourhood, connecting to the Bloor Danforth subway line. Future service may include a streetcar line or buses along Bremner Boulevard, with stops at the major intersections.

-Redesign Bremner Boulevard to accommodate a surface bus route rather than a dedicated LRT right-of-way in order to minimize the pavement width within the right-of-way.

-TTC stops along Bathurst, Spadina and Bremner Boulevard should be coordinated with building entrances, location of adjacent weather protection, crosswalks and pedestrian routes through and around adjacent blocks.

Environmental Issues and Micro Climate Remediation

One of the objectives for the Railway Lands is that all new buildings meet current environmental standards. New buildings in the Railway Lands Central and West should incorporate energy efficient, environmentally friendly materials and systems, such as locally produced or recycled building material, solar energy systems, heat recovery, roof top gardens, zero ozone depletion refrigerants, thermally efficient glazing, high efficiency heating systems, natural ventilation for cooling systems, zone-controlled lighting, heating and cooling, and light reflective surfaces (i.e. underground garages), to the extent that such systems are required and being implemented elsewhere in the City of Toronto.

The following environmental issues should be addressed in new buildings:

-microclimate studies remediating wind and shade

-landscape and planting including species diversity, use of native plants, planting for energy conservation and the potential of planting to improve air quality

-storm water management including use of permeable surfaces and other various techniques

-auto minimization through the design of street sections, priority for bicycles, pedestrians and transit routes

-district heating and cooling

-energy efficiency and conservation including the use of renewable energy sources

-water conservation including treatment of on-site water

-air quality including indoor air quality

-waste management and sewage treatment

Phased Implementation and Long Term Planning

The development of the Railway Lands will occur incrementally over a long period of time. It is important to consider the following interim measures and long term strategies as these lands develop:

Landscaping Undeveloped Blocks

Undeveloped blocks should have setbacks areas planted as part of the public sidewalk area, a fence or barrier at the built-to line, and hydroseed planting.

Streetscape paving, planting and lighting should occur at the time of the road construction.

Dismantling of the Gardiner

Blocks abutting the existing Gardiner should be designed to anticipate future dismantling of the structure with appropriate setbacks, window treatment, building access, and openings between buildings.

The ongoing recommendations of the Gardiner/Lake Shore Task Force should be taken into consideration for the design of the southern edge of the Railway Lands Central and West.

View corridors should be graded to allow for views over the Gardiner where possible.

Decking of the rail corridor

Initial grading of the lands immediately south of the rail corridor between Portland Street and Spadina Avenue should not preclude eventual decking of the rail corridor. Development along the northern linear park should not preclude this possibility.

All temporary uses and structures on these lands should have regard for these guidelines.

Landscaping of interim at-grade parking

In order to minimize the visual impact of parking at grade within the Railway Lands, all parking will be screened from the street in a manner that contributes to the continuity of the street edge and provides for the safety of the parking lot user and the pedestrian on the public sidewalk.

The design of this screen will consider the use of landscaping including shade trees, shrubs and ground cover planting, and architectural elements including fences and curbs designed to respond to the specific site and building program.

Block Guidelines

The following guidelines have been prepared to ensure site specific issues are addressed during the preparation of site plans for these blocks.

Block 20/23 (east side of Spadina)

-The extension of the public street system through Block 20/23 may be appropriate and will be reviewed at the time of site plan review.

-The design of the publically accessible open space on the east edge of block 20, should be co-ordinated by Urban Planning and Development.

-Buildings on the east edge of this space should face and define it. Residential uses at grade should include a landscaped setback of 3.0 metres.

-Each retail space located on these blocks must have a direct street related entrance.

Blocks 21 and 28 (Front Street)

-The Front Street parcels north of the rail corridor help to visually define the north limit of the neighbourhood, and act as a gateway between the neighbourhoods. The 'pairing' of towers is encouraged at the Spadina and Front Street intersection to create this gateway.

-These parcels are permitted to be commercial or residential, and should include street related retail.

-Careful shadow studies are required as part of any submission on these blocks to examine impact on the public realm along Front Street, Clarence Square and adjacent private developments.

-Views and pedestrian walkways should be continuous and consistent on both sides of Front Street.

Block 22 (Landmark Tower)

-The design of this building by way of an open design competition should be considered.

-Detailed design guidelines for the landmark tower on Block 22 include a requirement for distinct base, shaft and cap definitions and potential for a tapering floor plate.

Blocks 24 and 25 (west side of Spadina)

-Permission is maintained for an emergency access route along the northern limit of Block 24.

-Each retail space on these blocks must have a direct street related entrance.

Blocks 26 and 29 (north of the Park)

-Towers on these blocks north of the community park should be placed to frame the park, and mark its east and west limits (as shown on Map 6).

-Views from the park to the base building and towers should be architecturally terminated.

-Entrances at grade should reflect the park design, entry points, and crosswalks.

-Permission is maintained for a lane along the northern limit of Block 29.

Blocks 32 and 36 (City of Toronto)

-The northeast corner of Block 36 has been designated for lands to interpret Garrison Creek, which historically was located here.

-This open space should, in general, be designed to be an extension of the form and character of Fort York Park, contiguous with physical and visual connections to that Park and to the Northern Linear Park.

-These lands are to be designed in a way that is inviting to the public, amenable, useful and comfortable.

-The design should be coordinated as a physical extension of the park to the west to promote the interpretation of the site's heritage.

-Buildings located along the Bathurst frontage of Block 36 should be set back sufficiently to permit a pedestrian walkway from the corner of Bremner and Bathurst to the Garrison Creek interpretive open space.

-A tower in this location should not overshadow Fort York.

-Consider a lane along northern limit of Block 32.

APPENDIX B

Urban Design Task Force

Railway Lands Central and West

Task Force Members:

Ward Councillors

Concord Adex Developments Corp.

Wittington Properties Limited

SkyDome

Canada Lands Company

TrizecHahn

CN Rail

Toronto Terminal Railways Company

GO Transit

Housing, City of Toronto

Royal Bank

Harbourfront Square Residents Association

Harbourfront Residents Association

Harbour Terrace

Harbourfront Centre

Toronto Entertainment District Association

Niagara Neighbourhood Association

Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association

Draper Street Residents Association

Friends of Fort York

Garrison Creek Community Project

VIA Rail

CP Railway Company - Real Estate

Harbourfront Community Centre

APPENDIX C

Railway Lands Central and West - District Public Art Plan

1. INTRODUCTION

The Railway Lands is one of the last large tracts of undeveloped lands in the downtown area of Toronto. The recent Site Plan Approval and Rezoning (to remove the "H" designation) applications by Concord Adex triggered the requirement in the Part II Official Plan that Toronto City Council approve Urban Design Guidelines and a District Public Art Plan. The construction of the first residential community is anticipated to commence before the end of 1999. Completion of the overall area will likely take the next 15 to 20 years.

The Railway Lands Central and Railway Lands Part II Plans, the Heritage and Public Art Sections, state that Council (through Urban Planning and Development Services) shall prepare, adopt and administer a District Public Art Plan for the whole of the Railway Lands Central and West to ensure that public art is provided in a coordinated manner to enhance and humanize the public realm, taking into consideration issues of public use, scale, coherence, visibility and safety of particular sites.

This requirement for Council to prepare and adopt a District Public Art Plan was the result of ruling by the Ontario Municipal Board (September, 1994) pertaining to the Part II Plans. Traditionally it has been the practice that such public art plans be prepared by the landowner and submitted to Council for approval. Previous examples of such District Public Art Plans as prepared by the landowner include: Southtown (1993), Gooderham and Worts, (1994) and Canada Life (1995). In the case of the Railway Lands, urban design staff have drafted the District Public Art Plan, presented it the Public Art Commission and received unanimous support for the document at its March 4, 1999 meeting. This document is now being submitted to Council for approval. Concord Adex, the majority landowner, is preparing a more detailed Public Art Master Plan for the Concord Adex-owned lands, within the areas covered by the Part II Plans.

This District Public Art Plan has been prepared as a companion document to Urban Design Guidelines for the Railway Lands Central and West, with the intent that the public art program will reinforce the City's urban design objectives for the area.

1.1Site Context

The Railway Lands West and Central are bounded by Front Street, the Gardiner/Lake Shore Corridor, Bathurst Street and Simcoe Street. It includes the SkyDome and the CN Tower at the east end, and abuts Fort York at its west.

The King-Spadina neighbourhood, with its new live/work policies, lies to the north of the Railway Lands, and Harbourfront with its prominent recreational facilities, lies to the south.

The Urban Design Guidelines and the District Public Art Plan are intended to provide a context for development of these lands into a predominantly residential neighbourhood for approximately 6,500 residential units, with new streets, parks, schools, day cares and other amenities.

These lands are currently in the ownership of four main landowners: Concord Adex, Wittington, the City of Toronto, and the Canada Lands Corporation.

2.DISTRICT PUBLIC ART PLAN OBJECTIVES

As it is imperative that the public art be planned and implemented throughout the public realm in a coherent way that addresses each development phase over time, this District Public Art Plan has been formulated as a broad framework to be used as the guide for all future applicants.

This District Public Art Plan identifies priority sites as opportunities for visible and prominent public art projects throughout the district. These prominent and publicly accessible sites, as described in Section 5 and identified on the attached map, are on both private and public lands. As such, this plan addresses the public art opportunities for the whole area.

This plan also establishes the process and objectives of future public art plans which will be submitted to Council for approval. To fulfill these objectives, three types of documents will be prepared in the following chronology. A District Public Art Plan will be prepared by the City; a Public Art Master Plan will be prepared by Concord Adex; and the subsequent Tower Public Art Plans will be prepared by the landowner(s) as each phase of the development progresses.

2.1 Public Art Master Plan

Following Council's approval of the Railway Lands District Public Art Plan, the land owner will be expected to prepare and submit for approval by the Toronto Public Art Commission and City Council a Public Art Plan, prior to or in conjunction with its first site plan application for its landholding. For the purposes of clarity, the Public Art Plan (as referred to in document title: section 11.d) will hereafter referred to as the Public Art Master Plan and the objectives are outlined in Section 6.

2.2 Tower Public Art Plans

As outlined in the Precinct Agreement, Section 4 entitled: Public Art for the Public Art Lands, the owner is required to prepare and submit a Public Art Plan for each Tower erected on the Public Art Lands which exceeds 20,000 sq. metres of gross floor area. These Tower Public Art Plans will provide greater detail as to the owner's intent in fulfilling the public art obligation. The objectives for this type of document are outlined in Section 7.

3. URBAN DESIGN OBJECTIVES

The City has prepared Urban Design Guidelines for the Railway Lands Central and West, which are a companion to this document. The city's urban design objectives should be reinforced by the public art program, and can be summarized briefly as follows.

The north/south streets, particularly Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street, connect the city to the waterfront, and will be designed as major urban boulevards to knit the Railway Lands into the city. Bremner Boulevard is the main east west spine to the new neighbourhood, and will serve as the primary address for most of the new residential developments, as well as the school, Community Centre and park. The intersection of Bremner Boulevard and Spadina Avenue is the focal point to the neighbourhood, and a landmark tower is proposed at the north/east corner.

Two new bridges are planned to be constructed over the course of development. One is a permanent pedestrian bridge located west of Spadina Avenue, and the other is a temporary pedestrian bridge located along the Portland Street alignment, which may later become a permanent vehicular bridge.

The public realm will be defined and contained by urban street walls. The heights of the streetwall vary according to the street, but it is anticipated that Spadina Avenue will continue to have a built form character similar to the area north of Front Street.

It is anticipated that the pedestrian experience be urban, friendly, and safe. Frequent building entrances, retail uses at sidewalk level, and views into windows, along the street, and through the site to the city and water should enliven and enhance the quality of the place.

The neighbourhood has a central community park, which abuts the Gardiner Expressway, and two linear park systems connecting the development sites along the north and south edges. These open spaces will serve to connect and focus the neighbourhood, as well as integrate into a larger city wide system of paths, bike trails and parks. An interpretation Centre for the history of the site is planned at the northwest corner of the Railway Lands (Block 36).

It is also anticipated that the buildings constructed in the Railway Lands will be of a quality and type not typical in Toronto to date. The densities are high, and so most sites will develop as slender, high rise residential towers with small floor plates. These buildings will have an impact on the skyline, and the composition of the base, shaft, and particularly the top, will be prominent and highly designed.

4. DISTRICT PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITIES

4.1 Site Potentials and Art Selection Methods

Public art should complement and reinforce the City's urban design objectives for this areas as appropriate. It can be used as the conceptual framework to organize the open spaces of a development or adjacent to the development including streets, parks, plazas, setbacks or streetscapes. As such, public art opportunities should be identified at the earliest stage in order to provide a well-balanced public art program with a variety of public art types and locations.

The sites will also suggest the types of public art opportunities to be pursued such as integrated, semi-integrated or discreet installations. Within the Railway Lands, it is expected that a full range of possibilities exist. These types of opportunities will also inform the owner about required timing and integration into construction schedules in order to fulfill expectations.

4.2 List of Priority Sites in the Public Realm

The map attached illustrates the most important sites for public art. Please note that these priority sites are not listed in order of importance. They are as follows:

Community Park

Public art opportunities in the community park could contribute to the overall landscape treatment of the park. The edge treatment, particulary along Bremner Boulevard, will require stairs or ramps, and the two north corners are anticipated to be framed as "gateways" into the park. The south edge of the park is immediately adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway, and it is anticipated that land form may play a role in environmental remediation.

Linear Parks

The north and south linear parks will serve as walkways, and are encouraged to be designed with lots of animation and access. Frequent placement of entrances, furnishings, and a continuity of lighting and signage will hopefully enhance safety. Planting levels will be relatively low to permit long sight lines, and view will terminate in the major open spaces.

Publicly Accessible Open Space on Block 20/23

This open space differs from the community park as it is almost immediately south of the SkyDome. It is aligned with the view corridor extending south from Blue Jays Way, and has a level grade relationship with Bremner Boulevard.

Garrison Creek Interpretive Site on Block 36

This site is described in some detail in the document The Garrison Creek Linkage Plan, approved by Toronto Community Council in September 1998. It provides a background of the Garrison Creek system, including the historic shoreline, and recommends a coordinated approach to civic improvements along the Garrison Creek alignment.

Bremner Boulevard and Spadina Avenue Intersection

The intersection of Spadina Avenue and Bremner Boulevard is the convergence of two major urban streets, and as such, will be extemely important in creating an identity for the area around it. Views along Spadina will terminate at this point because of the grading of the Spadina Avenue bridge. The building on the north east corner of the intersection (block 22) has provision for a 56 storey (160 metre) tower which will become a significant component of the Toronto skyline.

Bremner Boulevard Streetscape

The design of the Bremner Boulevard streetscape, particulary the north side, will be unique as a wide urban boulevard with a double row of trees, providing addresses for much of the new residential and retail development. It will also connect the Fort York open space system with the Roundhouse Park.

Spadina Avenue Streetscape

Freestanding weather protection is encouraged along both sides of Spadina Avenue as it crosses the rail corridor and approaches the Gardiner Expressway (south portion of blocks 25 and 20/23). Both locations are seen as difficult building sites, but important pedestrian connections from the city to the waterfront. These elements may provide opportunities for interpretation for public art.

Front Street and Spadina Avenue Intersection

This site is identified in the Urban Design Structure Plan as a gateway, into the city and from the railway lands. The existing grades and built form also make it a logical transition place, and an opportunity may exist to consider, all four corners as a coherent whole.

Permanent Pedestrian Bridge

The Urban Design Guidelines encourage a design competition for the permanent pedestrian bridge spanning the rail corridor between Spadina Avenue and Portland Street. As part of the selection process, an artist is may be required to be part of the design team.

4.3Individual Development Sites

Each block will offer a public art component. Such opportunities should be consistent with the City's overall objectives for public art on private lands and must be sited on publicly accessible areas within the privately-owned development.

4.4 Community Involvement

It is important to recognize that community involvement is vital in the development of any public art plan. Given the large expanse of area, the community can be involved in many ways. Competitions are effective methods in which the local, national and, if possible, international artistic community can participate in influencing the area. Representatives of the residential, commercial and non-profit communities could also be invited in the art selection process. Other methods of community involvement could range from temporary public art projects to apprenticeship programs. The owners are encouraged to be creative in their proposals to involve the community.

5. DISTRICT ART SELECTION METHODS

The prominence of a site, its opportunities, and the required time line for public art implementation will help determine the art selection methods chosen. These should include a range of different types of competition types. Art selection methods could include open competitions (one, two or three stage), invitational competitions and direct commissions. Other methods include artists as members of a design team. Competitions may be local, national or international based on the site criteria and budget. The owners are also encouraged to explore different approaches in anticipation of more than one area being developed at the same time.

6.PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN OBJECTIVES

The District Public Art Plan will be used as a framework in the preparation of a Public Art Master Plan, which will include a greater level of detail. The Public Art Master Plan should demonstrate how the public art can affect the area through planned implementation planned in tandem with the overall development of the most publicly accessible sites. This Public Art Master Plan, which will be prepared by the land owner, will be reviewed by the City for consistency with objectives of the District Public Art Plan and the City's public art guidelines (as published by the Urban Planning).

As outlined in (document name 11.d), the City requires that the Public Art Master Plan addresses the following overall areas:

a)a general description of the objectives for the Public Art Master plan;

b)identification of public art priorities and potential site opportunities;

c)a description of the proposed competition methods for the selection of artists and art projects;

d)a preliminary estimate of the projected overall budget, based on currently estimated construction costs, including how and when the funding will be dispersed; and,

e)a description of the administrative process required to implement the Public Art Plan.

The conditions of the Stadium Precinct Agreement will also be referenced in the preparation of the Public Art Master Plan.

7.TOWER PUBLIC ART PLAN OBJECTIVES

The previously approved Public Art Master Plan will be used as the guiding principles in the preparation of the individual Tower Public Art Plans. As the development progresses, the individual plans will be presented by the landowner for approval by the City. The Acknowledgment Agreement will specify the determined timing and required details for the approval by the City of each of these plans. The Development Approval Manual, as published by Planning and Development outlines the requirements for public art plans. These individual plans will provide the specific program details that have been developed in consideration of the various site conditions and opportunities. This plan will also include a detailed budget based on the anticipated gross construction costs, the art selection method, competition and installation projected schedule, administrative structure details, and proposed public relations program. Maintenance responsibilities and obligations will also be outlined, if it is anticipated that the public art will be sited on publicly-owned lands. The individual names of the art selection committee members will be listed and submitted for approval along with the names of the invited artists, if the competition is by invitation.

8.MAPS

Please see attached.

9.REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

1. Development Approval Manual: "Public Art Plan Requirements", published Urban Planning and Development Services, 1996.

2.Urban Design Guidelines: Public Art Section, published Urban Planning and Development Services, 1997.

3.Southtown District Public Art Plan, 1993

4.Gooderham and Worts District Public Art Plan, 1994

5.Canada Life District Public Art Plan, 1995