Symposium Details

Robert Freedman, Director, Urban Design, Planning Division, City of Toronto, set the context for the symposium in his overview paper entitled "A City of Great Avenues", published for the Toronto Society of Architects newsletter.   

The morning session featured presentations from local and international mid-rise experts.

The afternoon session included three concurrent working sessions aimed at generating practical solutions to the major issues and obstacles. Please see workshop summaries provided below.

The evening session (sponsored by the City Planning Division and the Toronto Society of Architects - TSA) featured a panel debate and a general discussion of the issues.




Part 1: Canadian Urban Institute/City of Toronto

Click below for speakers' presentations
(NOTE: You will need to have the latest version of the FREE Acrobat Reader to view PDF files linked on this page.)

Urban Leadership Series
Pantages Suites Hotel

Opening remarks:
Mayor David Miller

"Urbanizing the Avenues: The Story So Far"
Robert Freedman, Director of Urban Design, City of Toronto (PDF)

Keynote Speaker:
"Fusing Art and Science with Economics: Challenges Facing the City"
Jack Diamond, O.C., Principal, Diamond & Schmitt Architects (PDF)

Moderator:
Ron Soskolne, President, Soskolne Associates

Panels Discussion

Panel One: "Understanding the Market and Development Economics"

• Jeanhy Shim, President & Editor, Urbanation (PDF)
• Adrian Kozak, N. Barry Lyon Consultants (PDF)

• Julie Di Lorenzo, President, Greater Toronto Home Builders Association (PDF)
• Jim McLean, President, McLean Courtenay Development Co., Vancouver, B.C. (PDF)
• Greg Nevison, Tridel Corporation (PDF)

Part 2: City of Toronto

"Hands On" Concurrent Workshops
Oakham House, Ryerson University

Workshop Summaries

• Workshop 1 Summary
• Workshop 2 Summary
• Workshop 3 Summary

Workshop 1:
The Big Picture - Moving the Avenues Vision Forward

• Workshop 1 Summary
  View the summary of this workshop.

Moderator: Paul Bedford, Urban Mentor (Retired Chief Planner, City of Toronto)

Discussion Topics/Issues

• Planning Context - Visions, Policies, Tools, Communities
• Gary Wright, Director Community Planning, City of Toronto


• Transit & Parking - Friends or Foes?
• Rod McPhail, Director Transportation Planning, City of Toronto


• Avenue Studies - Lessons Learned and Does Parcel Size Really Matter?
• Ron Palmer, The Planning Partnership
• Mark Sterling, Sweeny Sterling Finlayson & Co.
• Michael Kirkland, The Kirkland Partnership
• Joe Lobko, Joe Lobko Architect


• Mandating Mixed-Use - Does the Avenue Mid-Rise Need Retail?
• Ron Soskolne, Soskolne Associates


• Affordable Mid-Rise Housing On the Avenues - Fact or Fiction?
• Mark Guslits, Chief Development Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation

Moderated Group Discussion: Merging Policy with Practical Directions and Solutions

Plenary Session: Report-out for discussion to other panels

Workshop 2:
Building Typologies meet Real Issues: By-Laws, Standards & Codes

• Workshop 2 Summary
  View the summary of this workshop.

Moderator:
Ronji Boorah, Markson Borooah Architects

Discussion Topics/Issues

• Mid-Rise Building Typologies
• Michael McClelland, ERA Architects


• Zoning Issues
• Charles Gane, CORE Architects


• Site Plan Control Issues
• Rashmi Nathwani, Namara
• John Mende, Manager Traffic Planning, Works & Emergency Services, City of Toronto


• Building Code Issues
• Randy Brown, Randal Brown & Associates

Moderated Group Discussion: Practical Solutions

Plenary Session: Report-out for discussion to other panels

Workshop 3:
Mid-rise Economics - From the Market Perspective

• Workshop 3 Summary
  View the summary of this workshop.

Moderator:
Julie Di Lorenzo, Greater Toronto Home Builders Association

Discussion Topics/Issues

• Proforma Analysis
  • Adrian Kozak, Barry Lyon Consultants
  
  
• Construction Costs
  • Paul Westbrook, Hanscomb Limited
  
  
• Residential Mid-Rise Condominiums - A Look at the Toronto Market
• Rene DeSantis, Montana Steel Advertising


• Making At-Grade Retail Work
• James Tate, Tate Economic Research


• Toronto Case Studies
• Les Klein, Quadrangle Architects
• Pat Berne, Pemberton Group

Moderated Group Discussion: Lessons from the Marketplace

Plenary Session: Report-out for discussion to other panels

Part 3: Toronto Society of Architects/City of Toronto

Evening Session
89 Chestnut Street - Lakeview Room



Keynote speaker:
Howard Elkus, Elkus Manfred Architects, Boston

Symposium overview:
CUI Breakfast Session - Ron Soskolne, Soskolne Associates

• Workshop A: The Big Picture
• Ron Palmer, The Planning Partnership
• Mark Sterling, Sweeny Sterling Finlayson & Co.


• Workshop B: Building Typologies meet Real Issues
• Ronji Borooah, Markson Borooah Architects


• Workshop C: Mid-rise Economics - Market Perspective
• Adrian Kozak, N Barry Lyon Consultants

Panel discussion - Moderator:
David Michael Lamb, CBC Radio One