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November 18, 2002 – Central Waterfront Secondary Plan wins international planning award
A City of Toronto Plan to renew the Central Waterfront has won a prestigious international award from The Waterfront Center in Washington, D.C.
Making Waves: Principles for Building Toronto's Waterfront, Central Waterfront Part II Plan beat out 70 submissions from all over the world to garner the 2002 Excellence on the Waterfront Award. The competition, which recognizes outstanding urban waterfront projects, was juried by a five-member group of planning professionals and academics from the U.S., Canada and Scotland.
"Toronto is now drawing international interest to its waterfront plans," said Councillor Joe Pantalone, Chair of the Toronto Waterfront Reference Group. "As waterfront renewal proceeds, Toronto will take its place next to other great world cities, such as Chicago, Barcelona and London."
"The Central Waterfront Plan sets a new standard for urban planning," said Planning and Transportation Committee Chair Councillor Gerry Altobello. "Its focus on transit, environmental improvements and urban intensification signals the smart way to grow cities."
"The fact that we competed against submissions from countries as diverse as Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden and won is a great testament to Toronto's leadership in city building," said Urban Development Services Commissioner Paula Dill.
Winners were formally announced in Washington, D.C., on Friday, November 15, 2002 as part of the Waterfront Center's Urban Waterfronts 20 Conference. Waterfront Section Manager Lynda Macdonald of City Planning received the award following her presentation at a Residential Development Roundtable regarding housing intensification on waterfront sites.
Earlier this year, the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan won awards of excellence from both the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
A statutory public meeting on the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan will be held at an upcoming meeting of the Planning and Transportation Committee.
For more information on the renewal of Toronto's waterfront and to view Making Waves, visit www.toronto.ca/waterfront.
Background
November 18, 2002
Making Waves: Principles for Building Toronto's Waterfront
Central Waterfront Secondary Plan
"Renewing our waterfront offers our city a chance to discover new ways of achieving its objectives, using the focused energy of the revitalization corporation, the entrepreneurial skills of the private sector, the creativity of our citizens and the prospects of new technology to unlock the fabulous potential of our Central Waterfront."
Making Waves, 2001
Launched on October 9, 2001, the Secondary Plan for Toronto's Central Waterfront is the culmination of a number of initiatives by the City of Toronto designed to renew a strategic area of the city.
In November 1999, Mayor Lastman, with Prime Minister Chrétien and Premier Harris in attendance, publicly unveiled a new vision for Toronto's waterfront. Jointly, the three levels of government created the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Task Force to develop an action plan for realizing the waterfront vision.
In March 2000, the Task Force provided a conceptual blueprint for Toronto's waterfront, supported by a financial and operational concept. This was followed by the City's Building Momentum report, which contained a preliminary analysis of the Task Force report as well as recommendations for next steps. Council approved Building Momentum in August 2000, with a recommendation that a new Official Plan for the Central Waterfront be developed, "taking into consideration the development concept put forward in the Task Force proposal."
Public Participation
Following the Plan's launch, the City consulted with numerous community and business groups in and adjacent to the Central Waterfront. In addition, four city-wide public meetings were held in the north, east, west and south quadrants of the city on November 5, 13, 15 and 17, 2001. The Waterfront Reference Group held a public meeting on February 20, 2002 at which more than 70 citizens deputed.
Based on comments from the public, and in cooperation with the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (TWRC), the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan was fine-tuned and brought forward to an October 18, 2002 meeting of the Waterfront Reference Group. A statutory public meeting on the Central Waterfront Plan will be held at an upcoming meeting of the Planning and Transportation Committee. The Plan will then be presented to City Council early in the new year along with the TWRC's business strategy and development plan, which has been designed to be consistent with the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan.
Making Waves: Principles for Building Toronto's Waterfront has two parts. The first sections place the waterfront initiative in a national, provincial and local context and explain why planning in the Central Waterfront warrants a unique approach. This stems from the largely public ownership of the Central Waterfront, the need for public leadership and investment in the early stages of renewal and the delegation of the implementation of the Plan to the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation.
The remaining sections of the document constitute the proposed statutory Plan. The Plan is a Principles Plan structured around four core principles:
- Removing Barriers/Building Connections
- Building a Network of Spectacular Waterfront Parks and Public Spaces
- Promoting a Clean and Green Environment
- Creating Dynamic and Diverse New Communities
Associated policies are presented for each core principle as well as 24 "Big Moves," which will reposition the new Central Waterfront. The "Big Moves" are primarily infrastructure initiatives that will be undertaken by the public sector to create an environment conducive to public enjoyment and private sector investment.
Also included are maps outlining a Roads Plan; Transit Plan; Parks, Open Space and Public Use Area Plan; Pedestrian, Cycling and Water Routes Plan; and Land Use Plan. The Land Use Plan proposes three designations: Development Area (allows for a mix of commercial, residential, industrial and recreational uses), Existing Use Area (site continues to be governed by existing planning regulations) and Parks, Open Space and Public Use Area.
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