Ivan Forrest Gardens Streetscape Improvements

About the Project

The aim of this project is to revitalize the park’s frontage along Queen Street East. Improvements will primarily include upgrades to the park entrances, pathways, seating areas and planting beds in the streetscape on the southern edge of the park.

The full scope of improvements will be determined through the consultation and design development process in response to budget and site constraints, as well as functional requirements for both the park and right-of-way.

Project Updates

October 23, 2020, to November 6, 2020

An online survey was launched to gather additional feedback on the concept design options.

A preferred concept design is currently being developed.

October 21, 2020

A Virtual Public Meeting was held to present Concept Design options for the streetscape improvements and gather feedback from the public.

Download the Public Meeting Presentation.

Common features of both concepts:

• Designed to meet Toronto’s Accessibility Design Guidelines
• Preserving all existing trees
• Maintaining a secondary east-west pathway
• Seating/ gathering areas with new seating that provides a variety of view options
• Improvements to increase the presence of park entrances
• Planting to frame park entrances and seating/ gathering areas (i.e. small flowering deciduous trees, flowering shrubs, flowering perennials, ornamental grasses)
• New lighting
• Condensing site furniture at the bus stop
• Drinking fountain upgrades
• New electrical power source for events

Concept 1

Concept Design Focus:

• Maintaining green space
• Improvements related to more passive use of space

Key Features:

• Seating area along the secondary pathway
• Paving: Concrete
• Seating: Cluster seating with tables, backed and backless benchtops on concrete seatwall, stand-alone bench
• Lighting: a similar style of light standard to the existing pathway lights elsewhere in the park
• New bottle filler/drinking fountain in the current location

Concept 2

Concept Design Focus:

• Creating a space with potential for small organized events
• Incorporating paving and furnishings that complement the streetscapes of nearby parks/parkettes

Key Features:

• Widened secondary pathway
• Plaza connecting secondary pathway to the street sidewalk
• Paving: specialty permeable pavers
• Seating: backed and backless benches
• Lighting: more of the modern style of light standard to differentiate streetscape from the park
• New bottle filler/drinking fountain location within the proposed plaza area
• Bollards and P-gates at entrances to help prevent vehicles from entering the park

July 30, 2020, to August 18, 2020

An online survey was launched to collect feedback about the community’s vision and hopes for the project. In total, the survey received 306 responses.

Download the Ivan Forrest Visioning Survey Report.