A new 3,580m2 (about the size of a baseball field) park is coming to 70 Croatia St. as a result of a broader residential development project at Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street. The park will be located on Croatia Street and will be bordered by a residential development to the north, a new street public street to the west, and a new private street to the east. The park design will be determined through a community engagement process.
The timeline is subject to change.
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This project has been classified as a Collaborate project based on the International Association of Public Participation Spectrum. This means we aim to partner with the public, stakeholders and rightsholders in each aspect of the design process, including the development of design options and the identification of a preferred design.
This project has a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) comprised of 15 community members and three representatives from local stakeholder groups with a mandate to provide a forum for feedback, guidance and advice to the project team at key decision points during the community engagement process. The CAC will meet approximately once during each phase of the community engagement process. The CAC is not a decision-making body and does not speak on behalf of the entire community.
The CAC was formed using a civic lottery, which is an emerging democratic best practice that is increasingly used across Canada and internationally to establish representative bodies of citizen/resident advisors to governments.
This project has an Indigenous Advisory Circle (IAC) comprised of 12 members. These members have a critical advisory role and provide feedback and engage in meaningful discussions on Indigenous placekeeping design elements throughout the park design process.
In this phase of the community engagement process, the project team collected feedback from the community on initial ideas and preferences for the new park. The community feedback was used to develop a draft vision statement, guiding principles and big moves for the park design.
The vision is co-created with the community to describe the ideal future park or facility. It is a big-picture statement that should inspire everyone toward a common understanding of the project’s overall goals and objectives. The draft vision statement for the new park is:
The new park at 70 Croatia Street will be a welcoming, accessible and flexible space for all ages in the Bloor-Dufferin community. The park will be a sustainable green oasis with a mix of peaceful spaces to rest, gather, socialize and play.
The guiding principles are high-level directions that reflect the community’s most important values and ideas for how the park should look and feel. They help to clarify the vision statement and guide how the park should be designed by describing the desired outcomes. The draft guiding principles for the new park are:
Evoke a sense of belonging by supporting community safety, comfort and accessibility for all ages and abilities.
Offer robust and diverse plant material that not only offers shade but also delivers environmental benefits, habitat expansion, and year-round visual interest, with a focus on native species.
Honour Indigenous history, language and ways of knowing as an integral part of the overall park experience – to educate, inform and inspire visitors.
Understand that this is a changing neighbourhood and be considerate of the needs of both existing and future residents. Provide connections to the new Bloor Collegiate Institute location and the Cultural Hub in the former Kent School.
While maintaining balance and harmony between active and passive spaces, provide options that include intimate social pockets and larger multi-purpose spaces. Consider all seasons and park use in the day and evening hours.
Provide active spaces and structures that consider intergenerational and inclusive opportunities with a focus on natural play and exercise equipment for all ages.
The big moves communicate the main priorities of both the community and the City for the design of the park or facility. They are specific directions for how the physical design can achieve the vision and guiding principles. The draft big moves for the new park are:
that can change based on community needs.
On January 22, the IAC met virtually for the first time.
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On January 17, the CAC met virtually for the first time.
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On December 16, the project team hosted a pop-up event at Dufferin Mall where approximately 51 community members provided feedback on display boards about the future look and feel of the park.
Download the pop-up summary.
From November 17 to December 15, an online form was available for members of Indigenous communities to apply to be a member of the IAC. The IAC will provide feedback on Indigenous placekeeping design elements within the park and will have a critical role throughout the park design process.
From November 7 to December 10, community members could apply to be part of the CAC. The CAC will provide feedback, guidance and advice to the project team at key decision points during the community engagement process.
On December 4, the project team hosted a virtual workshop where approximately eight community members provided feedback to help shape the vision for the park design.
Download the:
From November 17 to December 10, 208 community members participated in an online thought exchange activity where they provided 176 ideas and 4336 ratings on the ideas of others to help inform the park’s vision, character, amenities and features. Review a full summary of the results in an interactive report.
Download the activity summary.
In this phase of the community engagement process, the design team will work with the community to develop preliminary design options based on the outcomes of Community Engagement Phase 1.
The community engagement activities anticipated in this phase include:
The anticipated outcome of this phase is the selection of a preferred design.
On April 23, the project team hosted a design workshop at Dufferin Grove Park Clubhouse. Community members collaborated to draft design ideas for the new park based on community feedback collected so far.
In this phase of the community engagement process, the project team will share the preferred design with the community.
The community engagement activities anticipated in this phase will be shared as soon as they are available.
The anticipated outcome of this phase is a refined preferred design.
