Walking Tours: Accessible Spaces

Interest: Safety, active transportation, accessibility, public realm

Estimated time: An hour and a half to two hours.

Over the past several years, the City has been making improvements to streets to increase safety and promote active transportation. This tour showcases a broad variety of these improvements, all of which were included in the Safety and Active Transportation Workshop for the Transportation Association of Canada’s (TAC) September 2016 Conference. The tour is approximately 7 km long and should take just over an hour and a half. If this sounds too long, the tour can be shortened simply by choosing to pass on a couple of spots (such as 15 and 16).

View the Safety and Active Transportation interactive online tour and route map.

Nearest TTC Station: Osgoode

Interest: Complete Streets, vibrant public spaces, accessibility

Estimated time: One hour to an hour and a half.

Complete Streets is an approach to streetscape design that considers both place and movement, and takes into account the needs of all users. This includes prioritizing the following:

• improving safety and accessibility
• giving people mobility choices
• building connected networks
• promoting healthy and active living
• creating beautiful and vibrant public spaces
• responding to local area context
• improving environmental sustainability
• supporting economic vitality
• enhancing social equity
• balancing flexibility and cost effectiveness

While looking at a street using the Complete Streets framework, it is also important to consider the interactions between present and future land use, as well as the transportation role of the street; many streets in Toronto’s downtown hold particular cultural, historical or ceremonial significance, and play an important role in the city’s economy.

This tour showcases various initiatives that the Transportation Services Division has undertaken using the Complete Streets framework, all of which were included in the City’s Complete Streets Tour for the Transportation Association of Canada’s (TAC) September 2016 Conference.

View the Complete Streets interactive online tour and route map.

Nearest TTC Station: Queen

Interest: Landscape architecture, street art, street design and history

Estimated time: 1 hour

Passing Through: An Audio Walk invites you to explore the history and design of Toronto streets.

The audio walk begins in Union Station’s Grand Hall and ends in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood. Along the way, the imaginative narration will guide you through astounding architecture, showcase street art and point out what’s hidden in plain sight.

Download the audio to your device and bring your headphones.

Nearest TTC Station: Union Station