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Table of conTenTs
1. InTroducTIon............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1NorthDowntownYongeObjectives....................................................................................... 2 1.2Location/StudyArea............................................................................................................. 3
2. HerITage...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1HistoryofYongeStreet........................................................................................................... 6
3. Yonge sTreeT and TourIsM................................................................................................. 7
4. sPecIal cHaracTer areas................................................................................................... 9 4.1BloorStreetCorridor............................................................................................................. 10 4.2Hayden-ChurchPrecinct......................................................................................................11 4.3St.NicholasCharacterArea.................................................................................................. 12 4.4Gloucester/DundonaldCharacterArea.............................................................................. 14 4.5ChurchStreetVillageCharacterArea................................................................................... 16 4.6College/CarltonCharacterArea.......................................................................................... 18 4.7BayStreetCharacterArea..................................................................................................... 20 4.8YongeStreetCharacterArea................................................................................................. 23
4.8.1Downtown Tall Building Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines........................ 25 4.8.2YongeStreet,a“GreatStreet”.................................................................................... 26 4.8.3DifferentHeightZonesalongYongeStreet.............................................................. 27 4.8.4BlockbyBlockAnalysisalongYongeStreet............................................................. 29 4.9IsabellaandWellesleyWoodCharacterAreas..................................................................... 40
5. buIlT forM fraMework...................................................................................................... 43
6. sTreeT cHaracTer TYPes.....................................................................................................51
7. Parkland / PublIc realM.................................................................................................. 53
8. gaTewaY TreaTMenT............................................................................................................ 59
9. VIews, keY sITes and VIew TerMInus...........................................................................61
10. PublIc arT............................................................................................................................... 63
11. sHadow sensITIVe areas................................................................................................... 63
12. wInd IMPacT sTudY............................................................................................................... 63
13. susTaInabIlITY and green sTandards........................................................................64
14..cYclIng......................................................................................................................................64
15. TransIT.......................................................................................................................................65
16. relaTed sTraTegIes...............................................................................................................67
17. relaTed docuMenTs...............................................................................................................69
aPPendIx 1......................................................................................................................................71
lIsT of fIgures.............................................................................................................................73
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1.0 InTroducTIon
NorthDowntownYongeisoneofthemostcelebratedareasinToronto.Asamajornorth-southcorridor,YongeStreetisconstantlyusedbypedestrians,vehicleusers,transitusersandcyclists.Thescaleofthebuildings,priorityretailwithnarrowstreetfrontages,heritagepropertiesandresources,culturaldestinations,mixofusesandtheimportantlandmarksandopenspaceshavecollectivelymadeYongeStreetanauthenticdestinationforvisitorsandTorontoniansalike.
BeingthelongeststreetinNorthAmerica,YongeStreethasdifferentcharacteristicsthroughits1,896km1length.ItisamajorarterialstreetthatembodiesmanyoftheimportantandiconicbuildingsandpublicspacesinToronto.Asthearteryofthecity,withoneofthemainnorth-southsubwaycorridors,itprovidesimmediateaccesstocollectorandneighbourhoodstreets,andsubsequentlytootherimportantdestinations.WhiletheaimofthisstudyistoprovideparametersforthedesignanddesignevaluationofdevelopmentsforNorthDowntownYonge,thesurroundingcontextwillbeexploredaswelltoensurethatrecommendationsforYongeStreetwillrespondwelltoitsimmediatecontext.Thecontextareawillbereferredtoasthe“StudyArea”.TherearedifferentcharacterareaswithintheStudyArea,whichhavebeendescribedinchapter4.TherelationshipoffuturedevelopmentsalongNorthDowntownYongewiththesecharacterareasisanessentialpartofthisdocument.ThesecharacterareashavedifferentattributesandtheirfuturedevelopmentswillenrichtheimprovementsoftheNorthDowntownYongeinmanydifferentways.
ThereisanOfficialPlanAmendment,currentlyunderway,whichwilladdressthepolicydirectionfornewpotentialdevelopmentswithintheStudyArea.
1 (Source: Guinness book of records)
Yonge Street’s heritage properties add to the significance of the area
Retail frontages along Yonge Street
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1.1. norTH downTown Yonge objecTIVesTheStudyAreahasseendramaticgrowthduringthepastdecade.NorthDowntownYongeisoneofthekeyareasinthecity,servingTorontoniansinmanydifferentwaysthroughouttheyears.TheNorthDowntownYongeDesignGuidelineswillhelpimprovethequalityoflifebyprovidingappropriatebuiltformandpublicspaceguidance,whilebeingrespectfuloftheintegrityofthesurroundingcontext.Furthermore,thesedesigndirectionswillbereadinconjunctionwiththeurbandesignpoliciesintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlantoensureconsistency,reliabilityandaccuracy.Anumberofkeyobjectiveshaveshapedthedevelopmentofthisdocumentincluding:
• ConserveandmaintainexistingheritagebuildingsandheritagecharacteristicswithintheStudyArea;
• Ensurepedestrians’,residents’,employees’andvisitors’comfortandsafety;
• Maintainandenhancepriorityretailwithnarrowstreetfrontages;
• Provideanimatedandnarrowretailfrontagesatthestreetlevelforsafety,interactionandvitality;
• Protectandreinforcethehuman-scaledandpedestrianorientedmainstreetareaswithrespecttothescaleofshopsandbuildingsfrontingontotheseareas;
• Expandtheopenspacenetworkbyprovidingaccessible,highquality,barrierfreeandwelldesignedparks,plazasandopenspaces;
• Ensureenjoymentofpublicspacesbyallusers;
• Enhancestreetscapedesign,treeplanting,streetfurniture,pavementtreatmentandwell-designedsidewalks;
• Createabalancebetweenvehicle,bicycleandpedestrianmovement;
• Enhancethepublicrealmandpedestrianmovementbyexpandingthesidewalkwidth,mid-blockaccess,welldesignedpromenadesandpotentialnewmid-blockconnections;
• Enhanceandencourageactiveusesat-grade;
Heritage properties will be conserved and maintained.
Combination of heritage buildings and slab type apartment buildings within the Study Area
View of the existing Linear Park
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• MaintainandenhancetheareasdesignatedasNeighbourhoodsintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan;
• RepresenttheStudyAreawithitsowndistinctidentitywithhighqualitydesignedgatewaysandentrypoints,whilerespectingtheintegrityofheritageproperties;
• Maintainandenhancekeyviewsandvistas;
• Encourageandenhancetheyear-roundeventsandparades;
• Encouragetheredevelopmentofunderutilizedsiteswhenitisappropriate;
• Distributehigherdensitiesatappropriatelocations;
• Provideappropriatetransitionfromtallbuildingstolower-riseareas;
• Ensurehighqualityarchitecturaldesign,whennewdevelopmentsarereviewedbytheCityofTorontoDesignReviewPanel;
• Providedifferenttypesofresidentialunitsfordifferentgroups,includingbutnotlimitedtofamilysizedunits;
• Promotesustainableandenvironmentallyfriendlydevelopments,includingtheadaptivereuseofheritageandexistingproperties;
• Protecttheexistingstockofrentalhousinginthearea;
• Encouragetransituse;and
• Encouragere-investmentthatrespectsandcomplementsYongeStreet’shistory.
1.2. locaTIon / sTudY areaTheStudyArea,fortheNorthDowntownYongeDesignGuidelines,isgenerallylocatedbetweenCollege/CarltonStreettothesouthandCharlesStreettothenorth.ItextendsbeyondthefrontingpropertiesonBayStreettothewestandChurchStreettotheeast,asshowninfigure1.ForthepurposeoftheNorthDowntownYongeDesignGuidelines,andtoensuretheappropriaterelationshipwithothercharacterareas,theanalysiswilllookbeyondthenorthernedgeoftheStudyAreaintheearlysectionsofthisdocument.
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Figure 1: Aerial Photo of the Study Area
Narrow retail frontages along Yonge Street
Neighbourhoods will be protected.
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Figure 2: Heritage Properties
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(Note: Listed and designated information is from the City of Toronto Heritage Inventory. Please note that the process of identifying sites as potential to be included in the City of Toronto Heritage Inventory is not yet complete and other buildings may be identified as well. Additional sites of interest may be identified through the Heritage Conservation District study.)
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2.0 HerITage
One of the most important assets of Yonge Street within the Study Area is its intact heritage properties, resources and streetscape. The conservation of these assets is key to carrying its unique identity forward. Properties, which have been listed or designated in the City of Toronto Heritage Inventory are found throughout the Study Area, with the largest concentration along Yonge Street. A HCD (Heritage Conservation District) study is currently underway for North Downtown Yonge from College / Carlton Streets to Davenport Road, which could eventually identify this area or parts of it as a heritage conservation district. The outcome of this study will supersede the existing Zoning By-law and may provide refinements to, or replace the North Downtown Yonge Design Guidelines. Listed and designated heritage properties and those within heritage conservation districts will be conserved consistent with the Council adopted
“Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada” document.
AskeycomponentsofYongeStreet,specialattentionshouldalsobegiventonon-listed,non-designatedexistingbuildings(contemporaryorold),whichcarrynotablearchitecturaldesignsandlandmarkcharacteristics.
Figure2highlightsthelistedanddesignatedheritagebuildingsinNorthDowntownYonge,aswellasbuildingsofheritageinterest.Notonlyshouldthesebuildingsbeprotectedandconserved,butanyadjacentdevelopmentshouldcomplementtheirscaleandmateriality.NewdevelopmentsneighbouringheritagebuildingsmaybeappropriatewhenthesiteconditionscanmeetspecificguidelinesandrequirementsfoundinthisdocumentandtheAreaSpecificOfficialPlanAmendment.
Anynegativeimpactstoaheritageproperty,orastheresultofadjacentdevelopment,willbemitigatedtoensurethattheintegrityoftheheritageproperty’sculturalheritagevaluesandattributesareprotected.
Intact heritage properties along Yonge Street
Heritage building at the intersection of Yonge Street and Charles Street East
Constructed in 1888, the Gloucester Mews building at 2 Gloucester Street / 601 Yonge St. was originally a Masonic Hall.
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2.1. HIsTorY of Yonge sTreeTYongeStreetwasoriginallyamilitaryroadoutsidethetown,namedforSirGeorgeYongewhowasaBritishsecretaryofwar.Itestablisheditselfasthecity’smainnorth-southstreetin1794,whichcontinuedcarryingitsmajorroleasamainspineinTorontouptothisdate.Atthetime,mostoftheearlybuildingswere2-3storeyGeorgianCommercialBlocks,manyofwhichhavebeenprotectedandconserved,reflectingthehistoryofYongeStreet.In1869,withtheopeningoftheTimothyEaton’sdepartmentstoreattheintersectionofYongeandQueenStreet,YongeStreetwasestablishedasthemainshoppingstreet.Untilthe1880’smostpartsofYongeStreet,northofCollegeStreetwerelargelyfilledwithresidentialbuildings.In1894,thefirstelectricstreetcarwasdevelopedalongYongeStreet,providingpublictransitfacilitiesforresidentsandvisitors.Awaveofchangecameafter1930,bringinganumberofconversionsincludingthedevelopmentofnon-residentialbuildings,publictransitdevelopment,streetscapeimprovementsandopenspaceexpansions,accumulatingtheconstructiveroleofYongeStreetinthecity.Anumberoftheseimportantdevelopmentsinclude:
• TheopeningofEaton’sCollegeStoreinthe1930’s
• StreetscapeimprovementsandconnectionsfromCollegeStreettoCarltonStreet(whichpreviouslywerenotconnected)throughlanddonation
• YongeStreetSubwayconstructionbetween1949-1954
• YongeStreetsummerclosures,creatingapedestrianmall,1971-1974
• Toronto’sEatonCentreopeningin1975
• DundasSquarecompletionin2002
YongeStreet’shistoryandheritageresourceshavemadeitagreatareaforinvestment,whichhasresultedinalotofongoingchangesduringthepastfewyears.EverynewdevelopmentalongYongeStreetshouldreflecttheidentityoftheareaandshouldbeareasontocelebrateitsrichhistory.
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(Source: A Short History of the World’s Longest Street,by: Richard Stromberg, Toronto Historical Board)
Streetcar at the intersection of Yonge Street and Queen Street, 1909-1915 Photographer: William James(Source: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 495)
Eaton College Store at the intersection of Yonge Street and College Street
Santa Clause Parade on Yonge Street, 1905
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3.0 Yonge sTreeT and TourIsM
YongeStreetinthedowntownisoneofthemostvibrantandbustlingdistrictsofthecity,famousforitsworldclassshopping,diningandentertainment(accordingto“TourismToronto”).Avarietyofretailstoreswithprimarilynarrowat-gradefrontages,whichshapesacontinuouscommercialstripalongits1kmlength,alongwiththefamousTorontoEatonCentre,culturalservicessuchasEdMirvishTheatreandPanasonicTheatre,iconicpublicopenspaceslikeYongeDundasSquare,mixedusedevelopmentsincluding10DundasStreetEast,aswellasthepopularyearroundeventsandparadeshaveaddedtothetourismandculturalsignificanceoftheStudyArea.YongeStreetisnotjustapriorityretailstreet;itisamajorculturalandciviccorridor,whichhasbecomethekeyspineofmetropolitanToronto.
Pride Parade on Yonge Street
Continuous retail along Yonge Street
Dundas Square at the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street
MIrVIsH
Ed Mirvish Theatre on Yonge Street
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4.0 sPecIal cHaracTer areas
Thisguidelinedocumentiscomprisedofanumberofcharacterareas,eachdefinedbyitsattributesanddistinctidentityintermsoffunctionandbuiltform.Thisorganizationallowsconsiderationforthespecificsofeachsettingandensuresthatnewdevelopmentisappropriatetoitslocation.Figure3showsdifferentcharacterareaswithintheStudyArea.TheCityofTorontoOfficialPlanstatesthatgenerallythegrowthareasinthecityarelocationswheregoodtransitaccesscanbeprovidedalongbusandstreetcarroutesandrapidtransitstations.Thisstatementdoesnot,however,overridethefactthatgrowthisnotsuitableforeverycharacterareawithintheStudyArea.Theseorganizingcharacterareas(showninfigure3)willhelpidentifytheappropriatelocationsforgrowth,andwillrecognizecharacterareas,whichshallhaveminimalornochange.
SomeofthecharacterareashaveauniqueandstrongidentitysuchastheSt.NicholasandGloucester/DundonaldCharacterAreas,whichshouldbemaintainedandreinforcedthroughappropriatedevelopment.Ontheotherhand,anumberofothercharacterareasrequireastrongvisionforfuturedevelopmentandpublicrealmimprovementstocontributetothemorethrivingcommunityasenvisionedforNorthDowntownYonge.
Itwillbeemphasizedthroughoutthedocumentthatcharacterareasdesignatedas NeighbourhoodsintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan,aswellasanypropertylistedordesignatedintheCityofTorontoHeritageInventorywillbeconservedandmaintained.Anydevelopmentadjacenttoorinthevicinityofsuchareasandpropertieswillfollowtherelatedguidelines,policiesandstudies.
Church Street Village Character Area
College / Carlton Character Area
Gloucester Street
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4.1. bloor sTreeT corrIdor
TheBloorStreetCorridorisoutsidetheStudyArea,howeverduetoitsmajorroleandconnectiontoYongeStreet,hasbeenaddressedinthisdocumenttoensureconsistencywiththeBloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelines.TheBloorStreetCorridor,asdescribedintheBloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design GuidelinesdocumentisonbothsidesofBloorStreet,extendedbeyondAvenueRoadtothewestandChurchStreettotheeast.Itischaracterizedbyitshigh-endshops,whichprovidesomeofCanada’smostaffluentretailexperiences.
AsmentionedintheBloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelines,thecentreofthiscorridor,meaningtheintersectionofYongeStreetandBloorStreet,hasbeenreferredtoastheheight“peak”wheresomeofthetallestbuildingsintheareaareconcentrated.Theremainderofthecorridorisreferredtoasaheight“ridge”wherebuildingsstepdowninheightfromthepeak.ThisareaisdesignatedasMixed Use AreasintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan,andhasexperiencedanumberofnewhighdensitydevelopmentsduringthepastfewyears,includingthe“UptownResidences”and“CrystalBlu”onBalmutoStreet.The75storeybuildingat1BloorStreetEastwillbelocatedatoneofthemostsignificantdowntownintersectionswithinthisCorridor.AllthedesigndirectionsdescribedintheBloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelines documentwillapplytothisareaandnochangestotheexistingguidelinesarebeingrecommendedinthisdocument.
Bloor Street Corridor
Illustrative rendering of 1 Bloor Street East with retail at-grade along Yonge Street
Illustrative rendering of the proposed 1 Bloor Street East development
Bloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelines document
Key map Affluent shopping located along Bloor Street
Yonge Street
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Hayden Street view, looking east
Figure 4: Hayden Street sketch looking east along Hayden Street showing buildings with mid-block connection, consistent setbacks and stepbacks above the base building height (Reference: Bloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelines document)
4.2. HaYden - cHurcH PrecIncT
TheHayden-ChurchPrecinct,whichisoutsidetheStudyAreaandasdescribedintheBloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelinesdocument,islocatedalongHaydenStreetbetweenYongeStreetandextendsbeyondChurchStreettotheeast.ThisPrecinctisprimarilyrecognizedasaretail/pedestriancorridorwithHaydenStreetalsooperatinga“servicefunction”fordevelopmentsfrontingontoBloorStreetEast.
AllnewdevelopmentinthisPrecinctwillprovideforstreetscapeimprovementsandanattractivefrontfaçadeonHaydenStreetinaccordancewiththeBloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelines document.Mid-blockpedestrianconnectionstoBloorStreetEastandCharlesStreetEastareencouragedinnewdevelopmentsaswellasundergroundpedestrianconnectionstodevelopmentsthatprovideaccesstothesubway.Anynoisegeneratingsystemsassociatedwithdevelopmentproposals(i.e.exhaustfans,garbagestorageareas)willbeconcentratedawayfromtheHaydenStreetfrontage.
DevelopmentfrontingontobothHaydenStreetandCharlesStreetEastwillhavetheirloadingandvehicularaccessfunctionsintegratedwithinthestreetwall.NewdevelopmentsubjecttoanOfficialPlanorZoningBy-lawamendmentwillberequiredtoconveya1.5mstripoflandtotheCityforthepurposesofsidewalkwidening.TheintersectionofHaydenandYongeStreetprovidesforanopportunitytoincorporateanappropriately-scaledterminustreatment.
AllthedesigndirectionsdescribedinthemostrecentInterim Guidelines for Hayden StreetdocumentwillapplytodevelopmentswithinthisPrecinctandno
Key map
Hayden Street’s streetscape
changestotheexistingguidelinesarebeingrecommendedinthisstudy.
Yonge Street
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4.3. sT. nIcHolas cHaracTer areaTheSt.NicholasCharacterAreaislocatedmid-blockbetweenYongeStreetandBayStreet.ItfrontsSt.JosephStreettothesouthandstretchesnorthtoInkermanStreet.ThisareahasbeendesignatedasApartment NeighbourhoodsintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.TheSt.NicholasCharacterAreacomprisesoftwoandfourstoreytownhousesandsomeapartmentbuildings,withdecorativefacadesfacingthestreet.St.NicholasCharacterAreaisnotdesignatedasNeighbourhoods,butitisrecognizedasastablearea.Also,duetoitsheritageproperties,resourcesandbuiltformattributes,St.NicholasCharacterAreashallbeconservedandmaintainedinitscurrentscaleandcharacter.St.NicholasStreetandInkermanStreethavenarrowright-of-wayswhichaddtotheuniquecharacterofthearea.LargescaledevelopmentsandtallbuildingsarenotpermittedinthisCharacterArea.
TheSt.NicholasCharacterAreapredominantlyhasa“residential”typologywithamajorityofpropertieseitherdesignatedorlistedwithintheCityofTorontoHeritageInventory.Afewoftheseheritagepropertieshavebeenconvertedintoresidential-commercialorcommercialbuildings,whichcontributetothevibrancyofthearea.Beingwithinastrongheritagecharacter,therowoftownhousesalongIrwinStreetandimmediatelywestofSt.NicholasStreethavebeendeliberatelydesignedtoconformtothecharacteroftheprevailingheritagepropertiesandresourcesofthearea.
TheSt.NicholasCharacterAreahasauniquepublicrealm,withbrickpaversintheroadway.Thisstreetalignswithitsextension,asalaneway,betweenIrwinStreetandSt.JosephStreet,enhancingmidblockpedestrianmovements.
View of the St. Nicholas Character Area along St. Nicholas Street
Key map
Laneway within the St. Nicholas Character Area
Residential-commercial buildings on Irwin Street
Yonge Street
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ThestreetscapeofSt.NicholasStreethasbeenimprovedinpartsoftheCharacterArea,withtreeplanting,decorativepavement,sidewalktreatmentandstreetfurniture.
ThegoaloftheNorthDowntownYongeDesignGuidelinesistoprotecttheexistingvaluablecharacterandbuiltformintheSt.NicholasCharacterArea,howeversomesmallerscaledevelopmentsmaybepermitted.Inthiscase,thefollowingdesigndirectionswillbeconsidered:
• Allnewdevelopmentsshouldcontaincompatibleexteriorbuildingmaterialwiththoseoftheadjacentresidentialbuildingsandheritageproperties.
• Allnewdevelopmentswillhaveanappropriatesetbackfromthefrontpropertylineinordertocreatesemi-privatelandscapezonesandtocomplementandenhancethestreetscapedesign.
• TheheightlimitintheSt.NicholasCharacterAreadoesnotallowfortallbuildings,however,inthecaseofanacceptablerezoningforminoradditionalheights(low-rise),newdevelopmentswillcreateanappropriateheighttransitionfromtheexistinglow-risebuildings(residentialorotherwise)tothetallerportionofnewdevelopments.
• Toimprovemid-blockpedestrianandcyclistcirculation,itisstronglyrecommendedthattheextensionofSt.NicholasStreet,betweenIrwinandSt.JosephStreets,beenhancedthroughpavementtreatmentandrefurbishmentofthebuildinginterface.
• TheshadowimpactofanytallbuildingdevelopmentinthevicinityoftheSt.NicholasCharacterAreawillbecloselyreviewed.Newshadowsbeyondthoseexistingandas-of-rightarediscouraged.
Heritage buildings in the St. Nicholas Character Area, facing St. Joseph Street
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4.4. gloucesTer / dundonald cHaracTer areaTheGloucester/DundonaldCharacterAreaislocatedmid-blockbetweenChurchStreettotheeastandYongeStreettothewest.ThenorthernedgeoftheCharacterAreaisthesouthsideofGloucesterStreetanditextendstothesouthofsomeofthefrontingpropertiesonDundonaldStreet.
TheGloucester/DundonaldCharacterAreacontainsthearea’sprevalentmixofgrade-relatedresidentialhomes(singledetached,semi-detached,townhouses).ThispartoftheStudyAreaistheonlysegmentthathasprimarilybeendesignatedasNeighbourhoodsintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.Thelow-riseareaonthesouthsideofDundonaldStreetisdesignatedasApartment Neighbourhoods and Mixed Use,buthavearesidentialscaleandshallbemaintained.ThisCharacterAreaasaprominentNeighbourhoodshouldbepreservedandmaintainedwithoutanyinterruptiontoitsexistingbuiltformandscale.
ThepavedroadwaysarenarrowinthisNeighbourhood,helpingtoslowdownthelocaltraffic.Buildingshavelargesetbacksfromthefrontpropertyline,resultinginagenerousfrontlandscapedarea.Thissetbackalongwiththematuretreescontributestotheneighbourhood-likefeelingoftheCharacterAreaandstrengthenspedestrians’comfortandsafety.BeinglocatednexttooneofthelargestopenspaceswithintheStudyAreaatthistime,theGloucester/DundonaldCharacterAreaisservedbyJamesCanningGardens(asapartofthelinearpark’snetworkovertheYongesubwayline),whichhasaprominentroleasacommunitypark.
View of the Gloucester / Dundonald Character Area looking east-west
Key map
Low-rise built form on Gloucester Street
House built form and large setback from the front property line
Yonge Street
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NorthDowntownYongeDesignGuidelineshavecreatedacharacterareatoprotectthisneighbourhoodfromfuturegrowthandanynegativeimpactsfromsurroundingdevelopmentstoensurethatthecurrentbuiltformandmassingwithinthisareaaremaintained.MostofthebuildingsarenotlistedwithinCityofTorontoHeritageInventory,butalargenumberofthemcarrynotableanddistinctarchitecturaldesign.LargescaleandtallbuildingdevelopmentsarenotappropriatebuiltformsforthisCharacterArea.AnypotentialdevelopmentsintheGloucester/DundonaldCharacterAreawillconformtothefollowingdesigndirections:
• Heritagepropertiesandresourceswillbeprotected,conservedandmaintained.
• Newdevelopmentswillbeintheformoflow-riseresidentialbuiltform(singledetached,semi-detached,townhouses)andsmallscalecommercial,replicatingtheheightoftheexistinglow-risebuildings.
• Newlow-riseresidentialbuiltformwillconformtotheprevailingmaterialsandcharacteristicsofadjacentheritagebuildings.
• Theexistinglargesetbackfromthefrontpropertylinewillbemaintainedtoensurepreservationofthesemi-privatelandscapezone,pedestrians’comfortandsafety,aswellasthecontinuityoftheexistingstreetscapedesign.
• TheshadowimpactofanytallbuildingdevelopmentinthevicinityoftheGloucester/DundonaldCharacterAreawillbecloselyreviewedtoensuretheminimumadverseshadowimpact.
• Shadowsfromnewdevelopments,whichencroachbeyondtheseofexistingshadows,willnotbepermitted.
There are different types of housing units in this Neighbourhood
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4.5. cHurcH sTreeT VIllage cHaracTer areaTheChurchStreetVillageCharacterAreaislocatedonbothsidesofChurchStreet.ItextendstoCharlesStreetEasttothenorthandtoWoodStreettothesouth.Thisareaischaracterizedwitha“MainStreet”feel,twolanesoftraffic,on-streetparking,outdoorcafes,streetfurniture,publicart,standardizedlightingandiconicheritageproperties.HometomanyannualeventsinToronto,ChurchStreethasbecomeadestinationformanyvisitorsandTorontoniansalike.Thebuiltformcontextisgenerallythree-storeysinheightwithretailat-gradeandrentalapartmentsandofficesabove.PartsofthisCharacterAreahavebeendesignatedasMixed Use Areas,andpartsofitasApartment NeighbourhoodsandParks intheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.ChurchStreetisalsorecognizedbyanumberoflistedheritageproperties,whichwillbeconservedandmaintained.ThesidewalksontheeastsideofChurchStreetarebetween2mto3mwide,whiletheirwidthismostlyover3monthewestside.
IntheDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines,approvedbyCouncilinMay2013,ChurchStreetisshownasapriorityretailstreet,whichwillbemaintainedandenhancedwithafine-grainandnarrowstreetfrontageretailandahighqualitypublicrealm.ThepolicieswithinSiteSpecificPolicy155willcontinuetoapplyandwillextendnorthtoIsabellaStreetandsouthtoAlexanderStreetandshallbemaintained.
TheChurchStreetVillageCharacterAreawillmaintaintheexisting44degreeangularplaneinZoningBy-law438-86,measuredfrom16mabovetheChurchStreetpropertylinesbetweenHaydenStreetandGerrardStreetEast.
View of Church Street looking north
Church Street is famous for its sidewalk cafes and retail frontages.Key map
Heritage properties along Church Street
Yonge Street
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TheexistingheightlimitsintheZoningBy-lawshallberespectedforpropertiesfrontingalongtheportionofthestreetbetweenAlexanderStreetandHaydenStreet.
ChurchStreetdoesnothaveaheightdesignationintheDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines duetoitshighconcentrationofheritagepropertiesandthesurroundingcontext.TheheritageandbuiltformcharacteristicsoftheChurchStreetVillageCharacterAreashould,thereforebe,enforcedbynewsmallscaleandmid-risedevelopments.Potentiallow-riseandmid-risedevelopmentswithintheChurchStreetVillageCharacterAreawillconformtothefollowingdesigndirections:
• Thematerialsusedinthefaçadeofnewlow-risedevelopmentsorthebaseofthemid-risebuildingswillconformtotheprevailingmaterialsofadjacentexistingheritageproperties.
• Mid-risebuildingswillhavestrategicstepbacksfromthebasebuildingstomaintaintheexistingpedestrianscaleandcreatearchitecturalinterest.
• Basebuildingshouldbenolessthanthreestoreysandnotallerthanfourstoreystoreinforcetheprevailinglow-risemainstreetcharacter.
• BuildingfrontagesfacingontoChurchStreetshouldcreateacontinuousstreetwall.
• NewdevelopmentsalongChurchStreetshouldhaveasetbackfromthefrontpropertylinetoallowforenhancedstreetscapedesignandwidersidewalks.
• Activeusesat-gradeandabove-grade,cafés,patiosandspill-outzonearestronglyencouragedtoenhancetheChurchStreetVillageCharacterArea.
• Thescaleofretailusesandarticulationofshopfrontsshouldbeconsistentwiththeprevailingscaleandcharacterofretailshops.
• Seasonalpatioswithinthepublicright-of-wayandadjacenttothecurbzoneareencouraged,whereverpossible.
• Themainfrontageoftheretailuseat-gradeshouldbecoveredwithahighpercentageofpermeablematerialstoallowforinteraction,safetyandvitalityofthestreetlife.
Mid-rise building along Church Street
Example of recent streetscape improvements on King Street, Kitchener, ON
Example of recent streetscape improvements on King Street, Kitchener, ON
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4.6. college / carlTon cHaracTer area College/CarltonCharacterAreaisaneast-weststreetthatconvenientlyconnectswithanumberofDowntownNeighbourhoodsaswellasinstitutional,culturalandrecreationalfacilities.ThisCharacterAreaisdesignatedasMixed Use AreasinCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.BeingatoneofToronto’stransitnodes,College/CarltonStreethasexperiencedmuchdevelopmentduringthepastfewdecades,addingtotheresidentialandemploymentpopulationofdowntown,andencouragingcitizenstousepublictransit.Recentlyconstructedbuildingslocatedat21-25CarltonStreetareamongthenotablenewdevelopmentsalongthesestreets.
Despitethedominanttallbuildingtypologythatexists,thelistedanddesignatedheritagebuildingswithinthisCharacterAreaaddtothehistoricvalue,character,scaleandcontextofCollege/CarltonStreet.Inparticular,theintersectionofYongeandCollege/CarltonStreetsisthelocationoftwoprominentheritagepropertiesat444(CollegePark)and450(OddfellowsHall)YongeStreet.
TheoverallfeelingofthisCharacterAreaisdistinguishedbyacanyonbuiltformwithretailusesbetweenBayStreetandJarvisStreet.Withamixofretail,commercial,culturalandofficeuses,theCollege/CarltonCharacterAreaisrecognizedbyitslivelyattribute.ThisCharacterAreahasbeenidentifiedasapriorityretailstreetintheDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines.
TheCollege/CarltonCharacterAreahasmaintaineditscontinuousstreetwallwiththeexceptionofafewplaces,wherebiggersetbackshavebeenprovidedforrestaurantpatiosorweatherprotectedentrances.
Canyon built form along College / Carlton Streets
College Street is a priority retail street.
21-25 Carlton Street developments view from Alexander StreetKey map
Yonge Street
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Havingoneofthemajortransitnodeswithin,theCollege/CarltonCharacterAreaisconsideredtobeanappropriatelocationforhigherdensityandtallbuildings.
Newdevelopmentapplicationswillconformtothecitywide Tall Building Design GuidelinesandtheDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelinesaswellasthefollowingsdesigndirections:
• Heritagepropertieswillbeconservedandmaintained.
• Newdevelopmentswillmaintaintheexistingcontinuousstreetwallandrespecttheheritagecontextofthearea.
• Tocreateanimatedstreetfrontages,permeablematerialsshouldbeusedinthefaçadeofbasebuildingsandretailuseat-gradetoprovidesafety,visibilityandinteraction.
• AwindstudywillbesubmittedwithanydevelopmentapplicationforanyproposedtallbuildingalongCollege/CarltonStreettoensurepedestrians’comfort.
• DuetotheheightofbuildingsandcanyonbuiltformoftheCharacterArea,continuousweatherprotectionshallbeprovidedforthestreetfrontagewithaminimumdepthof3minordertomitigatetheadversewindimpactwithintheCharacterAreaandprovideforpedestrianconnection.
• Towerswillhaveaproperstepbackfromthebasebuildingtoallowfordirectsunlightandtomaintainahumanscaleperceptionzone.
• Tallbuildingswillmeetthe12.5mminimumseparationdistancerequirementfromtheadjacentproperties,ortheminimum25mseparationdistancefromanyadjacenttallbuildingabovethecanyonheight.
• Tallbuildingsshouldmeettheminimumseparationdistancetoanylow-riseormid-risebuildings.
• Highlyarticulatedbuildings(asopposedtoslab-typebuildings)areencouraged.
• Shadowscastfromtallbuildingsontoshadowsensitiveareasarediscouragedandwillbecloselyreviewed.
Illustrative rendering of the under construction Aura development at the intersection of Yonge and Gerrard Streets
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4.7. baY sTreeT cHaracTer area BayStreetisoneofthenorth-southmaincorridorsindowntownToronto,whichispredominantlydesignatedasMixed Use AreasintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.OtherlandusedesignationswithinthisCharacterAreaincludeApartment Neighbourhoods andParks.
BayStreethasatowerandbasebuiltform,withbuildingswhichhaveamixofresidentialandretail,orofficeandretail.ItisalsoatransitorientedcorridorwithabusroutethatconnectsBayStreettoQueensQuayWestandDavenportRoad.Thewide27mright-of-way,whichrunsparalleltotheYongeandUniversitysubwaylinesandthemixed-usestructureshavecollectivelymadeBayStreetCharacterAreasuitableforhighdensityandtallbuildingdevelopments.
BayStreethasgonethroughdramaticgrowthduringthelastdecadewithonlyafewremainingsitesleftforredevelopment.TheMuranoandBuranobuildings,attheintersectionofGrosvenorStreetandBayStreet,areamongthenotablerecentdevelopmentsalongBayStreet,whichhavesignificantlycontributedtotheimprovementofthestreetscapeandthepublicrealm.OtherdevelopmentapplicationsalongBayStreetincludeUcondominiumsattheintersectionofBayStreetandSt.MaryStreet,1000BayStreetattheintersectionofBayStreetandSt.JosephStreet,theproposedSuttonPlaceHotelredevelopmentand880BayStreet,whichisaproposedOntarioGovernmentOfficebuilding.
BayStreetisknownforitswidesidewalksandstreettrees.Canopies/ColonnadesareusedalongBayStreetforweatherprotectionwithatower/basebuiltformwhichconsistsofamixofhigh-riseoffice
Bay Street Character Area
Illustrative rendering of the U Condominiums with Clover Hill Park in the foreground
Key map Streetscape improvements along Bay Street
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Clover Hill Park plan view
towersandresidentialcondominiumswithretailat-grade.BayStreethasbeenidentifiedasapriorityretailstreetintheDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines document.
Thestreetrequirespublicrealmimprovements,goodstreetscapeandactiveusesat-gradetohelpenhancepedestrianmovement,comfortandsafety.AgoodprecedentforsuchimprovementsintheareaisthenewpublicparkknownasCloverHillPark,locatedattheintersectionofBayStreetandSt.JosephStreet,whichwassecuredasapartoftheUCondominiumdevelopmentapplication.Thereisalsoapotentialexpansionoftheopenspaceonthe11WellesleyStreetWestproperty,whichwillbeintroducedlaterinthe“OpenSpaceNetwork”chapter.Allnewdevelopmentsshouldhaveappropriatesetbacksfromthefrontpropertylinetoallowforsuchopenspaceimprovements,streetscapedesignandsemi-privatelandscapezones.
ThepropertiesatthenorthwestcornerofBayStreetandSt.JosephStreet(CloverHillPark)andsouthwestcorner(1000BayStreet)aretheonlypropertiesalongtheBayStreetCharacterAreawhichalsoexistwithintheUniversityofTorontoSecondaryPlan2.Thesecornersaredesignatedas“ExistingandPotentialGateways”(majorUniversityAreaandQueen’sParkGovernmentAreaentrances).AlthoughnotwithintheSecondaryPlanboundary,thepropertiesatthenorthwestcornerofBayStreetandWellesleyStreetWest(officebuilding)andsouthwestcorner(OntarioGovernmentBlock)arealsodesignatedas“ExistingandPotentialGateways”(majorUniversityAreaandQueen’sParkGovernmentAreaentrances).
TheSecondaryPlanalsoshowsaviewpointonBayStreetatthefollowinglocations:
• WestalongSt.MaryStreettoVictoriaCollege
• WestalongSt.JosephStreettoQueen’sParknorth
• WestalongGrosvenorStreettoQueen’sParksouth
2 Link: http://www.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/pdf_secondary/20_university_toronto_oct2009.pdfIllustrative rendering of Clover Hill Park
Retail at-grade and continuous weather protection along Bay Street
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PropertieswhicharelocatedalongsecondarystreetswithintheBayStreetCharacterAreamayhavepotentialforsomenewdevelopment,aswellassomeinfill.Aspotentialnewdevelopmentsonsuchstreets(including11WellesleyStreetWest),tallbuildingsshouldbedesignedandorientedinawaythatprovidesminimalincrementalshadowonthenearbyandfutureexpansionofparksandopenspaces,includingtheBreadalbaneparkexpansionandOperaPlacePark.
KnowingthatBayStreetisatallbuildingcorridor,thefollowingdesigndirectionswillbetestedagainstdevelopmentapplicationstoensurequality,safety,healthandfunction:
• Toprovideabetterhumanperceptionzone,tallbuildingswillhaveanappropriatestepbackfromthefaceofthebasebuildingfrontingontostreets.
• Retailat-gradeandgrade-relatedresidentialunitsareencouragedfornewdevelopmentswithintheCharacterArea.
• Awindstudywillbesubmittedwithanyre-zoningdevelopmentapplicationfortallbuildingswithintheBayStreetCharacterArea.
• Continuousweatherprotectedstreetfrontageswithaminimumdimensionof3mshallbeprovidedtomitigateadversewindconditionsandprovideforpedestrianprotection.
• ProposedopenspacesalongBayStreetshouldbehighlyvisible,barrierfreeandaccessibleforallusers.
• Proposeddevelopmentswillhaveanappropriatesetbackfromthefrontpropertylinetoallowforsemi-privatelandscapezoneandtocomplementandenhancethestreetscapedesign.
• Additionalshadowsfromnewdevelopmentonanyadjacentorclosepublicopenspacesshallbeminimized.
• Streetscapeoftheeast-weststreetswithinthisCharacterAreashouldbeenhancedwithtreeplanting,widersidewalkandstreetfurnituretoprovidegreencorridorsthatconnecttoYongeStreetandotherdestinationswithintheStudyArea.Newdevelopmentsalongsecondarystreetsshouldmeettheminimumsetbackrequirementfromthefrontpropertylinetoallowforsuchimprovements.
• ParkingaccesstothenewdevelopmentswillnotbedirectlyfromBayStreettoensureminimumtrafficcongestion.
• TheBayStreetBioswaleisanimportanturbandesignandenvironmentalsustainabilityfeaturealongBayStreetthatbothsoftensthewidesidewalksandfiltersrunoffwater.ThebioswaleshouldbeextendedwherepossibleonBayStreetbetweenCollegeStreetandCharlesStreetWest.
Ifthesitesalongsecondarystreetsgetdevelopedasinfillsites,theyshouldmeetallthedesigndirectionsdescribedinthe“BuiltFormFramework”chapterofthisdocument.
University of Toronto Secondary Plan - Gateways and view terminus
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4.8. Yonge sTreeT cHaracTer area YongeStreetisToronto’smainstreet,whichdividesthecityintoeastandwestwithalladdressesoneast-weststreets,notingtheirlocationsrelativetoYongeStreet.NotonlyitisToronto’smainstreet,butitisoneofToronto’smostprominentculturalandpriorityretailcorridors.YongeStreetalsocontainsthecity’smostheavilytravellednorth-southsubwayline,makingitaconvenientcorridortoworkandliveon.ThisCharacterArea,withintheStudyArea,isprimarilydesignatedasMixed Use Areas intheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.ThereisalsothelinearparkwhichisdesignatedasParks. TheYongeStreetCharacterAreacontainsanimpressivecollectionofheritagepropertieswithanarrowrhythmofretailfrontagesthatrespectthecorearea,whichformtheheritagefabricofthestreet.
MuchoftheportionofYongeStreetbetweenCollege/CarltonStreetsandBloorStreetischaracterizedbyapredominantlylow-risemainstreetbuildingtypologywithaprevailingstreetwallheightof2to4storeys,narrowretailfrontagesofaround5minwidthonshallowlots,whichhaveavarietyofdepthsrangingbetween18mto25mto30m.Mostoftheblockshaverearlanewaysforloading/unloading,garbagepickupandparkingaccess,whichcanbeenhancedtostrengthenmid-blockpedestriancirculation.HeightpeaksalongthisCharacterAreaoccuratthemajorintersectionsofrailandhighvolumetransitnodesofYongeandBloorStreetsandYongeandCollege/CarltonStreetsintersections.
TheCharacterAreaalsoincludesalinearparksystem(GeorgeHislop,NormanJewisonandJamesCanningGardens)thatstretchesfromCharlesStreetEasttoDundonaldStreetprovidingasignificantpedestrianconnectionwithintheStudyArea.Thisparkprovides
View of George Hislop Park
Yonge Street Character Area looking north
Intact heritage properties and narrow retail frontages along Yonge Street
Key map
thelargestlinearopenspaceinthearea,whichshouldbeprotected,maintainedandenhanced.
Yonge Street
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Thisareaisprimarilycharacterizedwithtrails,playground,sittingareasandlargetrees.
YongeStreetisconstantlyevolvingandchanging,howeverthesuccessandattractionofYongeStreetasapedestrianorientedpubliccorridorliesinthesensitivityofnewdevelopmenttotheexistingandhistoriccontextandtheconservationofhistoricproperties.FromGrenvilleStreet/WoodStreettoHaydenStreet,YongeStreetdisplaysaprimarilylow-risestreetcharacterthatreflectsitshistoricroleasatraditional“MainStreet”.Thewidthsofthesidewalksrangebetween3mto4.9monthewestsideofthestreet,whileitisdifferentonsomepartsoftheeastside,rangingbetween2mto6m.
RequirementsintheUrbanDesignGuidelineswillbeprovidedwithspecificationsthatguaranteetheprotectionandconservationoftheintegrityofheritagevaluesandattributes,aswellasthedistinctidentityofthisCharacterArea.Exclusiveguidelinesconveyprovisionsforthedevelopmentoftallbuildingswithinheritagesensitivearea.Toensurequality,safety,functionandhealth,thefollowingguidelinesanddesigndirectionswillapplytotheYongeStreetCharacterAreawithintheStudyArea:
• AllheritagepropertiesandresourcesonYongeStreetwillbeconservedandmaintained.
• AnyalterationstoexistingheritagebuildingswhichhavethepotentialtocreateanegativeimpactuponthemwillprovideaHeritageImpactAssessment.
• NewdevelopmentsalongYongeStreetwillhaveasetbackfromthefrontpropertylinetoallowforstreetscapeenhancementthroughasemi-privatelandscapezone,wideningthepedestrianclearway,streetfurniture,outdoorcafesandgroundmountedlighting.Outdooramenitiessuchaspatios,andexposurestoandfromheritagepropertiesalongYongeStreet(i.e.thefirehallclocktower)willenhancethestreetscape.
• Tallbuildingswillbedevelopedonlyatlocationsthathavebeenidentifiedassuitableforhigherdensities.
• Thebaseoftallbuildingsandthebaseofmid-risebuildingsshouldhaveaminimumseparationdistancefromanyadjacentparksandpublicopenspaces,whilecreatingagradualtransitioninheight. Example of a base building with permeable materials (CASA Condos)
• ThetowerportionsofthetallbuildingwillbeappropriatelysteppedbackfromYongeStreettopreserve,retainorreplicatethelow-rise“MainStreet”characteristic,allowforcontinuoussunlight,andprovideforanunobstructedvistasupanddownthestreet.
• StreetwallheightsfornewtallbuildingswillmatchtheexistingheritagestreetwallheightonYongeStreetofapproximately18m.
• Thegroundfloorfacadeofnewdevelopmentsshouldhaveahighpercentageoftransparencytoprovideanimationand“eyesonstreet”.
• Architecturalarticulation,aswellasnon-structuralhorizontalandverticalelements,continuousweatherprotectionconsistentwiththeprevailingadjacentpropertiesshouldbeconsidered.
Outdoor cafe within the Study Area
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• AdditionalshadowsfromnewdevelopmentonthelinearparkovertheYongeSubwaylinewillbecloselyreviewedwithanunderstandingofthecurrentas-of-rightconditionstoreduceadditionalshadowonparksandstreets.
• Thepriorityretaildesignationshallbemaintainedthroughanarrowrhythmofstreetfrontages.
• Theconnectivityofopenspacesaswellasmid-blockpedestrianmovementwillbemaintainedandenhancedwithintheCharacterArea.(usingthislinearparkasacatalystforthisconnectivity.)
• Accesstoparkingandloading/unloadingzonewillnotbedirectlyfromYongeStreet.
4.8.1. Downtown tall BuilDings Vision anD supplementary Design guiDelines
TheDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines (adapted by council in May 2013)recognizesthattherearesomesitesalongportionsofYongeStreetwheretallbuildingdevelopmentmaybepossible,aslotsize,depthandspecificlocationcanphysicallyaccommodateatallbuildinganditsservicerequirements,andwheretherearenoheritageresourceconsiderationstobehadthatwouldbenegativelyimpactedbytallbuildingdevelopment.
Intheseinstances,theDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelineswouldapply,butwithaspecificrequirementthatthetowerportionsofthetallbuildingbeappropriatelysteppedbackfromYongeStreettopreserve,retainorreplicatethelow-risemainstreet,traditionalretailcharacteroftheexistingbuildingsalongthestreet;preservesunlightonthesidewalksandprovideforanunobstructedvistaupanddownthestreet.StreetwallheightsfornewtallbuildingdevelopmentalongYongeStreetshouldbeconsistentwiththeprevailingheightsofadjacentheritagebuildings.Forcornersites,appropriatesetbacksshouldbeconsideredalongbothfrontageswithspecificconditionsofthesitebeingtakenintoaccount.
TheDowntown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines shouldbeusedtogetherwiththecitywideTall Building Design Guidelines inevaluatingtallbuildingapplications.
Downtown Tall Buildings Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines document
Example of a tower stepback from the base building (Charles Street E)
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4.8.2. Yonge sTreeT, a “greaT sTreeT”
YongeStreethasthehistoryandmindsettomovebeyonditscurrentstate.ResponsibledevelopmentthatwouldmoveYongeStreetintherightdirectionwillbeinconformitywiththesedesignguidelines.YongeStreetistobecomea“greatstreet”.Everynewdevelopmentshouldimplementthatgoal.A“greatstreet”isonethat:
1)Providesanambianceforpedestrians;
2)Createdastrongsenseofplace
3)Haswelldefinedstreetwallswhichdonotloomoverthestreet;
4)Hasanchor“places”or“destinations”atbothends;
5)Engagestheeyewitharichvarietyoftexturespatternsandshapes;
6)Providesharmonybetweendifferenttypesofdesignedbuildings;
7)Containsbuildingsandstreetdetailsthatareconstructedwithhighqualitymaterials;
8)Hasasubstantialgreenpresenceonthestreetandattheentrancetosidestreets;and
9)Contains“places”alongside,whicharedestinationsforvisitorsandresidents.
Theseobjectiveswillbeachievedby:
• APPROPRIATE DESIGN: Newconstructionshouldechothepatterns(rhythmandcadence)foundonhistoricYongeStreet,andonlyusenewpatternsthatenhanceits“greatstatus”.
• ENHANCED PUBLIC REALM:Sidewalksshouldbewidened,improvedplantingintroduced,lanewaysredesigned,streetssharedbetweenpedestrians,cyclistsanddrivers.
• SUCCESSFUL INNOvATIvE RETAIL:RetailisofcriticalimportancetocontributetothefuturegreatcharacterofYongeStreet.NewconstructionhasanobligationtoprovidespacesthatmakeYongeStreetapedestrianretaildestination.ThestorefrontagesshouldhaveappropriatenarrowwidthsandmaximumwindowexposureonYongeStreet,whileprovidingspacesforsidewalkcafes,andspill-outretail.
• NECESSARY LIMITS:Therearenecessarylimitsonsetbackandheightconstructioninordertorespectexistingurbanfabric.
• CONSERvATION OF HERITAGE PROPERTIES:Heritagepropertieslistedanddesignatedontheheritageinventory,oridentifiedasapotentialheritageproperty,willbeconservedconsistentwiththe“Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada” document.
Figure 5: Sketch of Yonge Street as a “Great Street”
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4.8.3. dIfferenT HeIgHT zones along Yonge sTreeT
WithintheStudyArea,YongeStreetwillbecharacterizedashavingthreedistinctzones,eachcorrespondingtowheretallbuildingsmaybelocated,howhightheymaybeandhowfarsetbacktheyarerequiredtobe.Theseareas(showninfigures6and7)aretheheightpeak,thecoreandthetransitionareas.
Height peak areas
HeightpeakareasareusuallymajorintersectionslocatedontransitnodesorT.T.Crailinterchanges.TheCollegeandYongeStreets,aswellastheBloorandYongeStreetsintersectionsaretheheightpeaksidentifiedwithintheStudyArea,actingasgatewayswheretallbuildingswillbepermitted.Developmentssuchas1BloorStreetEastandAuraatCollegeParkhaveachievedtheseheightsduetotheirlargesitesandavailabledensity.Siteswithinthepeakareas,whichdonothavetheseattributes,willnotbeappropriateforsimilarheights.
core area
ThecoreareaislocatedinthemiddleoftheNorthDowntownYongeStudyArea,andhasalargeconcentrationoflistedanddesignatedlow-riseheritagebuildings,aswellasthoseofheritageinterest.Anynewdevelopmentorbuildingexpansionwillbesympathetic,compatibleandsubordinatetotheexistingheritagecharacterandthescaleofheritageproperties.ConservationandmaintenanceofheritagepropertiesareessentialpartsofthisstudyandwillbedoneconsistentwithCounciladopted“Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada” document.Tallbuildingdevelopmentswithinthisareashouldfollowspecificstandardsandwillcomplywiththe18mstreetwallheight,aswellasthe75degreeangularplaneasdescribedinthenextchapterandthe“BuiltFormFramework”chapterofthisdocument(seefigure22).
Transition areas
TransitionareasaresegmentsofNorthDowntownYonge,whichmediatetheheightsbetweentheheightpeaksandthecorearea.Theseareaswillhelpcreateappropriateheighttransitionfromtallerbuildingstolower-risebuiltforms.HigherbuildingsinthetransitionareaswillbesetbackfromYongeStreetaminimumof10munlesstheyarelocatedonsitesthatcontainheritagebuildings,wheretheyarerequiredtosetbackaminimumof20mtoallowtheheritagebuildingtobemaintainedandrestored.
Figure 6: Cross section through Yonge Street, from Bloor Street to College Street identifying different height zones*Subject to angular plane (see figure 22)
Height peak areaHeight peak area
Transition area Transition area
Core area*
Bloor St
College /Carlton St
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Figure 7 : North Downtown Yonge Height Zones
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HeigHT peak
HeigHT peak
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4.8.4. block bY block analYsIs along Yonge sTreeT
Asnotedpreviously,YongeStreet’scharacteristicschangethroughoutitslength.Thischange,whichisgovernedbyavarietyofelements,providesdifferentopportunities.TohaveabetterunderstandingoftheappropriatedesignapproachforthedifferentsegmentsofYongeStreet,thefollowingchapterwillhaveacloserlookatthepropertiesonablock-by-blockbasis,exploringtheconditionsofeachimmediatecontext.ThereareanumberofcommonguidelinesthatwillapplytoallnewdevelopmentswithintheYongeStreetCharacterAreawithintheStudyAreatoensurequality,safety,healthandfunction:
• AHeritageImpactAssessmentwillbeprovidedfordevelopmentslocatedonoradjacenttoheritageproperties.
• Whereverpossible,theheritagepropertyshouldbeconservedasawhole.(i.e.Interiorspaces,existingstructure,etc)
• Potentialtallbuildingsonsitescontainingheritagebuildingswillhaveaminimum20mstepbackfromtheYongeStreetpropertylineinordertoconservetheheritageproperties.
• Newdevelopmentsthatarenotonheritagepropertieswillhaveapropersetbackfromthefrontpropertylinetoallowforanoverall6mto10mdimensionbetweenthebuildingfaceandthecurb.Thissetbackwillenhancethestreetscapebyaccommodatingwidersidewalks,treeplantingzone,streetfurniture,potentialoutdoorpatios,andwillemphasizetheroleofYongeStreetasthemainstreetwithintheStudyArea.
• Themaximumheightofnewstreetwallbuildingswillnotexceed18m.
• ToreinforcethecontinuousretailzonealongYongeStreet,anypotentialnewdevelopmentshouldaccommodatenarrowfrontageretailat-gradewithatransparencyinthefrontfacadetocontributetoananimatedstreetfrontage.
Sidewalk conditions along Yonge Street should be improved.
Example of an existing laneway
New developments will respect the heritage resources within the Study Area (Illustrative rendering of a proposed development next to a heritage building)
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• TheexistingrearlanewaysonbothsidesofYongeStreet,whichareusedforgarbagecollection,servicing,loading/unloadingandparkingaccessshouldbemaintainedandenhancedasmid-blockpedestriancirculation.Moredetailswillbeprovidedinthe“OpenSpaceNetwork”chapterofthisdocument.
• Anyproposedtallbuildingdevelopmentwillmeettheminimumseparationdistancesof12.5mfromadjacentpropertylines.Thisseparationdistanceisakeycriterionforqualityoflifetoallowforsunlightpenetrationintotheresidentialunits.Itwillalsominimizetheadverseoverlookingimpactandpreservenaturallightontothepublicrealm.
• Anyproposedtallbuildingdevelopmentwillmeettheminimumseparationdistancesof25mfromadjacenttallbuildings.
• Atallbuildingisnotsuitableforasiteiftheminimumlotdimensionsandfacingdistancestandardscannotbemet,orifthelotdepthisnotsufficientenoughtomeettherequiredfrontsetbacksorstepbacks.
• AwindstudywillbesubmittedwiththedevelopmentapplicationforanyproposedtallbuildingwithintheYongeStreetCharacterArea.
• Applicationsfortallbuildingsonthesesiteswillhaveadetailedsunlightstudy,whichhasbeendescribedinmoredetailsinthe“ShadowSensitiveAreas”chapterofthisdocument.
BlocksalongYongeStreetandwithintheStudyAreaareaarenumbered1through8fromsouthtonorth.Block9whichisoutsidetheStudyAreawillbeanalyzedaswelltoensureconsistencywiththerestofYongeStreetCharacterArea.Theblockbyblockanalysisisasfollows:
Example of low scale new development adjacent to a heritage property
Min. 25m
Tall buildings should have minimum 25m separation distance from each other.
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block 1 college / carlton to grenville / wood streets
Thepropertiesonblock1arelocatedwithintheheightpeakarea,whichareconsideredsuitablefortallbuildingsandhigherdensityduetotheircloseproximitytotheCollegesubwaystationandtheCollege/Carltonsteetcar.Theheight,locationandorientationofanytallbuildingshallbeinconformitywithrelatedguidelinesanddesigndirectionsdescribedinthisdocument.
PropertieslocatedonthewestsideofYongeStreet,betweenCollegeandGrenvilleStreets,compriseofalow-risedesignatedheritageproperty,whichwillbeconservedandmaintained.Therearealsotwostoreyretailbuildingsnexttothisheritageproperty,whichareconsideredasunderutilizedsites.ThesinglepropertyontheeastsideofYongeStreet,betweenCarltonandWoodStreetshasretailat-grade,withanofficetowerabove,whichisabuildingofheritageinterest.
PotentialtallbuildingdevelopmentsonthepropertieswestofYongeStreetshallhavetheexistingheritagebuildingconserved,maintainedandincorporatedintothedesignofthenewbuildings.AnynewdevelopmentlocatedonpropertiesbetweenCollege/CarltonandGrenville/WoodStreetswithinYongeStreetCharacterAreawillbetestedagainstthefollowingdesigndirectionstoensurequality,function,safetyandhealth:
• Thebaseoftallbuildingswillrespecttheheight,materialandcharacteristicsoftheprevailingadjacentheritagestructure.
• Towerswillhaveaminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasefrontingontoYongeStreetinordertomaintainthelow-scale,pedestrianfriendlyfeelingoftheCharacterArea.
• Continuousweatherprotectionshallbeprovidedalongthestreetfrontageinordertomitigatethenegativewindimpactasaresultofincreasedheightandprovidepedestrianprotection.
• NewdevelopmentsonthisblockwillinternalizetheexistingT.T.Centrance,whichiscurrentlylocatedwithintheCarltonStreetright-of-way.
• Thepredominantretailstorefrontsonthisblockrangefrom4.5mto7m(excludingthebigstorefrontontheeastside).Inordertokeepitconsistentwiththeexistingpattern,thenewstorefrontsonthisblockshouldnotexceed7m.
View of block 1, looking south
BLO
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College Street Carlton Street
Grenville StreetWood Street
Yong
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Figure 8: Block 1 plan view
2 Carlton Street located at the northeast corner of Yonge and Carlton Streets
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block 2 grenville / wood to grosvenor / alexander streets
Thepropertiesonblock2fallintothetransitionarea.Duetotheircloseproximitytothetransitnode,tallbuildingmaybeappropriateforthisblock,aswellasthesitesthatdonotcontainheritagepropertiesandresources.PropertiesonthewestsideofYongeStreet,betweenGrenvilleandGrosvenorStreets,compriseof1to2storeyretailbuildingswiththehistoricfirehallclocktowerinthemiddleoftheblock.Tothesouthofthefirehallclocktowerisanunderutilizedbuilding,whichmayberedevelopedinthefuture.Tothenorthofthefirehallclocktower,areanumberoflistedbuildingsaswellasbuildingsofheritageinterest.NewdevelopmentsonthisblockwillbesetbackinordertomaintainviewsofthefirehallclocktowerwhenperceivedfromthevantagepointofapedestrianfromthecornersatYongeandGrenvilleandYongeandGrosvenorStreets,aswellaspointsfurthernorthandfurthersouthalongthisalignment.TheheritagebuildingsonthewestsideofYongeStreetarelocatedonnarrowlots.Oncetherequired20mstepbackisprovided,theremainderofthelotswouldnothaveasufficientdepthtoaccommodateatallbuilding.Additionalheight,therefore,willnotbesuitablefortheseproperties.Also,theexistingstorefrontswithinheritageproperties,whichareapproximately5mwidewillbemaintained.
ThesinglepropertylocatedontheeastsideofYonge,betweenWoodandAlexanderStreets,hasapproximatelya50mdepth,whichcomprisesoftwohoteltowerssittingontopofa1storeyretailbase.Thisproperty,aswellasthepropertylocatedatthenorthwestintersectionofYongeandGrenvilleStreetsmayredevelop.Inthiscaseaproposeddevelopmentwillbesubjecttothefollowingdesigndirections:
• TheheightofthebasewillconformtotheheightofprevailingheritagebuildingsonthewestsideofYongestreet,andwillnotexceed18montheeastsideofthestreet.
• Theproposedtowerwillhaveaminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasefrontingontoYongeStreettomaintainthelow-scale,pedestrianfriendlyfeelingoftheCharacterArea.
• ContinuousWeatherprotectionshallbeprovidedonstreetfrontagestominimizethenegativewindimpactasaresultoftheadditionalheightandtoprovidepedestrianprotection.
View of block 2, looking north (Protected view of the firehall clock tower)
Figure 10: Sketch to illustrate the concept of setting back development to expose views of the firehall clock tower
BLO
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Grosvenor Street
Grenville StreetWood Street
Yong
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N
Figure 9: Block 2 plan view
• Createanurbanplazaorpedestrianconnectiontocapitalizeonviewsofthefirehallclocktower.
• InordertokeepitconsistentwiththeexistingstorefrontswidthpatternonthewestsideofYongeStreet,thenewstorefrontswidthonthisblockshouldnotexceed7m.
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block 3 grosvenor / alexander to breadalbane / Maitland streets
Partsofblocks3arelocatedinthetransitionareaandpartsofitwithinthecorearea.Highdensitydevelopments,therefore,maybeconsideredifsituatedappropriatelyandifinconformitywithdesigndirectionsdescribedinthissection.
ThepropertiesonthewestsideofYongeStreet,betweenGrosvenorandBreadalbaneStreets,compriseofanumberofsmallscalebuildingswithnarrowstreetfrontages,someofwhicharelistedintheCityofTorontoHeritageInventory.Thesebuildingswiththenarrowstorefrontswillbeconservedandmaintainedtoprotecttheintegrityoftheirheritagevaluesandattributes,aswellastheirgreatcontributiontothepedestrianfriendlyenvironmentalongYongeStreet.Thedepthofthelotsoccupiedwithheritagebuildingswillnotaccommodatetherequired20mstepback.Asaresult,tallbuildingsarenotsuitablebuiltformsfortheseproperties.Thefollowingguidelineswillapply,shouldthesmallunderutilizedsitesinbetweentheseheritagepropertiesbeconsideredasinfillredevelopments.Infillsiteswill:
• havealow-risetomid-risebuiltform,consistentwiththecharacterofanyadjacentheritagebuilding.
• haveamaximum18mheightandredevelopedasamid-risebuilding.
Iftheunderutilizedsitesareconsolidatedwiththenon-listedadjacentbuildings,largescaledevelopmentmaybeappropriateifconformingtothefollowingdesigndirections:
• AHeritageImpactAssessmentwillbeprovidedfortheadjacentheritagepropertiestoensuretheirconservation,maintenanceandappropriateintegrationinnewdevelopment.
• Aminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasebuildingfrontingontoYongeStreet,aswellasa75degreeangularplanefromthetopofthe18mhighstreetwallwillbeappliedtolocatethetoweranddetermineitsmaximumappropriateheight.Thisapproachwillalsohelpmaintainthelowscale,pedestrianfriendlyfeelingoftheCharacterArea.
BLO
CK 3
Example of an infill development on Parliament Street in Cabbagetown Village
Grosvenor Street
Breadalbane StreetMaitland Street
Yong
e St
reet
Alexander Street
N
View of block 3, looking north
Figure 11: Block 3 plan view
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• Thereshouldbeafullintactconservationofexistingheritagebuildings.
• Thepredominantretailstorefrontsonthisblockrangefrom4.5mto6minwidth.Inordertokeepnewstorefrontswidthconsistentwiththeexistingpattern,theyshouldnotexceed6monthisblock.
ThesinglepropertyontheeastsideofYongeStreet,betweenAlexanderandMaitlandStreets,isconsideredanunderutilizedsite,whichissuitableforalargescaledevelopment.Thissitehasanexceptionalconditionbybeinginbothtransitionareaandcorearea.Thefollowingguidelineswillapplytothissite:
• Thebasebuildingshouldhavepermeablematerialsinthegroundfloorfaçadeinordertocreateanimatedstreetfrontagesforvisibility,interactionandsafety.
• Thebaseofthebuildingwillcreateacontinuousstreetwallwithactiveretailat-grade,definedbyclearentrancesandsignagefacingontoYongeStreet.
• InordertokeepitconsistentwiththeexistingretailstorefrontswidthonthewestsideofYongeStreet,thenewstorefrontswidthshouldnotexceed6monthisblock.
• Toprovideanappropriateheighttransition,thetallerportionoftheproposeddevelopmentwillbelocatedonthesouthsideofthesubjectpropertyandclosertotheheightpeakareaandhaveaminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasefrontingontoYongeStreet.Developmentonthenorthsideoftheblockwillbeinthecoreareaandwillconformtoa75degreeangularplanestartingabovethe18mhighbaseforthetower(seefigure22).
• Itisalsorecommendedthatthesouthernandnorthernedgesofthepropertybeassociatedwithagatheringplace,contributingtotheexpansionoftheexistingopenspacenetwork.Thiscanbeestablishedthroughcreatingaforecourt,generouslandscapedarea,oraplaza/outdoorcafewithexemplarydesignandpotentialpublicartinstallation.Additionally,thisapproachwillcreatesignificantviewterminiforthosetravellingfromGrosvenorStreettotheeast.
Illustrative rendering of the street view of the proposed development at 501 Yonge Street (block 3 - east side of Yonge Street)
Illustrative rendering of the proposed development at 501 Yonge Street (block 3 - east side of Yonge Street, which demonstrates height transition to the core area.)
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block 4 breadalbane / Maitland to wellesley streets
Propertiesonblock4arewithinthecorearea.Thereisaconcentrationofheritageproperties,togetherwithothercharacterdefiningbuildingspresentingnotablearchitecturalfeaturesonthepropertieswestofYongeStreetbetweenBreadalbaneandWellesleyStreets.Theheritagebuildingsarelocatedonnarrowlots,whichcannotaccommodatetherequired20msetbackfromthefaceofthebuildingsfrontingontoYongeStreet.Tallbuildings,therefore,arenotsuitablefortheseproperties.Theunderutilizedsiteslocatedonthesouthernedgeoftheblock,betweenBreadalbaneandWellesleyStreets,mayberedevelopedincrementallywithaninfillbuildingcomplyingwiththefollowingdesigndirectionstoensurequality,safety,healthandfunction.
Newinfilldevelopments:
• willbeconsistentwiththecharacteristicoftheadjacentheritagebuildings;
• shouldhaveabasebuildingforamid-risebuiltform,withaheightnotexceedingtheheightofadjacentheritagestructures;and
• willprovideawiderstreetscape.
Also:
• Thepredominantretailstorefrontsonthisblockrangefrom4.5mto12minwidth(mostly4.5m).Inordertokeepnewstorefrontswidthconsistentwiththeexistingones,theyshouldnotexceed5.5mor6monthisblock.
ThepropertiesontheeastsideofYongeStreet,betweenMaitlandandWellesleyStreets,consistsofanumberofheritageproperties,whichwillbeconservedandmaintained.TherefurbishmentoftheseheritagestructureswillreinforcetheviewterminilookingeastalongBreadalbaneStreet.
ThepropertyatthesoutheastcornerofYongeandWellesleyStreets,isoccupiedwithamid-risecondominiumbuildingwhichisinastablecondition.Thesiteimmediatelytoitssouthmayredevelopovertimeandshallconformtothefollowingdesignregulations:
• Theheightofthebasewillconformtotheheightofprevailingadjacentheritagebuildings.
• Thebasewillreplicatethematerialsandcharacteristicofprevailingadjacentheritagebuildings.
• Towerswillhaveaminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasefrontingontoYongeStreet,whileimplementingthe75degreeangularplaneabovethe18mhighstreetwallinordertocontrolheight,maintainthelow-scale/pedestrianfriendlyfeelingoftheCharacterArea,andminimizeadverseshadowimpactonnearbypublicopenspaces,streetsandNeighbourhoods (seefigure22).
• Toprovideagoodheighttransition,thetallerportionofanypotentialnewdevelopmentshouldbelocatedclosertoWellesleyStreet,andaminimum12.5mawayfromitssidepropertylines.
• Thisblockalsoallowstheopportunitytoprovideamid-blockpedestrianconnectiontotheTorontoparkingauthoritylottotheeast,aswellasfurtherconnectionstothenorth-southlanebeyond.
• Thepredominantretailstorefrontsonthisblockrangefrom3.5mto7minwidth.Inordertokeepnewstorefrontswidthconsistentwiththeexistingpattern,theyshouldnotexceed5.5monthisblock.
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Wellesley Street W
Breadalbane StreetMaitland Street
Yong
e St
reet
Wellesley Street E N
View of block 4, looking north
Figure 12: Block 4 plan view
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block 5 wellesley to st. joseph / dundonald streets
Thepropertiesonblock5arelocatedwithinthecorearea.
ThereisalargeconcentrationofheritagepropertiesonthewestsideofYongeStreet,betweenWellesleyandSt.JosephStreets,whichwillbeconservedandmaintainedalongwiththeexistingretailsandtheirnarrowfrontages.ThissideofYongeStreethasalreadybeenintensifiedwiththecurrentlyunderconstruction5St.JosephStreettower.Whatmakes5St.JosephStreetasuitablebuiltformwithinthecoreareaisthedepthofthelotthathaseasilyaccommodatedfora30mstepback,providingamainaddressfromSt.JosephStreet,whilecomplyingwiththe18mstreetwallheightandthe75degreeangularplaneguideline(seefigure22).Additionally,heritagebuildingshavebeenrestoredandtheorientationoftheproposedtoweronthispropertyhasminimizedtheshadowimpactonthenearbypublicopenspacesandNeighbourhoods.Otherdevelopmentsonthisblockmustconformtothe18mstreetwallheightand75degreeangularplaneandshallmaintainaminimumtowerseparationdistanceof12.5mtothenorthpropertylines.
ThecondominiumbuildingatthenortheastcornerofYongeandWellesleyStreetisstableandunlikelytoredevelop.However,theremainingunderutilizedsitesinbetweentheheritagebuildingsontheeastsideofYongeStreetmayberedevelopedasinfillbuildings,whichwillrespecttheheightandcharacteroftheadjacentheritagestructuresandthe18mmaximumstreetwallheightrule.Thenarrowstorefrontswithinheritageproperties,whichrangefrom3mto8minwidth,willbepreservedandnewstorefrontswidthshouldnotexceed5.5m.
Illustrative rendering of 5 St. Joseph tower in relation to restored Yonge Street’s heritage properties.)
Heritage properties at Yonge and St. Joseph Streets
Illustrative rendering of 5 St. Joseph development
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Wellesley Street W
St. Joseph Street
Dundonald Street
Yong
e St
reet
Wellesley Street E
N
View of block 5, looking north
Figure 13: Block 5 plan view
5 St
. Jos
eph
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block 6 st. joseph / dundonald to Irwin / gloucester streets
Thesepropertiesarelocatedwithinthecorearea,withalargeconcentrationofheritagepropertiesonthewestsideofYongeStreet.Theseheritagepropertiesandtheirnarrowstorefronts,whichrangebetween3mto8minwidth,willbeconservedandmaintained,withspecialattentiontothosethatprovideaviewterminuslookingwestfromGloucesterStreettoYongeStreet.TheblockswestofYongeStreethaveanumberofheritagebuildingsonthem.Thedepthofthelotscannotaccommodatetherequired20mstepbackwhichwouldbetheminimumdimensioninordertogenerateahigherbuildingontheblock.
TheblockseastofYongeStreetareincloseproximityofthedesignatedNeighbourhoodsintheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.ThepropertiesontheeastsideofYongeStreet,betweenDundonaldandGloucesterStreetsarenotcurrentlylistedinTheCityofTorontoHeritageInventory,butareidentifiedasofpotentialculturalheritagevalueorinterest.Thepropertytothenorthofthischaracterdefiningblockmaybeappropriateforredevelopment.
Thelinearpark(JamesCanningGardens)islocatedincloseproximitytotheseproperties,which
shallbeprotectedfromadverseshadowimpacts.Opportunitiesalsoexistonthisblocktocreateprivatelyownedpublicspace(POPS)oramini-piazzainordertocontributetothepublicrealmandviewsoftheMasonicHallbuildingatthenortheastcornerofYongeStreetandGrosvenorStreet.
PotentialtallbuildingslocatedonpropertieseastofYongeStreet,betweenDundonaldandGloucesterStreetswillbetestedagainstthefollowingdesigncriteria:
• TheexistingcharacterdefiningbuildingattheintersectionofYongeandDundonaldStreetswillbeconservedandmaintained.
• Theheightofthebasewillconformtotheheightofprevailinglow-risebuildingimmediatelytoitssouth.
• Thetowerwillhaveaminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasefrontingontoYongeStreet,whileimplementingthe75degreeangularplaneabovethe18mhighstreetwall(seefigure22).
• Towerswillhavea20msetbackfromdesignatedNeighbourhoods.
• TherewillbeanappropriateheighttransitionfromtherearsideofthebuildingtoYongeStreet.
• Itisalsorecommendedthatthenorthernedgeofthepropertybeassociatedwithagatheringplace,contributingtotheexpansionoftheexistingopenspacenetwork.Thiscanbeestablishedthroughcreatingaforecourt,agenerouslandscapedarea,oraplazawithexemplarydesignandpublicartinstallation.
• Thepredominantretailstorefrontsonthisblockrangefrom4mto5.5minwidth.Inordertokeepnewstorefrontswidthconsistentwiththeexistingpattern,theyshouldnotexceed5.5monthisblock.
Dundonald Street
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Irwin Street
St. Joseph Street
Yong
e St
reet
Gloucester Street
N
View of block 6 buildings, looking north
Figure 14: Block 6 plan view
Dundonald Street
Figure 15: Sketch showing the potential open space at the intersection of Yonge and Gloucester Streets
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block 7 Irwin / gloucester to st. Mary / Isabella streets
Thesepropertiesarelocatedwithinthecorearea.MostofthebuildingsonthewestsideofYongeStreet,betweenIrwinandSt.MaryStreetarelistedordesignatedintheCityofTorontoHeritageInventory.TheirlocationcomplementstheheritagecharacteroftheneighbouringSt.NicholasCharacterAreatotheirwest.Theseheritagebuildingswillbeconservedandmaintained,withspecialattentiontothosethatprovideviewterminuscomingwestfromIsabellaStreet.TheexistingretailfrontageswithinheritagepropertieswillbemaintainedonbothsidesofYongeStreet.
ThedepthofthelotsonthewestsideofYonge,betweenSt.JosephandIrwinStreet,cannotaccommodatetheminimum20mstepbackrequirement.Furthermore,theselotsareconstrainedwiththeminimumseparationdistancerequirementsfromthelow-risebuiltformintheSt.NicholasCharacterArea,aswellasthetowerunder-construction,locatedat15St.MaryStreet.Asaresult,tallbuildingsarenotappropriateforthepropertieslocatedbetweenIrwinandSt.MaryStreets.
ThepropertiesontheeastsideofYongeStreet,betweenGloucesterandIsabellaStreets,areacombinationofheritagebuildingsandbuildingsofheritageinterest.Thesepropertieshavesimilarconditionstotheoneslocatedonblock6,whichneedtocomplywiththesimilardesigndirectionsasdescribedbelow:
• Theexistingcharacter-definingbuildingattheintersectionofGloucesterandYongeStreetswillbemaintainedwithoutanyadditionalheight.
• Anyproposedtowershallhaveaminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasefrontingontoYongeStreet,whileimplementingthe75degreeangularplane(seefigure22).
• TherewillbeanappropriateheighttransitionfromtherearsideofthebuildingtoYongeStreet.
• Towerswillhaveaminimum12.5mseparationdistancefromadjacentpropertylines.
• Thepredominantretailstorefrontsonthisblockrangefrom3mto5minwidth.Inordertokeepitconsistentwiththeexistingpattern,thenewstorefrontswidthshouldnotexceed5monthisblock.
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CK 7
Irwin Street
St. Mary Street
Isabellea Street
Yong
e St
reet
Gloucester Street
N
View of block 7, looking north
Figure 16: Block 7 plan view
Heritage properties on Yonge Street
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block 8 st. Mary / Isabella to charles streets
Theseblocksarewithinthecorearea,whichareoccupiedwithlistedanddesignatedheritageproperties,aswellasthoseofpotentialofculturalheritagevalueorinterest.Thedepthofthelotscontainingheritagestructurescannotaccommodatetherequired20mstepbackandtherefore,tallbuildingswillnotbesuitablefortheseproperties.Consolidationoftheselandswiththepropertiesattheirrearmayprovidetheopportunityforlargerscaledevelopments.TheexistingnarrowstorefrontswithinheritagepropertieswillbemaintainedonbothsidesofYongeStreet.
Opportunitiesfortallbuildingdevelopmentwillbeprovided,ifthethreepropertieslocatedat/closetotheintersectionofCharlesStreetEastandYongeStreetareconsolidated.Tallbuildingdevelopmentonthesepropertiesshallconformtothefollowingdesigncriteriatoensurequality,safety,healthandfunction:
• TheheightofthebasebuildingfacingYongeStreetwillnotexceedtheheightofadjacentheritagebuilding.
• Thebasewillreplicatethematerialsandcharacteristicofprevailingadjacentheritagebuildings.
• Todeterminethelocationandtheheightofproposedtowers,aminimum10mstepbackfromthefaceofthebasebuildingfrontingontoYongeStreetwillbeappliedinordertomaintainthelow-scale,pedestrianfriendlyfeelingoftheCharacterArea(seefigure22).
• Itisstronglyrecommendedthatamid-blockpedestrianconnectionbeprovidedonthispropertyasapedestrianpathway,providingaccess,visibilityandporositytotherearlanewaysandtoGeorgeHislopPark.
• Thepredominantretailstorefrontsonthisblockrangefrom4.5mto7minwidth.Inordertokeepnewstorefrontswidthconsistentwiththeexistingpattern,theyshouldnotexceed7monthisblock.
block 9 bloor / charles streets
Block9,whichisinbothheightpeakandtransitionareasisoutsidetheStudyArea.Potentialtallbuildingdevelopments,however,willconformtotheguidelinesdescribedforBlock1,aswellasthedesigndirectionsexplainedinthe Bloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design Guidelinesdocument.
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N
St. Mary Street
Isabellea Street
Yong
e St
reet
Charles Street WCharles Street E
View of block 9, looking north
View of block 8, looking north
Figure 17: Block 8 plan view
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4.9. Isabella and wellesleY wood sTreeT cHaracTer areas
TheseCharacterAreasaredesignatedasApartment NeighbourhoodsandMixed Use intheCityofTorontoOfficialPlan.WellesleyWoodCharacterAreaalsocontainslandsdesignatedasParks.
TheseCharacterAreasarepredominantlycomprisedofmid-riseand“towerintheparkstyle”buildingswithslabstylefloorplates.Mostofthesebuildingshavelargesetbacksfromthefrontpropertylineandadjacentproperties,providinggenerousspacesforlandscaping,aswellasprivatesuburban-styledrivewaysthatconnecttothebuilding’smainentrance.Afewlistedanddesignatedheritagelow-risebuildingsarelocatedwithintheseCharacterAreasandwillbepreservedandenhanced.
PropertiesintheseCharacterAreasarealsowithinthewalkingdistanceoftheYongelinesubwaystations.Suchsites,therefore,mayhavethepotentialforsomeinfilldevelopmentwhichareappropriateforthescaleoftheCharacterAreas.PotentialfuturedevelopmentsintheseCharacterAreasshallhaveappropriateheighttransitionsfromtheheightsfoundinthepeaksandtransitionheightsoftheYongeStreetCharacterArea.
WhatmakestheseCharacterAreasuniqueistheirspecialbuiltformandopenspaceconfiguration,whichresultsinlargeseparationdistancesfromadjacentpropertiesandporositythroughtheblock.Theopenspacesontheseblocksarevaluableandcontributetothequalityoflifeforresidents.
View of Isabella Street, looking west
Front landscaped area and driveways
View of Wood Street looking east
Key map
Yonge Street
N
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Infilldevelopmentsontheseblocksshall:
• Protectthelow-risebuiltform,heritagebuildingsandhumanpedestrianscale;
• Maintaintheopenspacenetwork,byidentifyingsitesthatcancomplementandenhancetheexistingpublicopenspaces;
Additionally:
• TheheightofnewdevelopmentsshouldcreateaheighttransitionfromYongeStreettothemid-risebuiltformalongChurchStreet.
• Thereshallbeacompatiblerelationshipofpotentialnewdevelopmentstothestreetright-of-way,immediatecontext,existingheritagebuildings,nearbyparksandopenspacesandNeighbourhoods.
• Thestreetscapeshouldprovidestrongstreetedgeswithtreeplanting,minimumpavedsidewalkwidthandbeinconformitywiththeCityofTorontoStreetscapeManual.
• ShadowswillbeminimizedondesignatedNeighbourhoodssuchastheGloucester/DundonaldCharacterArea.
Proposednewdevelopmentsintheseareaswillbetestedagainstthe“BuiltFromFramework”guidelines,describedinthenextchapter. “Tower in the park“ style within these Character Areas
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5.0 buIlT forM fraMework
TheidentityofNorthDowntownYongeislinkedtoitshumanscaleandwalkingenvironment.Itsurbandesignshould,therefore,considerthepedestrians’comfortasthefirstpriorityofthefutureYongeStreetdevelopments.Thevarietyofbuiltformsandtheirrelationshipwithpedestriancomfortandperceptionaresensitiveissuesthatshouldbeaddressedbyspecificdesigndirections.Thischapterprovidesdesignregulationsfordifferenttypeofmassingthatwillapplytoallcharacterareastoensurethecomfortandsafetyofpedestrians,aswellastherealizationofacompleteandhealthycommunity.
ThereareanumberofgeneralguidelinesthatwillapplytoallkindofbuiltformswithintheStudyArea.Allnewdevelopmentswill:
• beconsistentwiththeexistingheritagevalue,attributesandcharacterofadjacentornearbyproperties;
• haveclearentrancesfacingthestreet;
• haveanappropriatesetbackfromthefrontpropertylinetoallowforsemi-privatelandscapezone,patiosorspilloutzones;
• havearchitecturalarticulationintheoverallmassingtocreatearchitecturalinterest;
• beorientedinawaythatpreservesviewsandvistas;
• haveagradualtransitioninheightfromlow-risebuildingstotallbuildings;
• havecanopies,stairsandwalkwayslocatedonprivateland;
• haveentrances,balconiesandwindowslookingintothepublicstreetsandpublicopenspacestoprovidesafetyandvisibility(eyesonstreet);
• minimizetheshadowimpact;and
• haveanappropriatesetbackfromparksandopenspaceswithagradualheightincreasetowardsthestreets.
Example of sidewalk treatment, enhanced streetscape, weather protection and retail at-grade
Example of height transition
Yonge Street-Wall Study g y
New Building Existing BuildingsNew Building Existing Buildings
Figure 19: Example of a new streetwall maintaining the rhythm and scale of the existing heritage buildings
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MId-rIse buIldIngs Mid-risebuildingsareessentialtotheidentityandhealthofNorthDowntownYonge.Theyhavebeenidentifiedasappropriatebuiltformformanylocationsandcharacterareasandwillbeinconformitywiththefollowingdesigndirections:
• Mid-risebuildingstallerthan5storeyscompriseofabasebuildingandtopfloors.
• AlongMainStreets,thebaseofthemid-risebuildingshouldnotexceed80%ofthestreetright-of-way.
• 45degreeangularplaneshouldbeimplementedfromthetopofthebasebuildingtoprovidestepbacksandenhancethehumanperceptionzone.
• Ahighpercentageofthebasebuildingfaçadewillbedesignedwithpermeablematerialstoallowforinteraction,safetyandvitalityofthestreetlife.
• Balconyprojectionshouldnotexceedthedepthofthesetback.
• Architecturalarticulationshouldbeconsideredinthedesignofthebuildingtocreatebeautyanddesigninterest.Thesearticulationsincludebutarenotlimitedto:stepbacks,non-structuralelements,useofdiversematerialsandcontinuousweatherprotection.
Tall buIldIngs Tallbuildingsarebuiltformsthathaveaheightlargerthanthewidthofthestreetright-of-way.Theycompriseofthreedifferentcomponentsincluding:
• basebuilding
• middle(tower)
• towertop
Thebaseoftallbuildingwill:
• benosmallerthan3storeys(10.5m)andnotallerthan80%ofthestreetright-of-waywidth;
• conformtotheheightofprevailingadjacentlow-risebuildings;
45o
80%
of A
Street’s righ-of way width=A
Street
Example of mid-rise building with projected balconies within the setback area
Example of mid-rise building with 45 degree angular plane and architectural articulation
Figure 20: Mid-rise building angular plane diagram
45O
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• usecompatibleandcomplimentarymaterialandheightofanyadjacentheritageproperty;
• havecontinuousweatherprotection;and
• havepermeablematerialsintheirfaçadetocreateanimatedstreetfrontages.
Towersoftallbuildingswill:
• beslendertominimizeadverseshadowimpactonresidentialNeighbourhoods,openspacesandstreets;
• haveafloorplatearealessthan750sq.m,otherwiseitshouldbehighlyarticulated;
• beaminimumof12.5mawayfromadjacentpropertyline;
• be20mawayfromabuttinglow-risebuildings;
• haveanappropriatestepbackfromthefaceofthebasebuildingfrontingontoYongeStreet.Thisstepbackisminimum10mforsiteswithoutaheritagepropertyorresourceandwillbeminimum20mifthereisaheritagepropertyonsite;
• conformtothe75degreeangularplane,startingataheightof18m,whichisabovethestreetwallheight(seefigure22),todeterminethemaximumallowableheight,iflocatedwithincorearea;and
• havewelldesignedtopfloorswitharchitecturalarticulationtoreflecttheroleofthetallbuildingsontheskyline.
The18mstreetwallheightandthe75degreeangularplanearedesignedsothattheheritagestreetscapeofYongeStreetismaintainedandthattallbuildingsareappropriatelysetback.Thefurthertheyaresetback,thehighertheyarepermittedtorise.
Figure 21: Illustrative rendering of the base buildings along Yonge Street and the towers with the minimum 10m and 20m setbacks from the front property line
Figure 22: Angular plane and setback for North Downtown Yonge within the core area
Figure 23: Tall building separation distance and floor plate area
min. 25m
max. 750 sq.m
max. 750 sq.m
min
. 25m
max. 750 sq.m
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coMMercIal buIldIngsTheareahasexperiencedtheconversionofcommercialbuildingstoresidentialusesandthedemolitionofcommercialbuildingsforprimarilyresidentialuses.Commercialbuildingsandresidentialbuildingswithalargeamountofcommercialspaceareencouragedintheareagiventheproximityoftransitnodes.Commercialbuildingswillbeinconformitywiththeaboveandthefollowing:
• Commercialbuildingsfloorplateareashouldnotexceed2500sq.m.Otherwise,theywillbehighlyarticulated.
• Theexteriorofthebuildingsshouldbeacombinationofvariedmaterialswithahighpercentageofpermeability.
• Theproposedcommercialbuildingsshouldmeetthegeneraldesigndirectionsdescribedinthisdocument.
• Largescalecommercialbuildingsarenotencouraged.
grade relaTed reTaIlHavingretailat-gradeisoneofthemostimportantaspectsofYongeStreet,reflectingitsprimaryretailstreetdesignation.ThedesignofgraderelatedretailshouldguaranteeitsmaximumpositivecontributiontothevitalityofYongeStreetCharacterAreaaswellasotherdefinedcharacterareaswithintheStudyArea.Toensurethis,thedevelopmentofretailat-gradewillconformtothefollowingdesigndirections:
• Largeconcentrationofretailat-gradewillbelocatedalongprimarystreetssuchasYongeStreet,BayStreet,WellesleyStreet,College/CarltonStreetsandChurchStreet.
• Theheightofthenewlybuiltretailat-gradeshouldbeminimum4.5mfloortofloor.
• Retailentrancesshouldbevisibleandclear,facingthestreetwithappropriatesignageandlighting.
• Retailat-gradeshouldhaveahighpercentageofpermeablematerialstocreateanimatedfrontage,visibility,safetyandinteraction.
• Continuousweatherprotection,suchascanopiesarerequired.
Example of a commercial building
Grade related retail with 4.5m height, clear entrance and weather protected entrance
Permeable materials in the facade of grade related retail
4.5m
Weather protection
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• Sidewalkcafesandpatiosshouldbewithinthesetbackareawithoutencroachingintothepublicright-of-way(withtheexceptionoftheseasonalpatiosalongChurchStreet)toavoidinterruptingthepedestrianclearway.
• Theexistingnarrowrhythmofretailfrontagesshouldbemaintainedandenhanced.
Example of custom-cut letter signage (Image by forum member TOCondoGarden)
Example of awning and digital printing signage, Source of the image: http://www.1stopvisual.com/
Example of minimal signage with variety of materials
• NewretailfrontagesshouldcomplywiththeaveragenarrowfrontagesalongYongeStreetandshouldrangefrom5mto7m,dependingontheirlocation.Largerretailfrontagesshouldbemostlyconcentratedonblocks1,2and8asperinformationprovidedinthe“blockbyblockanalysis”sectiontoreflecttheexistingpatternonthoseblocks.
• LargeformatretailwillnotbepermittedtooccupythegroundlevelonanybuildingfrontingontoYongeStreet.Allretailspacesshouldhavetheexteriorfacadeconsistentwiththenarrowrhythmofat-gradestorefronts.
• RetailstoreswithactiveusesafterworkinghoursareencouragedalongYongeStreetandretailstoresthatareonlyactiveduringworkinghours(suchasbanks)shouldbedirectedtowardsthesidestreetsorupperlevelsoastonottakeawayfromthevibrantcharacterofYongeStreet.
• SignsfornewlybuiltretailstoresaswellasanyupgradetothesignageofexistingretailstoreswillbereviewedinaccordancewiththeCityofTorontosignby-lawandshould:
0behighqualityandcompatiblewiththecharacterofthearea.
0beminimal,welldesignedandmadewithhighqualitymaterials.(Highqualityawningsignage,digitalprinting,non-illuminated,customcutletterswithabroadrangeofmaterialsincludingacrylic,PVC,signfoam,gatorfoam,MDF,aluminum,stainlesssteel,etc.areencouraged.)
• Back-litboxsignage,bannersandmovingsignsareprohibited.
Retailsignageonheritagepropertiesshallbe:
• madeofamaterialsympathetictoandcompatiblewiththeheritageproperty;
• Affixedtothepropertyinmortarjointsonlyonmasonrystructures;
• Bereversiblewithoutdamagingtheheritageproperty;
• Belocatedwithinthesignbandwherehistoricstorefrontremainintact;and
• Noback-litorcabinetsigns.
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serVIcIng (ParkIng, loadIng/unloadIng)
Thefollowingdesigndirectionsaregoingtobetakenintoconsiderationduringthereviewofanyapplicationinordertoensurethattheproposedparkingdoesnotinterferewithkeyviewsandlocationsandwillminimizetrafficcongestions.
• EntrancetoparkingandloadingandunloadingareaswillnotbedirectlyfromtheMainStreets.
• Loadingandunloadingareasshouldbehiddenfromviewandlocatedonroadswiththeleastpedestriantraffic.
• Accesstoparkingshouldnotbelocatedatgatewaysitesorattheterminusofaviewcorridor.
• Vehicleparkingandloading/unloadingareasshouldbeplacedbelowgrade.
Example of parking entrance and loading/unloading area away from street Bicycle rack accommodation within the public right-of-way
• Thenumberofparkingspacesshallbeinconformitywithresidentialandvisitorparkingrequirements,statedintheZoningBy-law.
• Thenumberofvehicularparkingmaybereducedthroughtheprovisionofcarshareaspects.
• Bicycleparkingforbothvisitorsandresidentsshouldbelocatedat-gradeandatthefirstparkinglevelofthebuilding,andpreferablywithseparateentrancesandloadingareasfromthevehicles.
• Tocreateanenvironmentallyfriendlydesign,thenumberofbicycleparkingspacesshouldbeinconformitywithTorontoGreenStandard.
• Bicycleracksshouldbeprovidedalongstreetsandcorridors.
• AbovegradeparkingisprohibitedexceptforpropertiesthataredirectlyovertheYongesubwayline.Inthiscaseabovegradeparkingshallbemaskedwithresidentialunits,offices,retail,institutionalorrecreationuses.
parking entrance behind the building
Laneway access
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• Commercialboulevardparkingisprohibited.Incentiveswillbeprovidedtoencourageexistingcommercialboulevardparkingspacestobeconvertedintowidersidewalks,sidewalkcafes,bicycleparkingareas,communitygardensandsittingareas.
• AbovegradeparkingisprohibitedexceptforpropertiesthataredirectlyovertheYongesubwayline.Inthiscaseabovegradeparkingshallbemaskedwithresidentialunits,offices,retail,institutionalorrecreationuses.
Incaseswheresurfaceparkinglotsmayremainforaperiodoftime,specificapproachesmaybeconsideredinordertobeautifytheurbanspaceandmitigatethenegativeimpactofsuchspaceswithintheStudyArea.Asdescribedinthe“Design Guidelines for ‘Greening’ Surface Parking Lots”(updatedJanuary2013),beforeplanningandbuildingsurfaceparkinglots,thefeasibilityofalternatives,suchasundergroundparking,shouldbeconsidered.Whenthesepreferredalternativesarenotfeasible,surfaceparkinglotsshouldbecarefullydesignedtoenhancetheurbandesignandenvironmentalconditions.Surfaceparkinglotdesignshouldreflectthefollowingobjectives:
• Respecttheexistingorplannedcontext
• Enhancethesafetyandattractivenessofthepublicrealm(adjacentstreets,parksandopenspaces)
• Createdirect,comfortableandsafepedestrianroutes
• Provideshadeandhigh-qualitylandscaping
• Mitigatetheurbanheatislandeffect
• Managestormwaterqualityandquantityon-site
• Incorporatesustainablematerialsandtechnologies
Bicycleracksareencouragedtobelocatedwithinindividualparkingspaceswhentheyareincloseproximitytothesidewalk.
Formoreinformationpleaserefertothe“Design Guidelines for ‘Greening’ Surface Parking Lots”document.
A pedestrian pathway defined and lit with appropriately-scaled fixtures
A coordinated lighting scheme and landscape
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Figure 24: Street Character Types
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6.0 sTreeT cHaracTer TYPes
urban sTreeT UrbanStreetsgenerallyhavelargerbuildingsthatreflectabroaderfunctionalimportanceofthestreet.Themannerinwhichthebuildingsinterfacewiththestreetshouldbesensitivetothecomfortandvisualinterestsofpedestriansandcreateastrongsenseofplace.Architecturaltreatmentsshouldbeappropriatelyscaledtomakeanimpressiononpeoplemovingincars,aswellaswhilewalking,cyclingortakingtransit.Entrancesshouldbedefinedandstorefrontsshouldpromotevisibilitytotheinteriorspaces.UrbanStreetswithintheStudyAreainclude:YongeStreet,BayStreet,ChurchStreet,andWellesleyStreet.BloorStreetfoundintheBloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Urban Design GuidelinesisalsoanUrbanStreet.
PrIMarY PedesTrIan sTreeT PrimaryStreetsarelikeurbanstreetsintheirneedtoensurethecomfortandvisualinterestofthepedestrians.Reinforcementofthehumanscale,avibrantstreetlifeincludingsidewalkcafesandspill-outretailactivitiesandpedestrianpriorityarepre-eminentconsiderations.BalmutoStreet,CharlesStreetWest,HaydenStreetandpartsofCharlesStreetEastfallintothiscategory.
neIgHbourHood sTreeT ThesetypesofstreetssupportstableresidentialNeighbourhoodsandshouldreinforcetheresidentialscaleofthestreet.Whereappropriate,trafficcalmingmeasuresmaybeimplementedtocontrolthespeedofvehiclesanddiscouragethrough-traffic.Buildingsonthesestreetshavealargesetbackfromthefrontpropertyline,creatinggenerousfrontlandscapedareasandfrontyards.Thiswilladdtotheneighbourhood-likefeelingofsuchstreetsandcreateapedestrianfriendlycorridor.Allstreets,excludingtheonesmentionedinthe“UrbanStreets”and“PrimaryStreets”sections,areNeighbourhoodStreetswithintheStudyArea.
Church Street, an Urban Street
Hayden Street, a Primary Street
Gloucester Street, a Neighbourhood Street
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Figure 25: New Open Space Network
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7.0 Parkland / PublIc realM
TherearegreatopportunitieswithintheStudyArea,whichcanhelpimprovetheexistingparks,openspaces,pedestrianlinks,forecourts,courtyards,andthequalityofthepedestrianenvironmentalongtheexistingroadnetwork.Therearealreadyanumberofvaluablepublicparksandprivatelyownedpublicopenspaces(POPS)locatedwithintheStudyArea,whichshouldbeenhanced,maintainedandexpandedtostrengthenpedestriansafety,comfortandleisureastheprioritizeddevelopmentinNorthDowntownYongearea.ThemajorexistingopenspaceswithintheStudyAreainclude:
• GeorgeHislop,NormanJewisonandJamesCanningGardens,whichcollectivelycreatethelinearparkontheeastsideofYongeStreet
• CawthraPark
• ChurchStreetPublicSchoolyardattheintersectionofChurchandWoodStreets
• AlexanderStreetParketteonAlexanderStreet
• OperaPlaceParkonthesouthsideofBreadalbaneStreet
• BreadalbaneParkonthenorthsideofBreadalbaneStreet
• CloverHillPark,locatedatthenorthwestcornerofBayandSt.JosephStreets
• PaulKaneHousePark
Thereisalsoalargeconcentrationofcourtyards,forecourtsandsquaresalongtheBayStreetCharacterArea,aswellasothertypesofgreenopenspacesinfrontofdevelopmentswhichenhanceandstrengthentheopenspacenetwork.Figure25identifiestheseopenspaceswithintheStudyArea,aswellasthegreatopportunitiesfortheirexpansionandenhancement.
Thegoalistocreateacontinuous,easytoaccessandeasytouseopenspacenetworkforallusers.Thereareanumberofwaystoachievethisgoal,includingbutnotlimitedtosomekeyinitiativessuchas:
James Caning Gardens
Example of a forecourt on Bay Street
Cawthra Park on Church Street
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• Enhancingexistingopenspaces.Thereareopportunities,forexample,tohaveadditionalopenspacesattheintersectionofYongeandGloucesterStreets,aswellasonBreadalbaneStreetandtheintersectionofChurchandWoodStreets;
• Providingastrongphysicalconnectionbetweenthelinearparks.Forexample,thereareopportunitiestotableandbricktheportionsofGloucesterStreetandIsabellaStreetabuttingJamesCanningGardens,NormanJewisonPark,GeorgeHislopPark;
• CreatingorimprovingexistingpedestrianconnectionstoparksandopenspaceswhichhavelessvisibilitytoUrbanStreets(i.e.GeorgeHislop,NormanJewisonandJamesCanningGardens);
• Providingadditional,welldesigned,welllitandinvitingmid-blockpedestrianconnectionstoassisttherevitalizationofstreets;
• EnhancingStreetscapedesignthroughtreeplanting,pavingmaterials,widenedsidewalks(6mto10m),streetfurniture,landscapeplanters,decorativepedestrianscalestreetlightingandpublicart;
Green east-west corridors to strengthen the open space network
6m sidewalk currently exists on Yonge Street between Wood and Alexander Streets
6M
Figure 26: Sketch showing the potential open space at the intersection of Yonge and Gloucester Streets
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• Wideningthesetbackoneast-weststreetstoprovidea“greengateway”tothesestreets;
• Incorporatingforecourtsandsidewalkwideningforsidewalk/streetactivities,suchassidewalkcafesandspill-outretail;
• Creatingpromenadesatdesiredlocationstoprovidebeauty,porosity,visibilityandaccessibilitytoexistingparksandopenspaces;
• Encouragingnewdevelopmentstoincorporateprivatelyownedpublicspaces(POPS)andgreenspacesasapartoftheirdesign;
• Conversionofsoftorunderutilizedsitestoparksandopenspacesatstrategiclocations.Asanexample,theBreadalbaneParkmaybeexpandedthroughthereviewofthedevelopmentapplicationat11WellesleyStreetWest;
• Creatingwelldesignedopenspacesadjacenttoanexistingpark;
• Preservingtheexistingcharacteroftheresidentialareasbyencouragingtreelinedstreetsandlandscapedfrontyards;
• Definingpedestrianpaths,crossingsandsidewalkswithhighqualitymaterials;
• UsingzebrastripedcrossingsonarterialroadsincludingYongeStreet,WellesleyStreetandCollege/CarltonStreets,aswellaslocalstreetsandwherepossibleintheformofraisedcrossings;
• Providingraisedcrossingsattheendoflanewaysandmid-blockpedestrianmovement;
• Extendingthepavementtreatmentofmid-blockpathwaystotheintersectingstreet;and
Zebra striped crossings
Photo of new privately owned public space (POPS)
Example of a promenade to expand pedestrian networks
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Example of an enhanced mid-block pedestrian connection, Yorkville, Toronto
• Enhancingmid-blockpedestrianandcyclistcirculationwithoutinterruption,specialattentionshouldbegiventothedesignofrearsideofthepropertiesby:
o Designingthebuildinginterfacewithhighqualitymaterialsandwindows(eyesonstreet)alongtherearlanewaystocreateapleasantpedestrianplace
o Specialpavementtreatmentstoemphasizeonthecontinuityofmid-blockaccessandcirculationalongYongeStreet
o Providingdecorativepedestrianscalelightsaswellasclearandvisiblesignageforsafetyandway-finding
o Wideningthelanewaywidth,ifpossible,toallowforsmallformatandnarrowfrontageretailat-grade,implementedinthegroundfloorofnewdevelopments.Thisapproachwillmaketheselanewaysnotjustapassageforcirculationandaccess,butareasforhangingoutandleisure.
TheUniversityofTorontoSecondaryPlanidentifiesmajorpedestrianconnectionsfromthecampustoimportantopenspaceswithintheStudyAreaandbeyond.
Existing laneways should be enhanced
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Figure 27: Sketch showing an enhanced mid-block pedestrian connection
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8.0 gaTewaY TreaTMenT
Gatewaysareimportantentrypointstoaneighbourhood,acommunityoracity.Theyhaveakeyroleinestablishinganarea,whilegivingitadistinctidentity.Gatewaysareusuallylocatedatvisiblelocations,withahighvolumeoftransportation,similartomajorintersectionsortransitnodes.Figure28identifiesthegatewayswithintheStudyArea.ThesegatewaysrepresentsignificantopportunitiestomarkentrypointsnotonlyintotheStudyArea,butalsotodifferentcharacterareaswithin.Creativewaysandtoolscanbeusedtoaccentuatetheentrypointstotheseareasincluding:
• Distinctarchitecturaldesign
• Useofspecialmaterialsandfaçadetreatment
• Speciallandscapetreatment
• Greatstreetscapedesignbytreeplanting,lights,upgradedsidewalktreatmentandspecialstreetfurniture
• Plazasandopenspacesaslandmarks
• Publicartinstallations
• ViewsofheritagepropertiesindicatedwithintheSiteandAreaSpecificPolicesrelatingtothisarea
TheUniversityofTorontoSecondaryPlanidentifiessomeofthegatewaysthatarelocatedalongBayStreetactingasentrypointstothecampus.
Allgatewaytreatmentswillensurethattherearenonegativeimpactonheritagepropertiesthatresultfromtheconsiderationindicatedabove.
Special landscape treatment and open space as a gateway (Yorkville, Toronto)
Distinct architectural design as a means to introduce a gateway
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Figure 29: Terminus & Signature Treatment
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ViewsandkeysiteshaveasignificantroleinorientingpedestriansandcyclistsaswellasdriverswithintheStudyArea.Viewstothefollowingpropertiesontheheritageregisterwillbeconservedconsistentwiththeviewprotectionpoliciesofsections3.1.1and3.1.5oftheOfficialPlan:
• College park [H]–CollegeParkcanbeviewedfromseveralvantagepointswithintheYongeStreetcorridor.Theentiretyofitseastfacingfacadecanbeviewedfromthenorth-eastcornerofYongeStreetandWoodStreet.TheentirenorthfacingfaçadecanbeviewedfromCollegeStreetandthenorth-eastcornerofBayStreet.Bothfacadescanbeviewedtogetherfromthenorth-eastcornerofYongeStreetandCarltonStreet.
• OddFellows’ Hall[H]–TheOddfellows’Halllocatedonthenorth-westcornerofYongeStreetandCollegeStreetcanbeviewedfromseveralvantagepointsintheYongeStreetandCollege/CarltonStreetcorridor.Theeastfacingfaçadeandtowersofthepropertycanbeviewedfromthenorth-eastcornerofAlexanderStreetandYongeStreet,aswellasfromthesouth-eastcornerofCarltonStreetandYongeStreet.Thepropertycanbeseeninitsentiretyfromthesouth-eastcornerofYongeStreetandCarltonStreetaswellasfromthesouthsidesidewalkofCarltonStreetinfrontofthedrivewayentranceto25CarltonStreet.
View terminus from Irwin Street
• Firehall Clock Tower[H]–thefirehallclocktoweronYongeStreet,locatedmid-blockbetweenGrenvilleStreetandGrosvenorStreetcanbeviewedfromthecornersofGrosvenorStreetandYongeStreetaswellasthecornersofGrenvilleStreetandYongeStreet.ThetowerisalsoaprominentviewfromthewestsideofYongeStreetbetweenthesouthsideofCarltonStreetandnorthsideofCharlesStreet.
• Masonic Hall[H]–theMasonicHallatYongeStreetatGloucesterStreetcanbeviewedinitsentiretylookingnorthfromthenorth-westcornerofYongeandSt.JosephStreets.TheprominenttowerandWestfacingfacadecanbeviewedfromIrwinandSt.NicholaslaneaswellasCottageLane.ItssouthernFaçadeandcornertowercanalsobeseenfromthesouthsideofGloucesterStreetwhenviewedfromthenorthernentrytoJamesCanninggarden.
Publicandprivatedevelopmentswillpreservetheviewstotheseheritageproperties.Theywillbeaddedtomaps7aand7boftheOfficialPlanuponimplementationofOPA199.AHeritageImpactAssessmentmayberequiredwhereadevelopmentmayobstructordetractfromaviewincludedintherelatedsiteandareaspecificpolicy.
Figure29identifiessitesthatterminateaviewcorridorandhavestrategiclocationsforpublicorcommercialuses.Theyalsoofferanopportunitytocreatevisualinterestfromgreaterdistances.Thereareanumberofviewsandkeysitesinsidethestudyareathatshouldbeprotected,designedoraccentuatedby:• Distinctarchitecturaldesign• Refurbishmentandexposureofbuildingswithheritagevalueandlandmarkcharacteristic• Landscapedesign• Structuralelements• Publicartinstallation
Terminustreatmentsitesshouldnotbeconsideredthesingularjustificationforadditionalheight.Figure29identifiessitesthatareathighlyvisibleintersectionsand/oroccupysitesofsignificancetothecity.Thesesitesofferanopportunityforlandmarkbuildingsthatshouldbeuniqueandimmediatelyidentifiable.Heritagepropertiesthatarealsoviewterminishouldbeconservedsothatviewterminustreatmentsdonotnegativelyimpacttheirheritagevaluesorattributes.
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Figure 30: Shadow Sensitive Areas
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10.0 PublIc arT
PublicartwillplayasignificantroleinreinforcingtheurbandesignguidelinesforthepublicrealmintheNorthDowntownYongeStudyArea.
Thecreationofpublicartthatreflectsourculturaldiversityandhistorywillbepromoted.Opportunitiesforpublicartcanrangefromtheintegrationofideasintostreetscape,openspace,builtformdesignstothecreationofindependentsculptures.Gatewaysandvisualcorridorterminationsshallbecomeprominentpublicartsites.ItisanticipatedthattheCity’sPrivateDeveloperPercentforPublicArtProgramwillbeacontributortotheimprovementofpubliclyaccessibleareas,bothonprivateandpubliclands.PublicartpoliciesandguidelinesarereferencedintheCityOfTorontoOfficialPlan.
11.0 sHadow sensITIVe areas
Parks,residentialareasandthepublicrealmmustbeprotectedfromundueovershadowingbyproposedbuildings.Inordertominimizetheadverseimpactofproposedbuildingsontheneighbouringareas,applicantsofprojectswhichhaveaheightabovetheexistingcontextshouldprovidedrawingsshowingshadowscastbytheproposeddevelopmentonpubliclyaccessibleareasandonbuildingssurroundingit.ShadowsshouldbeshownforDecember21,June21,March21andSeptember21forthehourof9:18am,10:18am,11:18am,12:18pm(whenthesunisatitshighestpointinToronto’slatitude),1:18pm,2:18pm,3:18pmand4:18pm.Shadowdrawingsaretobeprovidedearlyinthedevelopmentreviewprocessandforacompletedevelopmentapplication.Consideringtheas-of-right,additionalshadowswillnotbepermittedonspecificparksandopenspaces,includingtheOperaPlaceParkanditsfutureexpansion.Shadowstudiesforadditionaltimesmayberequiredwhenwarranted.ShadowsensitiveareasandNeighbourhoodsinNorthDowntownYongeareshowninfigure30.
12.0 wInd IMPacT sTudY
Inordertominimizetheadverseimpactofaproposedbuildingonthepedestrianlevelsurroundingthebuildingandintheneighbouringareas,applicantsoftheprojectsinexcessof20minheightshallprovideapedestrianlevelwindstudyoftheproposeddevelopmentearlyinthereviewprocess.
Public art can be incorporated into the design of the building. (Burano building on Bay Street)
Example of a stand alone public art (Immigrant family,18 Yonge Street)
Example of public art incorporated into the landscape design(Bird bath, Four Seasons on Bay and Yorkville Streets)
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13.0 susTaInabIlITY and green sTandards
NewdevelopmentsproposedintheStudyAreawillbemodern,energyefficientandsustainable.AllapplicationswillbereviewedfortheirconformitytotheTorontoGreenStandard.
TheTorontoGreenStandard(TGS)isatwo-tieredsetofperformancemeasureswithsupportingguidelinesrelatedtosustainablesiteandbuildingdesignfornewpublicandprivatedevelopments.Thestandardsaredesignedtoworkwiththeregulardevelopmentapprovalsandinspectionsprocess.AllnewplanningapplicationsarerequiredtodocumentcompliancewithTier1environmentalperformancemeasures.
ApplicantswhoalsochoosetomeetTier2,avoluntaryhigherlevelofenvironmentalperformance,maybeeligibleforadevelopmentchargerefund.
14.0 cYclIng
Theareahasahighvolumeofcyclistsduetotheconcentrationofemployment(GovernmentofOntario,UniversityofToronto,RyersonUniversityandhospitaldistrict)andhighdensityresidentialareas.TheareaisentirelywithinthePhase1serviceareaofBIXI.CyclingenhancementssuchasbarrierprotectedbikelanesonWellesleyStreetwillbeinstalledin2013eastofYongeStreetandin2014westofYongeStreet.SharrowshavebeenapprovedbyCityCouncilforthesectionofBayStreetbetweenCollegeStreetandBloorStreetWest.CyclingimprovementsonYongeStreetwillbereviewedinconjunctionwitharevisioningoftheYongeStreetstreetscape.
BicycleparkingissuppliedbybicyclepostandlockupringsandattheTorontoParkingAuthoritylotonWellesleyStreetEast.NewdevelopmentsarerequiredtoprovideadequateonsitebicycleparkingandbicyclepostandlockupringswithintheCity’sright-of-way.
For
Mid to HighRise Development(All buildings 4-storeys or greater, and
all residential apartment buildings)
Toronto Green Standard
Making a Sustainable City Happen
Toronto Green Standard document
Bicycle lane on Wellesley Street
BIXI bicycle station within the Study Area
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15.0 TransIT
TheareaiswellservedbytheYonge-Universitysubwayline,Bloor-Danforthsubwayline,College/Carltonstreetcar,andbusserviceonBayStreetandWellesleyStreet.Toservethegrowingemploymentandpopulation,thefollowingtransitimprovementsarearequired:
• ElevatoratWellesleyStation
• NorthEntrance/ExittoWellesleySubwayStationintegratedintotheproperty/buildingat15or17DundonaldStreet
• SouthEntrance/ExittoWellesleySubwayStationintegratedintothefuturedevelopmentattheTorontoParkingAuthoritylotonWellesleyStreetEast.
• ElevatoratCollegeStation
• WeatherprotectedstairwayatthenortheastcornerofCarltonStreetandYongeStreet
• Wherepossible,newdevelopmentisencouragedtoconnectdirectlyintotheBloor/Yonge,WellesleyandCollegesubwaystationsandPATHsystem
Example of a covered subway station entrance
Yonge and College subway station entrance
Existing underground connection to subway from 777 Bay Street
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Figure 31: Three BIAs within the Study Area
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16.0 relaTed sTraTegIes
Yonge sTreeT culTural PlanYongeStreetisdesignatedasaCulturalCorridorfromGrosvenor-AlexanderStreetstoDundasStreet.SignificantculturalresourcesexistonornearYongeStreet,northofDundasStreetincludingTorontoLifeSquare,theCarlu,CarltonCinema,BuddiesinBadTimesTheatre,andthePanasonicTheatre.ItisrecommendedthattheCultureSectionextendtheYongeStreetCulturalCorridortoDavenportRoad.
TheDowntownYongeBIAdevelopedaPublicRealmStrategywhichwasendorsedbyTorontoCityCouncilin2012.ThestrategyoutlinesdesiredimprovementstothepublicrealmwithintheBIAarea.TheintentofthestrategywastoguidefutureinvestmentintheBIAareabybothprivateandpublicsectorandjointinitiatives.
ThestrategydividedtheBIAareaintocharacterareasandfurtheridentifiedimprovementswithineachcharacterarea.TheCollege/CarltonCharacterAreaiswithintheStudyAreaandthefollowingimprovementsareidentified:
• St.LukeLaneImprovementProject
• CollegeSubwayStationStairwellCanopyProject
• ReverendPorterLaneImprovementProject
• WoodStreet(atYongeStreet)SidewalkBump-outProject
• GrenvilleStreet(atYongeStreet)SidewalkBump-outProject
cHurcH wellesleY VIllage bIa PublIc realM sTraTegYTheChurchWellesleyVillageBIAPublicRealmStrategyincludesthefollowing:
•Murals,parklets,curbbumpouts,bikeparking,decorativebanners,polewraps,hangingflowerbaskets,publiclanenaming,publiclanebrickpaving,andpedestrianamenityareas.
downTown Yonge sTreeT coMMunITY IMProVeMenT PlanBy-law1996-0135wasenactedMarch4,1996designatingandadoptingaCommunityImprovementPlan(CIP)fordowntownYongeStreet.TheCIPwassubsequentlyamended7timesfrom1996to2002.TheCIPcontainspolicieswhichwereoriginallyputinplacetosupporttheYonge/DundasRedevelopmentProject.AmendmentstotheCIPovertheyearsadjustedtheboundariesofthePlanandaddedtheCity’sfaçadeimprovementgrantprogramasaneligiblebenefit.
HIsTorIc Yonge sTreeT HerITage conserVaTIon dIsTrIcT sTudY and PlanYongeStreetbetweenCollege/CarltonandDavenportRoadiscurrentlybeingstudiedforitspotentialculturalheritagevalueanddesignationasaheritageconservationdistrict.ShouldthestudyindicatethestreetshouldbedesignatedasanHCD,aplanfortheconservationandplanningoftheareawillbeprepared.ThatplanonceadoptedbyCouncil,maysupersedepartsofthisUrbanDesignGuidelinesthatcoverthesameareorthatconflictwiththeHCDPlan.
Photo of Yonge Street in the area of Yonge Downtown BIA
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Figure 32: Community Improvement Plan (CIP)
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17.0 relaTed docuMenTs
1. Urban Design Guidelines for Greening Parking Lots
Link:http://www.toronto.ca/planning/urbdesign/greening_parking_lots.htm
2. DiscoveryDistrictCIP
Link1:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_District
Link2:http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2002/agendas/committees/to/to020507/it011a.pdf
3. UptownDiscoverywalk[changeMidtowntoUptown]
Link:http://www.toronto.ca/parks/pdf/trails/DW_Uptown.pdf
4. BirdFriendlyUrbanDesignGuidelines
Link:http://www.toronto.ca/lightsout/pdf/development_guidelines.pdf
5. YongeStreetHeritageConservationDistrictStudyarea(College/CarltonStreettoDavenportRoad)
Link1:http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/heritage_districts.htm
Link2:http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-49461.pdf
6. Tall Building Design Guidelines and Downtown Tall Building Vision and Supplementary Design Guidelines
Link:http://www.toronto.ca/planning/tallbuildingstudy.htm
7. UniversityofTorontoSecondaryPlan
Link:http://www.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/pdf_secondary/20_university_toronto_oct2009.pdf
8. Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada
Link:www.historicplaces.ca
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aPPendIx 1
community Improvement facilities are to support the growth of employment and population in the north downtown Yonge Planning area.
1.0 PedesTrIan sTreeTscaPe aMenITY• ScrambleIntersectionatYongeStreetand
College/CarltonStreets
• PolemountedpedestrianscalestreetlightsonYongeStreetbetweenGrosvenor/AlexanderStreettoCharlesStreet
• St.LukeLaneImprovementProject
• ReverendPorterLaneImprovementProject
• WoodStreet(atYongeStreet)SidewalkBump-outProject
• GrenvilleStreet(atYongeStreet)SidewalkBump-outProject
• StreetscaperenewalonCollege/CarltonStreetbetweenBayStreetandChurchStreet
• ChurchStreetParklets
• St.JosephStreet(atBayStreet)SidewalkBump-outProject
• SidewalkwideningontheeastsideofBayStreetatGrenvilleStreet
• ExtensionoftheBayStreetBioswalebetweenCollegeStreetandCharlesStreetWest
• Wideningsidewalkswherepossibletoaminimumwidthof6metres
• ProvisionofcontinuousweatherprotectionalongthefrontageofYongeStreet,ChurchStreet,BayStreet,WellesleyStreet,andCollegeCarltonStreetforallnewdevelopment
• TablingandbrickingacrosswalkonIsabellaStreetandGloucesterStreettoconnectGeorgeHislopPark,NormanJewisonParkandJamesCanningGardens
• Mid-blockconnections–northeastcornerof11WellesleyStreetWesttoBreadalbanePark,andnorth-southandeast-westthroughthefuturedevelopmentattheTorontoParkingAuthoritylotonWellesleyStreetEast
• TablingandbrickingacrosswalkonBreadalbaneStreettoconnectBreadalbaneParkandOperaPlacePark
• Roadright-of-waywideningonWellesleyStreetWestbetweenBayStreetandYongeStreettofacilitatewidersidewalks
• PedestrianscalestreetlightsonBayStreet
• WideningofPhippsStreetbetweenBayStreetandSt.NicholasStreet
• BrickpavingPhippsStreet
2.0 cYclIng• SharrowsonBayStreetbetweenBloorStreetWest
andCollegeStreet
• BarrierprotectedbikelanesonWellesleyStreet
• Additionalbicyclepostandlockuprings
3.0 TransIT• ElevatoratWellesleyStation
• NorthEntrance/ExittoWellesleySubwayStationintegratedintotheproperty/buildingat15or17DundonaldStreet
• SouthEntrance/ExittoWellesleySubwayStationintegratedintothefuturedevelopmentattheTorontoParkingAuthoritylotonWellesleyStreetEast.
• ElevatoratCollegeStation
• WeatherprotectedstairwayatthenortheastcornerofCarltonStreetandYongeStreet
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4.0 Parkland• Publicparkorpubliclyaccessibleprivatelyowned
spaceattheTorontoParkingAuthorityLotonWellesleyStreetEast
• ExpansionofNormanJewisonParktoincludetheTorontoParkingAuthorityspacesabuttingthepark.
• ExpansionofBreadalbanePark
• CawthraParkrenewal
• NewparklandinthevicinityofWoodStreetandChurchStreet
• Publiclyaccessibleprivatelyownedspaceatthesouthendof501YongeStreet
• Publiclyaccessibleprivatelyownedspaceatthenorthendof587-599YongeStreet
• CloverHillParkrevitalization
5.0 coMMunITY serVIces• CommunitymeetingspacewestofYongeStreet
6.0 TransPorTaTIon serVIces• SignalizationoftheintersectionofBayStreet
andSt.MaryStreet
• WideningofMaitlandPlacebetweenMaitlandStreetandWellesleyStreetEast
URBANDESIGNGUIDELINES
NORTHDOWNTOWNYONGE
TORONTO73September 2013
lIsT of fIgures
Figure 1:AerialPhotooftheStudyArea..............................................................................................................P.3Figure 2:HeritageProperties..................................................................................................................................P.4Figure 3:CharacterAreas........................................................................................................................................P.8Figure 4:HaydenStreetsketchlookingeastalongHaydenStreetshowingbuildingswithmid-blockconnection,consistentsetbacksandstepbacksabovethebasebuildingheight(Reference:Bloor-Yorkville North Midtown Urban Design Guidelines document)...........................................P.11
Figure 5:SketchofYongeStreetasa“GreatStreet”.........................................................................................P.26Figure 6:CrosssectionthroughYongeStreet,fromBloorStreettoCollegeStreetidentifyingdifferent
heightzones,*Subjecttoangularplane(seefigure22).....................................................................P.27Figure 7:NorthDowntownYongeHeightZones...............................................................................................P.28Figure 8:Block1planview..................................................................................................................................P.31Figure 9:Block2planview..................................................................................................................................P.32Figure 10:Sketchtoillustratetheconceptofsettingbackdevelopmenttoexposeviewsofthefirehallclocktower................................................................................................................................P.32Figure 11:Block3planview................................................................................................................................P.33Figure 12:Block4planview................................................................................................................................P.35Figure 13:Block5planview.................................................................................................................................P.36Figure 14:Block6planview................................................................................................................................P.37Figure 15:SketchshowingthepotentialopenspaceattheintersectionofYongeandGloucesterStreets.P.37Figure 16:Block7planview................................................................................................................................P.38Figure 17:Block8planview................................................................................................................................P.39Figure 18:BuiltFormFramework........................................................................................................................P.42Figure 19:Exampleofanewstreetwallmaintainingarhythmandscaleoftheexistingheritagebuildings...............................................................................................................................P.43Figure 20:Mid-risebuildingangularplanediagram...........................................................................................P.44Figure 21:IllustrativerenderingofthebasebuildingsalongYongeStreetandthetowerswiththeminimum10mand20msetbackfromthefrontpropertyline............................P.44Figure 22:AngularplaneandsetbackforNorthDowntownYongewithinthecorearea.............................P.45Figure 23:Tallbuildingseparationdistanceandfloorplatearea....................................................................P.45Figure 24:StreetCharacterTypes........................................................................................................................P.50Figure 25:NewOpenSpaceNetwork.................................................................................................................P.53Figure 26:SketchshowingthepotentialopenspaceattheintersectionofYongeandGloucesterStreets..P.54Figure 27:Sketchshowinganenhancedmid-blockpedestrianconnection....................................................P.57Figure 28:GatewayTreatment.............................................................................................................................P.58Figure 29:Terminus&SignatureTreatment.....................................................................................................P.60Figure 30:ShadowSensitiveAreas......................................................................................................................P.62Figure 31:ThreeBIAswithintheStudyArea.....................................................................................................P.66Figure 32:CommunityImprovementPlan(CIP).................................................................................................P.68
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