South Station St. (at Lawrence Ave. W.), Toronto, ON

This project (2013 - 2015) originated as a public realm improvement initiative with the Weston Village Business Improvement Area, and the Urban Land Institute of Toronto. Decreasing the wide road surface created more generous walkways, with bioretention tree plantings on both sides of the street. Large planting beds with limestone capped seatwalls were installed along Lawrence Ave. W, and an artist was hired to design a corten steel bike stand (inspired by the area’s cycling industry history). This was the first green infrastructure design of its kind in the city, and there are plans underway to expand the design approach along Lawrence Ave. W.. Supported by the local Councillor, the street is now a preferred pedestrian route to access the new Weston GO Station.

This project was designed as a Green Streets demonstration project by Sheila (then Urban Designer, City Planning), working closely Patrick Cheung, Senior Engineer, Toronto Water, and the local Business Improvement Area, and was constructed as a City of Toronto capital project.