Planning the Future of the Underground: Taking Toronto’s PATH to the Next Level

The Toronto PATH is among the world’s largest examples of underground pedestrian systems, offering sprawling subterranean corridors linking major office buildings, subway stations, shopping centres, and other destinations throughout downtown Toronto. Nearly entirely privately constructed, owned, and operated, the PATH was primarily built in the mid- to late-20th century to cater to the convenient, climate-controlled circulation of downtown Toronto’s population of office workers. As I experienced walking through the PATH during the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought to myself how this network of once lively urban spaces was impacted by the pandemic, such as through the consequent rise in popularity of working from home. This ultimately prompted me to write this paper, which serves to explore the history of the PATH network, record the current conditions of the PATH, and evaluate its future role in serving Toronto. Underground pedestrian systems have not been heavily researched and I found that as the world was exiting the COVID-19 pandemic, this would be an ideal opportunity to rethink the purpose of the PATH as an urban space. Through the review of literature, many site visits to the PATH, and discussions with several individuals knowledgeable on the PATH, I sought to answer: What kind of space can the Toronto PATH underground pedestrian system be in the future? While the PATH did suffer from severe drops in pedestrian activity during the core of the pandemic, the networks have seen a rebound to nearly pre-pandemic levels on most days of the week. It is not anticipated for the PATH to see any revolutionary changes to its approach as a transportation system in the near future, however, new retail options and experiences can be expected as well as improved wayfinding. Nevertheless, the PATH should not rest on its laurels and would benefit from greater efforts towards keeping it relevant and purposeful for the future. New uses, expanded network coverage, continued improvements of the PATH’s spaces and their given amenities, and better integration between above-ground and below-ground spaces are encouraged for the PATH to become less dependent on its core office commuter clientele and live up to its full potential.