Toronto Waterfront’s Revitalization: Planning Policy’s Evolution and Commitment to Public Space Over Time

Abstract

This paper explores public space along Toronto’s waterfront through an evolution of strategies, plans, and reports from 1999 to present day. I discuss the industrial history of the waterfront prior to its redevelopment. Additionally, I examine the fragmented land ownership structure of the waterfront land which has posed unique challenges to its redevelopment due to a lack of consensus or support. There is a particular focus on what public space is and how it can be positively linked to wellbeing and quality of life. My research question aims to understand how the public and private are negotiated in the redevelopment plans of the Toronto waterfront over time, with a focus on the commitment to preserve and enhance public spaces through an examination of language and priorities. Through an analysis of strategies, plans, and reports and conversations with professional planners I developed an understanding of how public space has been prioritized. Throughout this research it has become apparent that public space has always been a primary consideration in planning the waterfront but has shifted in terms of how it is presented. From 1999 to 2023, the language surrounding public spaces has evolved from “green”, “parks”, and “public access” to “wellbeing”, “public realm”, and “gathering places”. This shift demonstrates the way public space is no longer being thought about simply as a park asset with public access, but as a space that is part of a greater public realm made up of connecting streets, parks, sidewalks, and trails that contribute to wellbeing, providing a place for social gathering. Within the last week of completing this paper, the waterfront reached a new milestone, opening Biidaasige Park in Ookwemin Minising, bringing 40 hectares of new parkland with public access.