What did our ancestors know about building great streets that we don’t?
Great streets aren’t just ways to get here or there, they are destinations. This is true in Paris (Champs-Élysées), New York (Fifth Ave.), Barcelona (La Rambla) and even Toronto (Queen St. W.).
Clearly, though, not all streets are created equal. In this city, the most desirable streets are those rare thoroughfares that had greatness built into their very fabric, often serendipitously. Aside from Queen, the best examples are College, King, Bloor, University, Spadina and, in parts, Yonge. A combination of factors such as road width, building height and streetscape creates roads that work on many levels — economic, social and practical. They succeed because they offer a range of opportunities from shopping and entertainment to transportation and employment.
Then there are those streets that have greatness thrust upon them. A recent report from the Ryerson City Building Institute examines a handful of Toronto arteries that have been successfully remade to reflect 21st-century values and conditions. Some examples are more convincing than others, but all deserve discussion. Queens Quay W., for instance, is a post-industrial thoroughfare transformed into a waterfront promenade that favours pedestrians and cyclists over cars and trucks. Streetcars are also part of the mix. The results can be chaotic — drivers regularly enter the streetcar tunnel and get stuck on the tracks — but they are a huge improvement.
As the authors of the report — Cherise Burda and Claire Nelischer — point out, “In 2007, before the redesign, pedestrians accounted for almost half of the traffic volume at intersections but only had 20 per cent of the space on the street.” They also note that, “Cycling on Queens Quay increased by 888 per cent after the extensions of the Martin Goodman Trail.”
Those are telling numbers. Yet Queens Quay falls short of greatness. Despite HTO Park and other amenities, the streetscape remains dismal. The most tourists can hope for is Swiss Chalet, or maybe Tim Hortons.
Compared to Roncesvalles, also on Ryerson’s list, Queens Quay’s offerings are slim pickings indeed. But even Roncy, though highly attractive, is largely single-loaded, the action concentrated mostly on the east side. And what’s with those streetcar stops that double as bike lanes?
On the other hand, changes on St. Clair Ave. west of Bathurst have brought the street back to life. Though the outcome is clearly positive, locals will never forget that it took five years to build a streetcar right-of-way because of bureaucratic incompetence. Traffic has been cut, pedestrian activity increased and the streetscape improved. The TTC stops are burdened with bad art, but St. Clair is a lively and comfortable artery well served by transit.
The study also lauds Harbord St. and that tiny makeover marvel, Market St., a block long road that runs along the west side of St. Lawrence Market from Front St. to The Esplanade. This is about as close as Toronto has come to creating a woonerf, a street shared equally by cars, bikes and pedestrians. Incorporating a variety of paving and using bollards instead of curbs, the street offers a glimpse into what’s possible, if, sadly, so far unique.
Finally, the report addresses what it calls “ones to watch.” Some — the King Street pilot and the Bloor St. bike lanes — are already complete and acknowledged successes. Others — the pedestrianization of downtown Yonge, the remake of Yonge between Sheppard and Finch, which Mayor John Tory and his allies oppose, and a remake of the Golden Mile — are frankly aspirational.
Though the authors provide important insights into how streets function, their work leads us to wonder whether making streets is an art or a science. Is it a job for engineers or urban designers? The answer, of course, is all the above. More important, perhaps, is the question of for whom streets are designed. For decades, the streets of Toronto and its surrounding suburbs have belonged to cars. That’s changing, leaving us in an awkward transition period as we try to accommodate all users. Given a choice, however, politicians and bureaucrats usually favour cars.
Yet Toronto’s finest streets predate the car. What did our predecessors know that we don’t? Lots. Their virtues — compactness, connectedness and coherence — were trampled in the rush to the hinterland. But as the suburban dream fails, we must relearn our forebears’ simple ideals. Ryerson’s study is a good place to start.