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The following articles are from roncesvallesvillage.ca BIA site
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Toronto's Roncesvalles is into the second phase of its reconstruction. Roncesvalles Renewed is a group of residents, business owners, politicians, city planners, and transportation officials working together.
Our key priority was to ensure that plans include the conditions necessary for trees to flourish. We also planned for better sidewalks and improved public spaces to create an avenue that all would enjoy. These plans are now undersay. To show your support for a great street and to help our businesses get through this final phase, please buy and dine locally.
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Dig This! Reconstruction News and Updates
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May
11
Written by:
News Editor
5/11/2009 3:24 PM
Danish architect Jan Gehl is one of the world’s foremost experts on transforming public spaces and creating walking-friendly environments. He led the development of London, England’s ambitious pedestrian plan, and he is an important influence in New York’s recent transformation of its streets (discussed in the latest Spacing Radio podcast).
He will be speaking for free in Toronto at the Design Exchange on June 3. Here are some details:
Public Spaces & Public Life for the 21st century
A Discussion with Danish Architect Jan Gehl
Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Design Exchange
234 Bay Street, Toronto
Free admission to all
A presentation and discussion of Jan Gehl’s work and research in the area of public space design – from the revitalization of some of the world’s most important urban streets to waterfront redevelopment. Mr. Gehl will discuss his criteria for creating good ublic spaces using lessons from his recent work in places such as ew York, San Francisco, and Melbourne.
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1 comment(s) so far...
Re: Danish Urbanist Jan Gehl Coming to Toronto
Some of the takeaways from Jan Gehl’s inspiring presentation include:
• If you want a city that is: lively, attractive, safe, sustainable and healthy, you need policy and planning that is people-oriented (as opposed to car-oriented).
o Gehl refers to this as the One Stone / Five Birds Sustainability Policy.
o If you focus on the people, you create a more attractive city. People are the greatest attraction in our lives.
o You don’t need to travel so far to get away from it all, if you have a nice city right where you are.
o A good public realm is crucial to a good transportation system.
• Gehl referred to modernism and the car invasion of the mid-1950’s that shaped the design of cities.
o This was the biggest departure from how man had been building cities since the beginning.
o Many cities are designed around making things sweeter for cars and this makes things more difficult for pedestrians.
• In 1998 the Charter of Urban Planning recognized the imperative to never again separate work, residence and recreation.
o The last 10 years have seen a radical turnaround towards a more humanistic approach to city planning.
• Since 1962, Copenhagen has gradually pushed back traffic.
o In Copenhagen “it is ‘in’ to bike.” Everyone does. In fact, there is now a higher percentage of women and children cycling than men.
o Copenhagen has a new public life policy: people will walk 20% more by 2015.
• You need to do the research to prove how the changes impact people. This is something that local architectural and urban design students can undertake.
o Melbourne’s city centre is a shining example of a people-oriented urban transformation. See www.livablestreets.com/streetswiki/melbourne
o Gehl Architects are behind World Class Streets: Remaking New York City’s Public Realm. You can read the report – based on their recommendations – detailing the Department of Transportation’s strategy to enhance the public realm at www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/World_Class_Streets_Gehl_08.pdf .
o The City of Perth and the Government of Western Australia commissioned Jan Gehl and his team at Gehl Architects in September 2008 to undertake a Public Spaces Public Life study of the Perth central area. Download the Perth 2009 - Public Spaces Public Life findings report. See www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au/web/Council/Plans-and-Projects/Current-Plans-and-Studies/
By Veronica Feihl on
6/4/2009 3:17 AM
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Discover more about Roncesvalles Renewed friends and members; and share stories with the fans of this one-of-a-kind main street.
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