AN ICONIC TRANSIT GATEWAY
In
my opinion the Yonge-Eglinton crossroad deserves an “iconic”
treatment, forming a significant transit “gateway”. Something
which is iconic has “a form that suggests its meaning”. If
Yonge-Eglinton Gateway can be emblematic of its importance all the
better, because it is a significant crossroads both below and
above ground, as well as at grade.
What we
have today is a hodgepodge legacy of uninspired standalone buildings,
fidgeted into an out of date rudimentary planning framework, which
has resulted in Yonge-Eglinton's current awkward configuration and
sense of place. [see Urban Branding, Marketecture]
Over the
next decade all four corners of the Yonge-Eglinton crossroads will
undergo a complete transformation encompassing an area the size of
Nathan Phillip Square. The change-makers include: the new Eglinton
LRT along with the overhaul of the existing Yonge-Eglinton Station,
and then new developments alongside both sides of Eglinton and Yonge
Street extending more than 200m.
Yonge-Eglinton
will experience a doubling of population reliant upon public transit,
requiring a high-volume-capable pedestrian dispersal system with
pathways interlacing with the high density surroundings.
In
ascribing to an iconic solution... I'm not intending anything less
than pulling into focus a tailored – fit-to-purpose – legible
solution for the Yonge-Eglinton crossroads.
1 comment:
Leaving the complex planning for the YE Intersection 'til the last seems risky. Seems also that inconvenience for all will be a residual consideration. It doesn't have to be done this way.
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