'Idea Mapping' the Shipping Channel Charrette

[The Map is still updating - last update: Monday, July 28, 2014, 10:26pm]

Mapping the ideas is the best way to combine this web of stuff.

Like the man said, it's a web of ideas, a cloud. I immediately envisioned the map of the internet.

Approach the mash-up board of ideas in words and images from any spacial vector,following from one chit to the next, and you end up telling a different story every time.

All the stories are the 'little cart' of ideas. Here's a map that shows some of those ideas that relate to connecting the city to the lake - the urban culture to the water - for the short term (1-2 years), the medium term (5 years) and the long term (30 years).

Idea Map for the The Shipping Channel Charrette, Pinewood Studios Toronto, July 23 & 24, 2014

View Idea Map for the The Shipping Channel Charrette, Pinewood Studios Toronto, July 23 & 24, 2014 in a larger map

Transportation Archipelago
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 7.86 km
A Transportation Archipelago was identified to create short term connectivity solutions - existing points where the water touched the existing transportation infrastructure, like at Commisioners and the Shipping Channel, water taxis were envisioned that - right now (next summer for the PanAm Games?) could bridge the gap across the channel, and the gap in north-south connections between Leslie Street and the Don Roadway - to possible landing points on the south side of the channel that could connect to Unwin Avenue - like at the proposed spillway green space (on the north side of the channel) just to the west of the Don Roadway.

Water Taxi
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Connect Chery Beach and the Island - connects Bathurst and Carlaw via the archipelago.

Water Taxi from Carlaw to the Dragon Boat Club
Last Updated by Michael Holloway 15 minutes ago
Total distance: 690.38 m
Connect Carlaw to the south side of the Turning Basin landing to the east of the Gas Plant (Provincial Property?).

Don Roadway - Swing Bridge
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 531.03 m
Floating or structural steel that sits at near the water - moves for ship traffic. Landing on the south side meeting an existing roadway on the West extent of the Salt Storage Yard.

Canal - Cherry Beach to the Shipping Channel
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 598.28 m

Canal - South Riverdale to the Shipping Channel
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 1.08 km
Canal to the north extent of the Regulatory Flood Plain

Naturalized Don River Mouth
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Approved Plan

Canal - Presupposes an extention of the spillway of the Don River
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 725.52 m
A visual extension of part of the Naturalization of the Done River Mouth - the approved Don River Extreme Storm spillway. (canal would be a separate hydrology).

Canal The Hearn to the Outer Harbour
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 459.99 m

Canal Cooling Channel to the Shipping Channel
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 349.05 m

Extend TTC Service to Unwin
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 694.74 m
Short term (now) by the PanAm Games (July 2015).

Toronto Bike Share Station
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Short Term (now). Before the PanAm Games (July 2015).

Create a Water Front Tram Service
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 2.75 km
Short Term (now) Before PanAm Games (July 2015).
A rail vehicle would shunt between TTC stops at Cherry St and an extended-to-Unwin Jones Bus(?) Stop at the Entrance to Tommy Thompson Park - on existing rails.

Planned Park - Leslie Slip to Leslie Street
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Medium Term (5 years).
Park will front the water at the end of the Shipping Channel's 'Leslie Slip' - an extension off the east end of the Turning Basin that comes within about 200 metres of Leslie Street. The east extent of the Park will front Leslie Street. The area is bisected by a rarely used rail line owned by the Toronto Port Authority and used occasionally by the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant.

Canal - Leslie Slip to Baselands Wetlands
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 170.14 m
Medium/Long Term.
Likely more of a 'bio-swail' than a canal - an extension of the lowland wetlands on the south side of Unwin Ave along this area.

South Shipping Channel Wall Green Set-back
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 2.25 km
Short Term.
A wide as possible green setback along the south Shipping Channel Wall.
This Trail may be closed from time-to-time to allow industrial activities associated with Shipping (like aggregate off-loading for example).

North Shipping Channel Wall Green Setback
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 2.28 km
Short Term.
A wide-as-possible Green setback along the north Shipping Channel Wall.
This Trail may be closed from time-to-time to allow industrial activities associated with Shipping.

Steps Into The Water
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Short Term.
A stepped observation/seating area that steps right into the water and also provides a high visual barrier/look-out at the top of it, overlooking the cement production facilities to the East.

Canal - Winnifred & Eastern Avenue to the Turning Basin
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 635.93 m
Medium Term.
All these Canals are firstly about draining the Regulatory Flood Plain to upgrade the land for development - but they also act as a way to connect the neighbourhood to the water front by at once bringing the water into the neighbourhood, and by providing possible innovative transportation corridors to the water front proper.

Lower Carlaw Separated Bike Lanes
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 255.52 m
Short Term (now).
A Cycle Track perhaps, on the eastern side of the roadway.

Commisioners St Separated Bike Lane
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 2.41 km
Short Term (now).
Perhaps a Cycle Track on the North side of the Street.
Connects the Martin Goodman Trail at Leslie to the Lower Don Recreational Trail at Lower Don Roadway and the Waterfront Trail at Cherry Street.

Existing Drainage Basin?
Last Updated by Michael Holloway < 1 minute ago
Total distance: 282.16 m
On a walkabout of the Smart Studios site on July 28, 2014, I noted three patches of swamp grass growing in the lot along a low-lying trough, that seem to continue north under Eastern Ave and up Caroline heading Northwest.
See a Video playlist of the walkabout: Natural Basin on North edge of Delta possible Canal Route - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTpRV6DI_Sr3LT8LYhEGXukxsWt5fMgGd

Update: Map of  the area from 1902 shows a creek at Winnifred and Eastern - exactly one block west of where I noted evidence of it on my walk (perhaps the old map is incorrect?). Here's an Zoomed-In image of the area from a University of Toronto historical map:

Map Title: Plan of the City of Toronto Villiers Sankey 1902 University of Toronto Libraries Call Number G3524.T61 20 1902

(Original: http://maps.library.utoronto.ca/dvhmp/maps.html)



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A Walkabout on the Port Lands - The Shipping Channel, North side

On Friday, July 18th I began a series of walks further south on the Port Lands than my last¹ walkabout (December 2013). The timing of these new walks is related to City of Toronto Planning's Design Charrette - coming up this Wednesday and Thursday.

The Charrette

The 2-day, mini Charrette, co-hosted by Waterfront Toronto and TRCA is much shorter than recommended² - so I'm going to try and engage with the community during the two days, via Twitter and this Blog.

A "Charrette" is a design-based collaborative community planning method that the school of New Urbanism has developed. A way of wrangling a massive number of elements in an intensive series of feedback loops over a few days involving the people of the area and stakeholders relevant the study area plus a team of planners, architects and other specialists that creates a feasible plan at the end of the exercise.

To quote from Planning's Shipping Channel Charrette PDF (released to the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Landowner and User Advisory Committee (LUAC):

"The two-day charrette being hosted by the City of Toronto City Planning Division, with Waterfront Toronto and the TRCA, will occur on July 23rd and 24th, 2014. The charrette will focus on defining and establishing a cohesive vision and priorities for the Ship Channel and its surrounds, and for improving public access for the South Ship Channel lands."

We will meet first to formulate a broad outline of the constraints and possibilities talking into account everything - the land, the history of the place, the existing archeology, the economic and political elements and so on. Next we will walk (and boat!) the site - and then formulate a second understanding of a future morphing out of the present. The team of specialists will then create plans on all kinds of scales, that talk to the first round of feedback - within the constraints and the goals. Then back out in groups to tackle select issues - and then back to the team to feed all our ideas back to the whole group. Then the planners, architects and communication specialists will craft some more - ideas, plans, drawings, media.

After the two days of intensive work the Planners will then present a overview of the outcomes in a 2 hour meeting on the evening of the second day.

Social Tools Engagement

At certain points in the process key ideas will come into conflict and (hopefully) be resolved, compromises will happen (hopefully) and in the end we will have a do-able plan that everyone can like - and is do-able in the physical, economic and political world.

At these crisis points in the process I will out reach to get your informed opinion and try to feed your ideas into the process. This use of the social tools is new to the Charrette process - we'll see how it goes.

The Pre Charrette Walks

The specific intention of this set of pre-walks is to trace a walking path around the Shipping Channel - and to discover what use the land around it is presently being put to; and what potential future uses can be gleaned from a process of actually touching the place, documenting the act, and writing about it. This with-in my bias for development that creates Complete Streets and Liveable Cities.

Shipping Channel Panorama - North-side below Don Roadway looking south at City of Toronto Transportation Services salt storage facility.

Below is a map with several video and images at the placemarks - a synopsis of my walkabout so far.

Shipping Channel Walkabout - pre-Charrette discovery

View Shipping Channel Walkabout - pre-Charrette discovery in a larger map

References:

¹ Ward 30 Bikes - Tuesday, February 4, 2014 | Queen St., Logan, Port Lands, South of Eastern, Dundas/Carlaw Corridor - a walk-about to discover North-South Cycling Opportunities - Learning through reading, walk-abouts and writing: Bouchette Street, Logan Avenue & Carlaw Avenue --- Commissioners to Dundas | http://ward30bikes.blogspot.ca/2014/02/queen-st-logan-port-lands-south-of.html

² Youtube - Congress4NewUrbanism | CNU 20 - Charrettes and the Next Generation of Public Involvement | http://youtu.be/RNzKI9n-i58

CNU 20 - Charrettes and the Next Generation of Public Involvement


Under the Video:

Published on May 29, 2012

Are the days of the seven-day charrette behind us? Shrinking budgets, social media, tea party obstruction... it's time to take another look at charrettes and public involvement.

Limited project budgets are challenging everyone. The web has also made it possible for the public, as well as consultants, to participate from a distance. This technology can save money, but what are the costs to shared learning and the building of relationships? How can these high-tech tools be leveraged to increase the number and diversity of people that are engaged in planning projects while still maintaining the advantages of face-to-face meetings?

This session will present the latest tools, techniques and the trade-offs of social media and web-based participation tools within the context of the face-to-face public design charrette format.

Hazel Borys, Managing Principal, PlaceMakers
Ben Brown, Consultant, PlaceMakers LLC
Andrés Duany, Principal, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company
Bill Lennertz, Executive Director, National Charrette Institute
Gianni Longo, Principal, ACP Visioning & Planning

Resources:

Port Lands Acceleration Initiative: Home | http://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/

Port Lands Planning Framework: Land Use Direction | http://portlandsconsultation.ca/sites/all/themes/portlands/files/PLPFLand%20UseDirection_Jun5(sm).pdf

National Charrette Institute (NCI) | http://www.charretteinstitute.org/about-nci.html

Top Port Lands Map Image via: Port Lands Acceleration Initiative: Home | Port Lands Planning Framework | http://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/node/17



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