urbantoronto.ca is a fascinating view into Toronto’s future. The effect of seeing the collection of (all?) development proposals underway in the city and region is at once thrilling and terrifying. Toronto is transforming before our eyes. We are in the throes of the potential total recreation of the downtown.
From urbantoronto.ca blog post
Will this transformation be integrated within the natural processes of the Toronto bioregion? Will the city feel like it’s a part of nature?
Nature in the city? Will this new Toronto be a city that works within natural processes (sunlight, wind, water, heat, habitat) or not?
As Michael Hough wrote in his book Cities and Natural Process (2004), new buildings and spaces should be designed as a part of nature, to work with nature, to celebrate it.
I did find one development proposal in Burlington, where the blog author suggested: “The incorporation of nature into architecture is often sought after in people-centered development”. Crazy, really, that he admits that most development proposals aren’t really people-centred. What’s mostly crazy is that “nature” is being used to market this proposed development because it has windows on the lake but there is nothing in the design to suggest that it is designed with nature. Another lost opportunity.
Image from urbantoronto.ca blog post