The main goal of the FHV BIA streetscape masterplan has been to make the village an even more appealing place to spend time. We've been working towards this by focussing on projects that improve walkability and bikeability, expanding and improving the public realm, adding more greenspace and parking, and generally aiming to make the Village more ‘villagey’. So, in addition to our new benches and planters, the BIA, in partnership with the City, will be adding a seasonal, on-street public parklet in the centre of the Village on the east side of Spadina Rd. just north of Lonsdale.
Following extensive public consultation over nearly two years, strong community support was indicated for this public space amenity. The project received 100% support at the community consultation meeting held in Oct '17, and 70% positive support via phone and email in response to the mail-out sent in Jan '18. Now quite common on main streets in many Montreal and Vancouver neighbourhoods, Toronto still only has a couple examples of on-street parklets – this means the Village is an early adopter of this innovative, community-building public space initiative.
The image above is a rendering of the parklet that has been designed for the Village based on characteristics identified in the FHV Design Guidelines developed by the City's planning department. Filling one standard on-street parking space, it features open seating for easy access with a stroller or mobility assistance device, a pergola shade structure, and planters along the outer perimeter.
Installation will be a bit later than hoped and is likely to take place in mid-late August. As a seasonal installation, it will be removed in the fall for winter storage, and reinstalled in Spring.
