Private Open space
Private open space includes residential yards and green roofs.
Front and Rear Yards
Private front yards within the setback from the
street right-of-way
Backyards may have fences made of highquality materials
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
Units at-grade may have a front yard
•Alltownhouseunitswillhaveafrontyard;
•Townhousesfrontingastreetwillbesetbackaminimum
of 2.0 m to accommodate a front yard;
•Townhousesfrontingaparkwillbesetbackaminimum
of 3.0 m to accomodate a front yard and walkway;
•Back-to-backtownhouseswillhavefrontyardswitha
minimum depth of 3.0 m;
•Allthroughunitswillhaveafrontyardwithaminimum
depth of 2.0 m and a rear yard with a typical depth of 5.5
m with the exception of Block 17b, where rear yards will
have a minimum depth of 3.0 m;
•Designoffrontyardswillreflectandrespondtoadjacent
streetscape treatment;
•Atransitionbetweenpubliclandsandfrontyardsistobe
delineated through various design elements;
•Architecturaldetailssuchasporches,stairways,fences,
gates and canopies are permitted within front yards;
•Fencesaroundfrontyardsmustpermitclearviewsand
will be designed to complement the public character of
the adjacent street or park;
•Rearyardswillnotbepermittedtofaceapublicparkor
street.
For design guidelines pertaining to green roofs, see page 58.
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ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
As a major public realm element, the
streetscapes play a significant role in
defining the character of the Alexandra
Park community.
Streetscapes across the Site will be enhanced with pedestrianscale lighting, street trees, landscaping, decorative paving and
co-ordinated street furniture where possible. Particular attention
should be paid to the design of streetscapes and their elements
adjacent to park spaces, such as the pedestrian crossings at
Grange Court (Street “A”) and Carr Street (Street “B”).
S
•Sidewalksareafundamentalfeatureofthepublicrealm
and will be a minimum of 2.0 m in width, free and clear of
any obstruction to pedestrian movement;
•Sidewalksand/orboulevardsadjacenttoopenspace
areas or special crossing points may be given a
distinctive paving treatment, the design of which should
be complementary to the overall streetscape design.
Figure 25: Conceptual rendering of potential paving treatment at key intersections
Intersections and Crossing Points
Key intersections may incorporate elements such
as a traffic table, Heath Street, Toronto
Utilizing paving to delineate streetscape zones,
Kitchener
Curb bump-outs to minimize
pedestrian crossing distance
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
Depressed curbs, paving and signage identifies a
pedestrian crossing, St. George Street, Toronto
•Intersectionsandcrossingpointsshouldbedesigned
to balance the needs of both vehicles and pedestrians
through the use of reduced curb radii and the
elimination, where possible, of right turn channels and
dedicated turning;
•Crossingsshouldincorporateuniquepavingtreatments,
a minimum of 3.0 m in width, that help to alert drivers
and pedestrians and highlight pedestrian zones;
•PavingtreatmentsatcrossingsonGrangeCourt,Carr
Street and Vanauley Street, particularly at park gateways,
should include high quality materials such as textured
concrete or pavers, bump-outs to narrow the crossing
of the street, and may be raised to create either a tabled
intersection or a more prominent crosswalk;
•Considerationshouldbegiventoaccessibledesign,
such as curb ramps for strollers and wheelchairs, at
every crosswalk to create an accessible sidewalk and
public realm.
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Planting
•Existingtreeswillbemaintainedand/orreplaced
according to the Tree Preservation Report (by D. A.
White, Arborist, February 2012);
•Streettreesareaccommodatedwithintheright-of-wayof
all proposed streets, in accordance with street sections
as shown in pages 18 to 27 and which comply with the
CityofTorontoDevelopmentInfrastructure&Policy
Standards;
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
•Treeswithinthestreetright-of-wayshouldbeplanted
in accordance with City of Toronto specifications, in
continuous tree pits with adequate soil volume;
•ThelandscapeareaforpropertiesadjacenttoVanauley
Street (specifically Block 10) should allow sufficient
space for the adjacent street trees within the public right-
Tree planting within the setback area
of-way to thrive, considering canopy and root systems;
•Plantingwithinprivatelandscapespaceadjacentto
the public realm should complement the streetscape
character;
•PlantingthroughoutAlexandraParkshouldbeprimarily
native species of trees, shrubs, flowers, ground cover
and other vegetation;
•Treeslocatedincourtyards,plazasoropenspacesmay
be accommodated in planters, provided they do not
interfere with pedestrian flow.
Trees planted in continuous trenches which may include additonal planting
S
Planting and furnishing at the Varsity Stadium site, Toronto, ON
Co-ordinated street furniture, Cite Internationale, Paris
Furniture may be a City of Toronto
standard or custom piece
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
•Afurnishingzonetoaccommodatelandscaping,
furniture and spill-out space for local businesses
(Blocks 1, 2a, 4 and 6) should be provided between the
pedestrian zone and curb;
•Streetfurniture,includinglighting,benches,waste/
recycling receptacles, bicycle posts/ racks and signage
should be strategically located within the furnishing zone
and designed and built to a high quality in accordance
with the City of Toronto’s Co-ordinated Street Furniture
series;
•Streetfurnitureandsignageshouldbeanintegralpartof
the public realm. Style, colour and location should be coordinated cross the Site reinforcing the sense of place;
•Thepositionofstreetfurnitureshouldbeusedto
delineate and define spaces, creating a transition
between pedestrian zones and the roadway;
•Materialsselectedforstreetfurnitureshouldbe
contemporary;
•Hardsurfacesshouldbeofhighqualityconcrete,wood
and metal finishes;
•Opportunitiesforalternativestreetfurnishingsare
encouraged within open spaces where they may be
combined with elements such as public art.
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Lighting
Lighting is not only a basic security requirement, but also
contributes to the character of spaces, and should support
vehicular and pedestrian activity levels.
•For personal safety reasons, all public spaces across the
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
Site will be well lit, with particular emphasis on:
•Entrypointsforresidentialunits;
•Openspacesandconnectorroutes;
•Architecturalandnaturalfeatures;
•Whilefloodlitbuildingscreateastrongimpressionand
can be used to identify important landmark buildings
Lighting should be contemporary in character
(examples by Lumec)
across the site, the lighting should be controlled
separately and switched off depending upon occupancy
patterns of the area;
•Uplightingshouldbeusedsparinglyandonlyto
emphasize key features in the landscape;
•Lightingfixturesshouldbeincorporatedintocolumns
and/or street furniture to reduce clutter where possible;
•PrimarytrafficroutesthroughtheSiteshouldsupport
lighting similar in scale and style and use the same light
source as main routes in surrounding areas;
•Secondarystreetsshouldsupportlowercolumnsanda
white light source;
•ComplywiththeCityofToronto’sBird-Friendly
Development Guidelines.
Pedestrian scale lighting should be implemented
across the Site
Wayfinding
Entrances to the Alexandra Park community should be
accentuated with elements which may include special
landscaping and public art. Wayfinding, in the form of maps and
signage, should also be included at key entrances, as well as
within the central park system.
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
Park signage
Wayfinding signage, Vancouver, British
Columbia
Clear, graphic signage, Wychwood Carbarns, Toronto
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ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
The proposed development form
creates good opportunities for the
implementation of sustainable practices
such as bioretention, green roofs,
porous pavement and rainwater re-use.
The selection of sustainable practices should be done with
consideration of technical criteria, value, aesthetics and public
acceptance, ideally at a master servicing level.
Landscaping
Landscaping of open spaces will minimize impact on the natural
environment by:
•Retainingexistingtrees,wherepossibleandbasedon
the Arborist Report (D. A. White, February 2012);
•Replantingnewtreestocompensatefortreesthatmust
be removed (D. A. White, February 2012);
•Usingnativetreeandplantspeciesinlandscapedesign
and incorporating drought tolerant species for shrub and
perennial areas;
•Usingrecycledorrenewableresourcematerials;
•Plantinglowmaintenancelandscapesinprivateyards.
Aerial view of tree canopy within Alexandra Park today. Trees in good condition
are to be retained where possible.
S
Photovoltaic (electric) and solar thermal (water heating)
technologies may be integrated into the built form in Alexandra
Park, with consideration given to:
Solar panels integrated into the residential building
S
The proposed sustainable practices should complement other
traditional stormwater management components in keeping with
the objectives of the Wet Weather Flow Management Plan (City
of Toronto), and in consideration of the Low Impact Development
Stormwater Management Guide (CVC, TRCA).
Proposed rooftop systems and infiltration trenches are essential
to providing stormwater retention and addressing the water
balance requirements from the City of Toronto.
Figure 26: Locations shown in blue are privately owned
stormwater management areas (Functional Servicing
Plan, URS, 2012)
Utilizing planting beds and roof gardens to
accommodate infiltration of stormwater
All market apartment blocks will handle stormwater within each
block. Several locations for centralized stormwater management
are proposed for TCH blocks, which are located in Blocks 2, 19,
21 and 22. Each of these blocks will be a minimum of 6.0 m
in width to accommodate sufficient setback from underground
pipes and provide sufficient infiltration area. All stormwater will
be treated before being released off-site.
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
•Building-integratedandaestheticallydesigned
photovoltaic systems that are incorporated into the
structure;
•Photovoltaicshinglesandglazing;
•Photovoltaicrooflaminates;
•Roof-mountedpanelsystems.
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ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
G
Green roofs will be installed on commercial, residential and
institutional buildings, in accordance with the City of Toronto
Green Roof By-law, to regulate building energy usage and
to assist with storm water absorption and filtration. Figure 27
provides approximate dimensions for green roof location and
size according to the By-law. The percent of available roof
coverage assumes 25% will be allocated to private terraces
or outdoor residential amenity areas. Figures shown are
approximate and based on building envelopes as depicted in
the Master Plan. Green roof calculations should be revised for
each building as they undergo detailed design.
Alexandra Park Revitalization
City of Toronto Green-roof By-law
Green roof, California Academy of Fine Arts,
San Francisco, California
Green roof as amenity space
Last update: December 15, 2010
Building
Market or TCHC
GFA (sq. m.)
Roof Area (sq. m.)
% Available *
Block 1
Market/ Retail
14,502
1,761
1,321
40%
528
Block 2a
TCHC/ Retail
6,556
893
670
30%
201
Block 4
Market/ Retail
37,830
4,308
3,231
60%
1,939
Block 6
Market/ Retail
22,749
2,543
1,907
60%
1,144
Block 8
Market
18,921
1,752
1,314
50%
657
Block 9b
TCHC/ Community
15,020
1,098
824
50%
412
Block 11
Market/ Retail
18,916
2,074
1,556
50%
778
Block 13
Market
14,136
1,480
1,110
40%
444
Gross floor area
Coverage of available
roof
* Assume that 25% will go to private terraces, outdoor residential amenity space, etc.
Figure 27: Approximate dimensions for green roof, by location
Coverage of Available
Green roof (sq. m.)
Figure 28: Buildings to incorporate green roofs
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
Green roof
Green roof as an amenity space for residents
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PARKINg AND ACCEss
Underground Parking
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
On-site parking will be provided for Alexandra Park residents
within the Site, but not necessarily within each Block.
P
•Accesstoparkingwillbeviapublicstreetsorprivate
driveways (Block 17b and Block 9);
•Designofparkingareasshouldmaximizesafetyand
security;
•Accesstoandfromparkingareaswillbecontrolled;
•Publicandcommercialparkingwillbeseparatedfrom
resident parking;
•Garageventsshouldbeintegratedintohardsurface
areas with limited impact on pedestrian amenities or
landscaped areas.
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
TYPE G
P
TYPE G
S
•On-streetparkingopportunitieswillbemaximized;
•On-streetparkingisintendedforvisitorstothearea;
•Parkingforserviceorcommercialvehicleswould
be accommodated on-street via the City of Toronto
permitting process;
•Parkingwillnotbepermittedat-gradebetweenthe
building and the street;
•Frontyardparkingwillnotbepermitted;
•Surfaceparkinglotswillnotbepermitted.
P
P
P
Atkinson/TCH underground parking
Street
Access to servicing/ garage
Figure 29: Parking and access
P
P
P
B
•Publicbicycleparkingfacilitiesshouldbeprovided
throughout the Site;
•Bicyclelockposts/ringsaretobelocatedalong
streetscapes and in parks;
•Securebicyclestoragefacilitiesshouldbeincorporated
into underground parking garage areas or within
apartment buildings at-grade;
•Opportunitiesforbikesharingfacilitiesshouldbe
maximized.
Bicycle lock posts, Montreal
Vehicular Access
•Vehicularaccesstobuildingsanddevelopmentblocks
will be located to minimize curb cuts and disruption of
the pedestrian environment;
•Therewillbenodirectaccessintodevelopmentblocks
from Dundas Street West;
•Accessbyserviceandcommercialvehiclesshouldbe
limited to off-peak hours, where feasible;
•Accessareasshouldbearchitecturallytreated,
incorporating landscaping, lighting and other mitigation
measures;
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
Bicycle parking will be accommodated in
underground garages
•Turningradiiforcurbsshouldbeminimizedtoa
maximum diameter of 4.0 m, where possible;
•Vehicularentranceswillbesurroundedbyandrecessed
into occupied building space so as to integrate the
access area into the building and reduce its street
presence.
Incorporate garage access into the building
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Fire and Emergency Access
Block access arrangements for fire route provisions is illustrated
in the Functional Plan within the Alexandra Park Revitalization
Transportation Considerations by BA Group, February 2012.
Details will be developed through site plan processes for each of
the proposed buildings.
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
G
•Allapartmentbuildingswillhavecentralizedgarbage
Utilizing screening and sliding panels to enclose outdoor refuse collection points
and recycling areas, internal to buildings and not located
adjacent to streets or public parks, with the exception of
Block 17;
•Block17willhaveanoutdoorcentralizedbincollection
Front door
point within the block which will be fully enclosed,
secured and concealed with screens, planting or other
Bins may be
mitigation measures;
accommodated in yards
•Alltownhouseswillhaveon-streetrefusepick-upwiththe
exception of Block 17;
•Collectionpointsandbinstorageareasshouldbe
Approx. 50 m/ 150 ft walk
(less than 1 min.)
located on private property so as to not block pedestrian
walkways;
•Allmarketapartmentbuildingsarerequiredtoprovide
Trees and shrubs
screen bins
loading facilities
Centralized
Utilities
bin collection
•UtilitieswillbelocatedinternaltotheSiteandwillnotbe
visible from public spaces, where practical
Figure 30: Conceptual sketch of Block 17- storage of bins and access to centralized bin area
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
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ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
PHAsINg sTRATEgY
Alexandra Park is a large and complex
project that will be developed over a
number of years. The phasing plan
reflects a socially and economically
sustainable strategy, premised
on the Guiding Principle of ‘Zero
Displacement’.
In order to ensure Zero Displacement, the implementation of
the master plan will require approximately 10 to 15 years to
complete, phased in nine construction stages. Construction
on the Site is anticipated to be relatively continuous with the
creation of public parks and streets in step with the construction
of adjacent new buildings and the refurbishment of existing
buildings to be retained.
The phased development also considers parking requirements
of existing TCH/Atkinson Co-Operative tenants and is organized
around maintaining sufficient parking to meet existing Site
parking demands during the phased construction process.
The master plan site layout and the distribution of uses
have been strategically organized in order to achieve Zero
Displacement, minimize disruption and ensure the financial
feasibility of the project. The pace of implementation is largely
determined by the on-site vacancy rate and may be accelerated
or slowed depending on how many people choose to move out
of the community in a given year.
The phasing plan is based on the assumption of an initial 5 vacant units which would be held in order
to begin the demolition and phasing program. A detailed phasing program, with the location and
number of units demolished and constructed, is provided in Figures 32 and 33.
Phase
Demolition
TCH Building
Replaced
Market
Building
Infrastructure / Open space/
Amenity
12 units
17 units
0 units
0 units
Private drive
Phase 1a3
5 units
21 units;
Maintenance
building
33 units
28 units
0 units
Phase 1b
32 units
16 units
~ 210-220 units
Phase 1c
Subtotal
15 units
106 units
3 units
76 units
~ 180 units
~400 units
PHASE TWO
Phase 2a
13 units
94 units
0 units
Phase 2b
62 units
81 units
~260 units
Phase 2c
82 units
82 units
~440 units
Phase 2d
Subtotal
70 units
227 units
0 units
257 units
~440 units
~1140 units
TOTAL
333 units
333 units
~1540 units
PHASE ONE
Phase 1a1
Phase 1a2
Figure 31: Demolition and construction details by phase
Half of Future Street “B”;
Future Street “C”;
6 m landscape open space
Complete Street “B”; market
underground garage
Market underground garage
TCH/ Atkinson underground
garage; basketball courts;
Community Space; portion of
storm water easement
Street “A”; Cameron Street
realignment; Street “E”; Central
Park and Vanauley Walk; TCH/
Atkinson underground garage;
market underground garage
Street “D”; Park North; market
underground garage; Denison
Avenue realignment
Market underground garage
Phase One
TCH Units: 76 units
Market Units: ~400 units
Infrastructure:
Carr Street (Street “B”)
Vanauley Street extension (Street “C”)
Private drive
Block 9 underground garage
Underground garages for market
apartments
Amenity:
1b
• 6 m wide landscaped open space
(stormwater management function)
1a3
1c
1b
1a1
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
1a2
•
•
•
•
•
Figure 32: Phase One
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Phase Two
TCH/ Atkinson Co-Operative Units:
257 units; refurbish 473 existing units
2c
2d
2c
Market Units: ~1140 units
Infrastructure:
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
2b
2a
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grange Court (Street “A”)
Realignment of Cameron Street
Realignment of Denison Avenue
Augusta Avenue extension (Street “D”)
Street “E”
Block 17 Private drive
Underground parking garages for market
apartments
• Underground parking garage for Block 17;
possible parking garage for Block 2
Amenities:
• Community space
• Basketball Court
• North Park, Vanauley Park, Central Park
Figure 33: Phase Two
ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
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ALEXANDRA PARK REVITALIZATION-Urban Design Guidelines
ALEXANDRA
PARK
Urban Strategies Inc.
in coordination with:
BA Group
N. Barry Lyon Consulting
Halsall Associates
URS Corporation
Public Interest
Levitt Goodman
Architects
Alexandra Park
Building Great Neighbourhoods
Alexandra Park
Building Great Neighbourhoods