The City of Toronto is Inviting the Public to Help Shape the Future of Liberty Village
Urban green space. Three words that, on their surface, can sometimes seem at odds, but now more than ever, the City in tandem with forward-thinking developers like Collecdev, is conscious of the enormous power of the outdoors to enhance the urban environment. It’s with that in mind that the City of Toronto recently hosted a series of meetings on the public realm in Liberty Village, “seeking input to help identify opportunities and improvements to better meet the needs of the community.”
Today Liberty Village is a fast-growing urban hub, well-situated near the downtown core, with a plethora of office, residential and retail space. But in the late 1800s, the neighbourhood, bounded by Dufferin Street, Today, Liberty Village is a fast-growing urban hub, well-situated near the downtown core, with a plethora of office, residential and retail space. But in the late 1800s, the neighbourhood bounded by Dufferin Street, Strachan Avenue, King Street West, Douro Street and the Metrolinx Lakeshore West rail corridor, was a booming industrial/manufacturing district. While the area has since evolved into one of the most recognized locations for smart investors, urban professionals, and the creative, design and technology companies that employ them, the public realm hasn’t kept pace. To respond to this need, in early December of last year, the City held two community consultation meetings to mark the launch of the Liberty Village Public Realm & Community Services Study.
The study goes beyond green space to examine things like transit connections and community services, including child care, libraries, recreation and schools. It addresses improvements to existing public realm infrastructure like the Liberty Village Park that will undergo a refresh later this year, as well as new opportunities such as the parking lot at 34 Hanna, currently owned by the Toronto Parking Authority and a possible site for new community green space. It’s a real-world expression of Social Sustainability, a key tenet at Collecdev.
“Building communities that anticipate the future while balancing today’s needs is the cornerstone of Social Sustainability. It entails a constantly evolving outlook on spaces that integrate diverse programmatic elements, stimulating conversation and provoking new ideas for healthy, balanced environments. Beyond the individual buildings and their associated amenities, we take responsibility to ensure that we layer community services and facilities to create a thriving sense of place. We advance housing initiatives that are accessible to all, and ensure private and public spaces are designed to enrich society as a whole.” – Social Sustainability, one of the three key pillars of Collecdev
We know that well-thought-out communities – communities that encourage interaction, support engagement, and provide a complete range of convenient lifestyle services – are the foundation for better living, the kind of living we envision for 86 Lynn Williams and for Liberty Village as a whole.
You can be part of that vision. There are several ways to get involved with the City of Toronto’s area initiatives.
Social Pinpoint Map
This interactive map helps identify places that are important to the public, as well as what needs improvement. Explore the 500+ comments that have already been pinned, leave your own, and have your say in what happens in the neighbourhood.
Community Consultation Meetings
IIn addition to the launch held in December by City Staff, there are several more Community ConsultationMeetings scheduled for March/April and May/June. Sign up for updates here or stay tuned to our blog for more info.
Reach Out Directly
Have something to say but can’t make a meeting? Email Aviva Pelt or Tommy Karapalevski on the Community Planning team for the City of Toronto.
Public consultation and feedback are fundamental to the sustainable growth of the city, so share your ideas. Make your voice heard and be a part of the future of Liberty Village.
Have questions or comments about the project? Contact us, we’d love to hear from you.