Wandering Ecologies: Toronto Lower Don Lands
Urban life and nature are reciprocal conditions that together can transform Toronto’s Lower Don Lands into a new cultural and ecological paradigm.
Wandering Ecologies establishes a new identity for Toronto, where recreational, living, and cultural activities are free to wander and overlap, creating a new model for sustainable waterfront expansion on the eastern edge of the city.
Organized around the newly designed, meandering Lower Don River, the park offers new settings for recreation and civic life. The naturalized river creates wetlands and habitats for avian and aquatic species, and creates opportunities to engage the water through kayaking and fishing. New public spaces are linked along the southern bank of the Don River Meander and lead to a boardwalk and pier outlook that becomes a focal point of the park, providing a new vantage to view the Toronto skyline and creating a year-round setting for festivals and events. A new bi-level bridge and a network of public transit lines, parkways, local roads, bicycle trails, and an extensive system of pedestrian paths increases access to the city, the park, and the surrounding communities.
The design strategy for the park and infrastructure intends to become a catalyst for urban development and an international model for innovative waterfront development.
