Viewed as one of Canada’s first complete sustainable communities, the West Don Lands, now known as the Canary District, is a massive and ambitious 94 acre redevelopment of an industrial brownfield site located on the eastern edge of downtown Toronto. The West Don Lands community will be home to more than 20,000 people from a wide range of cultural and economic backgrounds. PFS Studio was the lead design consultant for several high profile components of the WDL’s open space network working within a multi-disciplinary team led by The Planning Partnership. Together the firms were responsible for the creation of a distinct street hierarchy, signature parks and vibrant public open spaces.

Front Street East Promenade + Park, the open space heart of the West Don Lands, is both a street and a park. It extends Corktown Common westward towards the city as a bold new green street. PFS Studio redesigned a previously wide, axial alignment of Front Street East to an asymmetrical one to offer more pedestrian space along its northern, sunny side. As a result there is ample room for sidewalk cafes, children’s play, impromptu performance and a series of public art installations. The street and park were home to the 2015 Pan American Athlete’s Village proving itself a successful venue for future civic and neighbourhoods gatherings and events.

The City of Toronto was named the 2014 Intelligent Community of the Year, which featured PFS Studio’s public realm contributions to Waterfront Toronto on the West Don Lands and the East Bayfront.

Photo by Tom Arban