POSTED: JULY 17, 2018

Earlier this year, we launched an innovative design competition with the City of Toronto for two new waterfront parks. Ten talented and creative design teams from around the world were selected to compete – and now you can see their proposals! 

Five design proposals will be on display for each park in the Rotunda at Toronto City Hall, so that members of the public have an opportunity to provide their feedback. The exhibition will be open to the public during regular hours, closing at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17. 

You can also view the proposals and submit your feedback on the competition website: yorkreesparkdesign.ca  
 

Here are the proposals, in no particular order… 
 

Rees Street Park 

Rees Ridge, by wHY Architecture (New York) + Brook McIlroy (Toronto) 

Rees Landing, by Stoss Landscape Urbanism (Boston) + DTAH (Toronto) 

The NEST, by Snøhetta (New York) + PMA Landscape Architects (Toronto) 

Rees Street Free Forest, by SCAPE Landscape Architecture (New York) + BSN Architects (Toronto)  

Down North, by Public City Architecture Inc. 

York Street Park 
 

York Forest, by Stephen Stimson Associates Landscape Architects (Cambridge) + MJMA (Toronto) 

Gardiner Green, by PLANT Architects (Toronto) + Mandaworks (Stockholm) 

BYOT Park, by Hapa Collaborative (Vancouver) 

Love Park, by Claude Cormier et Associés (Montreal) 

Park Vert, by Agency Landscape + Planning (Cambridge) + DAVID RUBIN Land Collective (Philadelphia) 

How to Send Your Feedback 

Step 1: Review the ten proposals online or by visiting the exhibition at Toronto City Hall. 

Step 2: Join the conversation online using the #YorkStreetParkTO and #ReesStreetParkTO hashtags. 

Step 3: Complete the short online surveys for York Street Park and Rees Street Park to provide your feedback to Waterfront Toronto. If you’re visiting City Hall, you can submit a paper copy of the survey. 

What Happens Next? 

Following the public exhibition of the design proposals and the public comment period, the competition jury will convene in early fall to recommend a preferred design proposal for each park. The jury consists of leaders in design and art: Jane Hutton, Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo; Janna Levitt, Principal, LGA Architectural Partners; Michael Van Valkenburgh, Principal, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates; Neil Hrushowy, Principal Urban Designer, City and County of San Francisco; and Matthew Hyland, Director/Curator of Oakville Galleries. 

Following the jury’s recommendation, Waterfront Toronto will award design contracts to the two winning design teams and begin design development of the parks. Construction of the York Street Park is expected to commence first in 2019, with Rees Street Park following in 2020.