Steve Somerville
Pedestrian-friendly shops and amenities that can be found at Bathurst Street and Disera Drive in Vaughan (above) is helping the city to shake off the cookie-cutter development syndrome common to much of suburbia. This development known as Bathurst Centre was built by Smart Centres and was honoured recently with an urban design award of excellence presented by the city.
Vaughan
November 22, 2008 09:53 PM
Vaughan turns corner as new developments cater to pedestrians, community
Caroline Grech
Often dubbed one of the worst examples of urban sprawl, Vaughan takes a beating about the dozens of strip malls that line the streets and the big box stores that dot the streetscape.
But Vaughan is turning a corner.
The emphasis is now on more pedestrian-friendly shopping areas and more eco-friendly buildings, both of which were honoured recently at the city’s urban design awards.
The awards showcase excellence and innovation in urban design, architecture, landscape architecture and environmental stewardships in the city.
Among the award of excellence winners was Bathurst Centre, built by Smart Centres, at the corner of Centre Street and Disera Drive. It has a pedestrian-friendly community of shops built in conjunction with the Walmart at Bathurst and Centre Streets.
“We wanted a pedestrian area where the people in the residential buildings could go out and walk,” city planning commissioner John Zipay said, referring to the four condominiums adjacent to the development.
Equipped with everything from a butcher to an ice cream shop, on summer nights the small street is filled with pedestrians.
“It’s a wonderful development. It looks terrific,” said Mr. Zipay, who sat on the jury. “The whole idea was to get some life on the street. If you have the typical big box set up, people drive from one end of the big box plaza to the other.”
The jury consisted of three outside professionals, Mr. Zipay and councillors Sandra Yeung Racco and Tony Carella.
Jury members took a bus and visited each site up for nomination, something Mr. Zipay felt was important.
Part of the requirement was that the building had to be finished in order to be considered.
“We wanted to see the execution. Something might look good on paper, but we need to see it when it’s done,” Mr. Zipay said.
The planning commissioner also said there is a new paradigm in design and while sometimes it takes a little convincing on the city’s part to have more sustainable developments, developers often see the worth in designing their buildings in a new way.
Ms Yeung Racco said the development stood out because of the two-storey shops on both sides of the street, which gives it an urban feel.
Mr. Carella praised the projects that won including the Vellore Village Joint Complex in Woodbridge, also a recipient of an award of excellence.
“It’s such a fabulous design,” Mr. Carella said.
The facility integrates a high school and a recreation centre within a 35-acre park.
Mr. Carella said the judging process didn’t just heap praise on winners, but also provided the opportunity to comment on how it could have been even better.
“The suburbs get a bad wrap in general,” Mr. Carella said, but added there is a diversity in the suburbs that should appreciated.
The city plans to hand out the awards every two years.
Urban design award winners- Awards of excellence: Bathurst Centre and Vellore Village Joint Complex.
- Awards of merit: Woodbridge Expansion Area; Schaeffers Corporate Centre; copper Creek Golf Club; Tanenbaum Chat, Kimel Family Education Centre; and Manors of Corsica.
- Environmental Green awards of excellence: PowerStream head office; Vellore Park Stormwater Management Facility; Block 12 Clean Water Collector System; and Vaughan Fire and Rescue and York Region EMS Paramedics Response Station No. 7-9.
- Environmental Green awards of merit: Dreamwood Subdivision and Villa Colombo Vaughan Di Poce Centre for Long-Term Care.