Regent Park Revitalization

Toronto, ON - jeeff - Sunday, November 26th, 2006 : goo

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www.regentparkplan.ca/

regent park in toronto is canada's oldest and largest community housing project. it is home to a tight-knit community of new immigrants and other low-income residents, but it has also suffered from a number of problems like violence, drugs, and prostitution. the city has decided to tackle these problems, rooted in poverty and social isolation, by redeveloping the neighbourhood.

regent park consists of two sections, north and south, split by dundas street east. the north (circa 1940s) was designed along british "garden city" ideals to encourage low rise development, limit car use, and provide "modern" living arrangements. the south (circa 1950s) contains more high rises. both were considered slum clearance projects, which is an interesting point. they were designed with seemingly good intentions, and yet here we are again. will it work this time?

the new neighbourhood is planned according to new urbanist ideas - mixed-income, mixed-use neighbourhoods, mid-rise buildings studded with taller ones. the new development will include the same number of affordable housing units, also known as rent-geared-to-income units. one big change will be the street layout. people said the existing layout cuts the neighbourhood off from the city. take a look for yourself, and check out the planned solution (from the 'regent park revitalization study'):

the full study is here: www.regentparkplan.ca/pdfs/revitalization/revitalization_study_full.pdf

i went there today and took some photos of the neighbourhood as it exists now.

the first part to be demolished is in the north section, near dundas and parliament. this is what the remaining buildings look like:

then i crossed to the south section to take photos of some community murals:

as i took photos a guy got out of his car and asked me if i was a cop. i said no, and that i was just interested in the murals. he said to watch out, because people would think i was a cop, and told me to have a good day. he also pointed me toward another mural. as i left the neighbourhood i passed one more sign of the times:

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