Bentway Islands Site (Photo credit: Jack Landau)
The Bentway Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Toronto, has announced the launch of design work on a new site called The Bentway Islands.
Field Operations and Brook McIlroy have been appointed as the design team working to transform three large-scale traffic islands, which span 11,500 square meters between Dan Leckie Way and Spadina Avenue into vibrant public space.
Field Operations, a landscape architecture and urban design firm known for projects such as Waterfront Seattle and High Line in New York, along with Brook McIlroy, a Canadian expert in planning and architecture, were chosen from a competitive international call for proposals. A jury, featuring representatives from The Bentway, the City of Toronto, the local community, and an Indigenous engagement advisor, all oversaw the selection process. The Bentway Islands will act as a ?sister site? to The Bentway?s existing Phase 1 location, and will provide additional outdoor space for the fast-growing population.
?The Bentway Islands marks an exciting next chapter in our ongoing mission to solidify a new future for the Gardiner Expressway,? said Ilana Altman, co-executive director of The Bentway. ?This site will offer new opportunities for recreation, play, culture, and retail, promote biodiversity, and set a benchmark for low-carbon landscape design. Most importantly, it will continue to transform a long-standing barrier into a better connector and gateway.?
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