Golden Mile. A brief overview of a post-industrial, commercialised area in Metropolitan Toronto.
Emiel Swinnen. Studio Toronto 1617.
~ golden /gōld/ — prefix
1. prefix often historically used to describe a geographical region of wealth and economic prosperity.
~ mile /mīl/ — noun
1. a unit of linear measure equal to 1,760 yards (approximately 1,609 metres).
Meaning of words retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com and Google dictionary on May 16th, 2017.
Š Permission for Use of Content The author herewith permit it that the present dissertation be made available for consultation; parts of it may be copied, strictly for personal use. Every other use is subject to strict copyright reservations. Particular reference is made to the obligation of explicitly mentioning the source when quoting the present dissertation’s results. Leuven, Belgium, June 2017 All images presented in this booklet are, unless credits are given, made or drawn by the author.
Š Copyright by K.U.Leuven Without written permission of the promotors and the authors it is forbidden to reproduce or adapt in any form or by any means any part of this publication. Requests for obtaining the right to reproduce or utilize parts of this publication should be addressed to dept. ASRO, K.U.Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 1/2431, B-3001 Heverlee (Belgium). Telephone +32-16-32 13 61 or via e-mail to secretariaat@asro.kuleuven.be. A written permission of the promotors is also required to use the methods, products, schematics and programs described in this work for industrial or commercial use, and for submitting this publication in scientific contests.
Golden Mile. A brief overview of a post-industrial, commercialised area in Metropolitan Toronto.
Author Emiel Swinnen Promotor Ward Verbakel Co-promotors Yuri Gerrits Tom Thys RĂŠmi van Durme Readers Bram Aerts Nadia Casabella Victor Gottwald Michael Piper Thesis submitted to obtain the degree of Master in Engineering; Architecture
006
Framework.
Studio Toronto, consisting of thirteen graduating students, was led by Ward Verbakel in cooperation with Tom Thys, Rémi Van Durme and Yuri Gerrits from September 2016 until June 2017. The area of research is situated in a district 15 kilometres east of Downtown Toronto, which is dominated by post-war suburban sprawl. The Toronto Metropolitan Region is on the verge of great transformation due to the expected population growth. The City is investing in the enhancement of its rapid transit system through the implementation of Light Rail Trains on some of the major arterial roads. This big transit investment brings forth opportunities to review the car-dependent suburbs of a typical NorthAmerican grid city. Our research focused on three areas around Eglinton Avenue, upon which an LRT will run in 2021. Five students worked on the residential fabric, four along the avenue and four on a post-industrial area, the Golden Mile, on which this thesis focuses on. Chapter 07 (page 66) offers a brief addendum with further information regarding the Greater Toronto Area’s growth, its economical sectors and its infrastructure. ‘+ Atlas’ (page 72) illustrates several maps of Toronto’s growth and current socio-economic condition. This is part of collective research conducted by Studio Toronto.
GOLDEN MILE
Emiel
Jaron
Jana
AVENUE
Joachim
Elisa
Kristien
Lene
SUBURBAN TISSUE
Nik
Benjamin Charlotte
Heleen
Zeynep
Witold
CITY OF TORONTO Studio Toronto’s focus area is located 15 kilometres east of Downtown Toronto. It includes the most eastern section of Eglinton Avenue, which will be equipped with an LRT-system.
PREFACE
FROM SUBURB TO DOWNTOWN This picture is taken on Eglinton Avenue, on the bridge over Kennedy station which is located within our focus area. Downtown Toronto stretches itself all the way from the Lake Ontario shore towards the north, with the CN Tower (left) as its most striking landmark.
TORONTO
007
08
14 Midholm Drive.
In September 2016, we conducted research in the city’s suburbs during three weeks. Our team immersed itself in the suburban way of life by renting one of the many detached, suburban houses. Actually living (carless) in a typical Torontonian suburb during this period allowed us to taste life in the postwar North-American housing culture that is reaching the end of its lifespan. The suburban fabric has been built for the car and has not been adapted since. Luckily our home at 14 Midholm Drive was located within the research area, although walking distances were still often double the distance than bird’s eye view due to the curvy streets and lack of passages.
CITY OF TORONTO Our home was located in one of Toronto’s post-war suburbs, within the area this thesis focuses on, and almost an hour away from Downtown Toronto by public transportation.
PREFACE
14 MIDHOLM DRIVE
THE CAR-ORIENTED SUBURB Three walking routes that we frequently did are plotted on the map above. It shows that, due to the curvy streets and lack of passages, walking distances are often double as long than projected.
STUDIO TORONTO First row; Lene, Benjamin, Emiel, Jaron, Jana Second row; Kristien, Heleen, Elisa, Joachim, Zeynep, Nik, Charlotte, Witold
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00. Intro; Toronto’s Golden Mile.
This booklet presents a brief overview of the Golden Mile. Being partly based on collective research produced within Studio Toronto and enriched by extra documentation specifically focusing on my individual project, it offers a framework and forms the first part of this graduation thesis. A second booklet,‘Plot twist’, illustrates a design project that acts on a site within the Golden Mile. COLLECTIVE WORK: The Golden Mile is a post-industrial district dominated by commercial activities within the suburban fabric of eastern Toronto. Eglinton Avenue cuts through the area which is bounded by Birchmount and Pharmacy Avenue on its sides. These avenues have all been laid out by the Concession grid, a road system established in the 19th century of which the streets intersect every 800 metres in the east-west direction, and every 2000 metres in the north-south one. Once the site of a factory providing ammunition for the Canadian Army, the Golden Mile has undergone serious changes through time. The end of the Second World War also meant the closure of the munition factory. Vacant plots got rapidly occupied by large
industrial companies, settling themselves on the erstwhile edge of Toronto’s city fabric. A variety of industrial activities, the suburban growth and related booming car sales pushed the Golden Mile into being one of the most prosperous economic districts of Toronto. Major suburban developments and adapted tax regulations forced heavy industry to move out of the city which caused retail giants like Best Buy, Walmart and Canadian Tire in becoming the Golden Mile’s new key players. The closure of the General Motors plant in 1993 was the symbolic tipping point when the Golden Mile of Industry became the Golden Mile of Commerce1. Wikipedia. (2017). Golden Mile, Toronto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Mile,_Toronto 1
EGLINTON AVENUE One of Toronto’s largest avenues, Eglinton, cuts right through the Golden Mile area, which is vital for the business of many retailers and services.
INTRO
Pharmacy Avenue
Birchmount Avenue
LOCATION OF THE GOLDEN MILE The Golden Mile is bounded by two blocks of the Concession grid in the east-west direction and surrounded by the suburban sprawl that occurred in the fifties and sixties.
GOLDEN MILE + EGLINTON LRT
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Large big box stores, industrial assembly halls, office towers, older car repair shops and small manufacturing spaces are what’s left of this area in decay. With the arrival of an LRT-system (Light Rail Transit) on Eglinton Avenue that crosses the Golden Mile centrally, a new opportunity arises to rethink its urban fabric and metabolism. Along this new means of public transportation, the city of Toronto plans a monotonous stroke of mid-rise buildings, which leads to the question whether this development should take on the same form along the Golden Mile’s different fabric, programmatic use and building typology. With this new dynamic in mind, the Golden Mile finally has the potential to regain the glean of its heydays. Infrastructural networks,
vacant spaces and existing buildings could support a more productive context that is able to take on contemporary challenges. One that has an impact on the growing number of inhabitants, shortens urban production cycles, reacts on the need for low skilled jobs and uses valuable land more efficiently. This mobility shift could jumpstart the transformation of this area towards a Golden Mile of Productivity.
INTRO
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GOLDEN MILE + EGLINTON LRT
mid-rise building
EGLINTON LRT + MID-RISE Along the new public transportation line, mid-rise buildings are proposed to increase the LRT’s success and anticipate on the expected demographic growth.
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01. New dynamic; the Greenbelt Act (2005) has to limit expansion of the built environment.
Toronto started out as the small settlement of York exporting goods in direction of the Atlantic Ocean using Lake Ontario. In the post-war era, 150 years later, the city underwent a major population explosion, which led to an abundant amount of suburban sprawl. Today the city inhabits almost 3 million inhabitants, with an extra 4 million living in its metropolitan area, called the Greater Toronto Area. Due to high immigration quota another 3 million people are projected to live in the GTA by 2040. The Greenbelt Act, which has been established in 2005, has framed a natural area surrounding the city and obliges that at least 40% of new developments need to be built within the existing urban fabric.
NEW DYNAMIC
DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH
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Cause.
CAUSE: DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH The Greater Toronto Area is expecting almost 3 million new inhabitants in the next 20 years. One third of them will settle within the City of Toronto.
Consequence.
city existing city fabric
CONSEQUENCE: 40% INTENSIFICATION Minimum 40% of all planned development should be within the existing city fabric according to the Greeenbelt Act. It aims to preserve as much of the surrounding landscape as possible.
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01. New dynamic; two strategies to reach an intensification rate of 40%.
Building 40% within the existing urban fabric is a heavy task. Two major strategies have been put forward. The Places to Grow initiative (2008) has appointed 16 ‘growth centres’ inside the GTA. All planned to be connected by subway, LRT or Go Train, these centres will focus on highrise development designated to residential and business purposes upon public transportation nodes. The Big Move (2008) is a second strategy launched by Metrolinx (an agency of the Ontario Government) and is one that develops in a more linear way along Toronto’s avenues. Hundreds of kilometres of mid-rise buildings will be constructed along new LRT-lines. Because Eglinton LRT will cross the Golden Mile area, focus will be laid upon the Big Move.
NEW DYNAMIC
INTENSIFICATION STRATEGY
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Strategy 1.
STRATEGY 1: PLACES TO GROW 16 centres within the GTA will be enhanced by high density development at the intersection of important public transportation lines.
Strategy 2.
places to grow centre future LRT line subway line GO train
STRATEGY 2: THE BIG MOVE A large share of Eglinton’s sides will be developed with mid-rise buildings projected to reach 36 metres on the Golden Mile.
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STRATEGY 1: PLACES TO GROW High-density condo’s suppress existing historic buildings in different neighbourhoods within Toronto. ‘YOU’VE CHANGED’ expresses clear criticism against the loss of the local history.
NEW DYNAMIC
STRATEGY 2: THE BIG MOVE Workers of Metrolinx collect measurements and information in order to draft technical plans and start the construction on the Eglinton LRT line.
THE BIG MOVE
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01. New dynamic; mid-rise buildings as the paragon of transit-oriented development along Eglinton.
Today Eglinton is dominated by motorized vehicles. Thousands of cars and buses drive from east to west Toronto everyday. The Golden Mile is located in the east, at one of Eglinton’s busiest sections. The area is a popular shopping and leisure destination to all people living in the neighbourhood. After the construction of Eglinton LRT, two lanes of the existing six will be removed. The Second Zoning Plan, drafted by the city of Toronto, appointed focus areas of which the largest is located within the Golden Mile area. In these areas the built fabric will get a major overhaul.
Eglinton’s car volume.
EGLINTON 2017 Number of passing cars in the west-east direction during a period of 24 hours along Eglinton Avenue on a typical workday.
Eglinton LRT + focus areas.
EGLINTON 2021 Future LRT line with its stops, transfer stations and today’s passenger numbers. Focus areas appointed by the city are contoured in red.
NEW DYNAMIC
EGLINTON 2017: COMMERCE + CAR In both directions, over 50,000 cars each day pass the bridge over Kennedy station, shown in the picture above. Commerce, residential high-rises and vacant lots define the avenue’s edge.
EGLINTON 2021: MID-RISE + LRT Complete transformation of Eglinton’s streetscape as envisioned by Metrolinx and the City of Toronto. © Metrolinx + SvN architects.
THE BIG MOVE
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02. Different urbanity; Eglinton crosses two different fabrics, so is a monotonous approach the right one?
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Addendum 07.01, page 66 - 67
When developing Eglinton, one should not only look to the street, but also to its hinterland when proposing mid-rise development. The Golden Mile could not differ more from its surrounding suburbs. The area is designated to industry and commerce in which Eglinton functions as its most important spine. Tons of businesses heavily rely on its continuous flow of people. On the other hand, the suburban fabric is way more introvert and complex. Unlike the Golden Mile, people do not drive through suburban neighbourhoods, but in between two, because every neighbourhood within a block of the Concession grid stands on its own. It is equipped with its own school, park and other public facilities. Looking for a different approach than mid-rise development on the Golden Mile would open more opportunities to safeguard its identity as a different part of the city.
Golden Mile.
Suburban neighbourhood.
Eglinton Avenue
CENTRAL SPINE VERSUS IN BETWEEN CORRIDOR Eglinton is a central spine that cuts through the Golden Mile area, on which most businesses heavily rely. In the suburbs, it is more of a seperation between two neighbourhoods.
DIFFERENT URBANITY
Golden Mile.
GOLDEN MILE VERSUS SUBURB
Suburban neighbourhood.
INDUSTRIAL / COMMERCIAL FABRIC VERSUS RESIDENTIAL FABRIC Although the Golden Mile feels like a way more open fabric, due to all open space being public, it has a significant higher amount of built space.
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02. Different urbanity; Eglinton at the Golden Mile or at the suburban fabric.
GOLDEN MILE Large businesses and retailers, bill boards and parking lots.
DIFFERENT URBANITY
SUBURBAN FABRIC High-rise residential towers, New Urbanism development, green spaces and small businesses.
GOLDEN MILE VERSUS SUBURB
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03. The Golden Mile; industry.
THE GOLDEN MILE
INDUSTRY
After the arrival of Eglinton LRT and major redevelopment of the area, will this heavy industry still fit in the Golden Mile area?
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03. The Golden Mile; vacant plots.
THE GOLDEN MILE
VACANT PLOTS
In this shift towards a more transit-oriented city and the consequential increase of land prices, do the Golden Mile’s numerous vacant plots still pay off?
029
030
03. The Golden Mile; big box stores.
THE GOLDEN MILE
BIG BOX STORE
In a time where public transportation could end the car’s dominance and local grown food or authentic manufactured products become more wanted, do big box companies need to adapt their sales strategy and downsize their stores and parking lots?
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04.01. History; the second world war.
COLLECTIVE WORK: The starting point in the development of the Golden Mile can be traced back to the construction of the GECO factory in the 1940s. It supplied the Canadian army of ammunition and weaponry during World War II. Rural Toronto, connected by railway, was the ideal location, although a safety perimeter was necessary to protect nearby farmhouses and country estates from accidental detonations. The factory employed about 5300 women as most men were fighting at the front in Europe.
HISTORY
MUNITION PLANT
033
GOLDEN MILE
EGLINTON AVENUE
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04.02. History; the post-war heydays.
COLLECTIVE WORK: After the war, empty buildings and hangars were sold by the Township of Scarborough to industrial companies to cover municipal expenses. In the following years more land was put up for sale and bought by small scale manufacturing companies and industries like Ipex, Thermos, General Motors and SKF. In this time this prosperous economic hub received its name: ‘the Golden Mile’, referring to its outstanding reputation and location as an industrial area. To accommodate the large amount of workers, the suburban housing sprawl rapidly reached the Golden Mile, limiting its growth. The end of this era was symbolized by the closure of the large General Motors assembly plant in 1993 that for several years had been the driver to all car related industrial activities in the area.
HISTORY
INDUSTRIAL HEYDAYS
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GOLDEN MILE
EGLINTON AVENUE
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04.02: History; the post-war heydays and the Golden Mile that becomes an industrial phenonemon.
INDUSTRIES ALONG EGLINTON (1953) Selection of the largest industries that occupied the Golden Mile area in 1953, all located along Eglinton Avenue. (Not all logo’s illustrate the real logo).
HISTORY
FRONT PAGE NEWS IN 1952 In the fifties, Scarborough’s Golden Mile often was front-page news. One of Canada’s first industrial parks became an enormous success in generating thousands of jobs and economic prosperity.
INDUSTRIAL HEYDAYS
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04.02. History; the post-war heydays and the Golden Mile that gets visited by the Queen.
TOUR OF QUEEN ELIZABETH The Queen of England visited the city of Toronto in 1959 and stopped at the Golden Mile to see its thriving industry and hypermodern shopping centre.
HISTORY
QUEEN’S VISIT The Queen during her visit photographed on Bay Street.
INDUSTRIAL HEYDAYS
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04.02. History; the post-war heydays and the Golden Mile that opens its first big box store.
OPENING OF LOBLAWS, 1954 Loblaws, a Canadian supermarket chain, opened its first store on the Golden Mile in 1954. Thousands of people came to look at the store of the future. Back than, the scale of these places was unseen and people felt like almost spending the day, buying everything they wanted under one roof.
HISTORY
COMMERCIAL HEYDAYS
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PARKING AND MASS CONSUMPTION Parking and free products were used to attract customers to the big box store in the 1950’s, which has not changed yet.
INCREASING PACE OF CONSUMPTION Due to the size of the store, salesmen scooted around the store to pick up merchandise or check prices to finish jobs double as fast.
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04.03. History; the commercial take-over.
COLLECTIVE WORK: During the sixties, the first shopping centres and strip malls appeared along the Golden Mile to provide the growing population in its close surroundings of food, clothes and leisure related activities. The Golden Mile Plaza was festively inaugurated by the Queen in 1959, stating the importance of its renewed character as a response on the suburban model. It included a dozen of stores, a cinema, car dealerships and of course, parking lots as the symbol of the modern car-oriented society. This commercial overhaul was largely situated along Eglinton Avenue, where large big-box retail stores and their advertisement signs to this day still dominate the view along the avenue.
HISTORY
COMMERCIAL TAKE-OVER
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GOLDEN MILE
EGLINTON AVENUE
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05. Commercial polarisation; retail companies are directly dependant on Eglinton.
Commerce has supressed industries on most places around Eglinton Avenue. Today the Golden Mile is a polarised area, where commercial and industrial activities are clearly seperated. It is very important to retailers to be visible from te avenue in order to lure customers in. Industries and smaller manufacturing businesses can be found on the edge of the Golden Mile, often standing in stark contrast with the surrounding suburban fabric.
A POLARISED GOLDEN MILE Commercial buildings are located adjacent to Eglinton Avenue.
POLARISATION
TORONTO’S MANUFACTURING DROP Manufacturing once was Toronto’s largest industrial sector, but its share has been rapidly decreasing since the eighties.
JOBS IN THE GOLDEN MILE Although the number of manufacturing jobs still take the lead, retail and knowledge based jobs are coming close to take over.
COMMERCE DEPENDS ON EGLINTON
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05. Commercial polarisation; retail companies are directly dependant on Eglinton.
COMPANIES DEPENDENT ON EGLINTON Most of these companies (only a brief selection of the real situation) heavily depend upon their visible connection with Eglinton.
POLARISATION
ASPHALT CONNECTED TO EGLINTON Large parking lots are directly connected to the avenue and located in front of the commercial stores as a symbol of their convenience and easy access.
COMMERCE DEPENDS ON EGLINTON
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05. Commercial polarisation; a drive to a Golden Mile’s big box store.
048
Today the suburban way of life is dependant on the car. Big box retailers’ implantation on site is completely adjusted to this car-oriented society. Eglinton Avenue serves as the entrance to a large lot that welcomes its visitors, ending in an enormous store of which the facade is equipped with huge entrances and signs. This stop-motion shows the route of a suburban home to a big box store. Walmart has been taken as an example, because it represents the big box culture best.
ROUTE The route could be divided into three parts: driving in the suburbs (01, 02, 03), driving on Eglinton (04, 05, 06) and driving on a big box plot (07, 08, 09).
POLARISATION
A DRIVE TO A BIG BOX
01 SUBURBS: PRIVATE DRIVEWAY
02 SUBURBS: LOCAL DRIVE
03 SUBURBS: APPROACHING EGLINTON
04 EGLINTON: ENTERING THE GOLDEN MILE
05 EGLINTON: THE COMMERCIAL FABRIC
06 EGLINTON: DRIVING ALONG THE SITE
07 SITE: ROAD TOWARDS WALMART
08 SITE: ENTERING WALMART’S PARKING LOT
09 SITE: FIND A SPOT
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06. Typology; most common functions.
Although the Golden Mile looks like a monotonous and desolated area at first sight, it incorporates a large variety of functions and building typologies. All of them differ in their land-use, their interaction with Eglinton, the number of people employed and the operational hours. In the following pages the six most common typologies will be explained further into detail.
A MONOTONOUS COLLECTION OF BIG BOXES Because of its historical growth and constantly changing fabric, the area looks rather chaotic and unstructured.
TYPOLOGY
OVERVIEW
01: BIG BOX STORE
02: OFFICE
03: CAR REPAIR
04: CAR DEALERSHIP
05: FACTORY
06: WORKSHOP
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06.01. Typology; big box store.
COLLECTIVE WORK: Big box stores are the archetype of North-American large-scale retail. Sales techniques discourage multiple floors which results in enormous objects in the middle of a parking landscape. Parking is seen as the real entrance to the building, being a symbol of the big box’ ease of use and accessibility. Inviting, exaggerated front facades need to lure in customers and communicate with them through large signs and billboards. Once inside, its open floor plan is filled in with shelves positioned in the same orientation as its parking lot.
TYPOLOGY
BIG BOX STORE
LARGE ENTRANCE All facades of the big box stores are blind, except for its front, which is equipped with a large entrance and billboards.
PARKING LOT Huge parking lot in front of the store as a symbol of its convenience.
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06.02. Typology; office.
COLLECTIVE WORK: Since the early 90’s a few office buildings arose in the industrial tissue of the Golden Mile. Being the first typology to transcend one or two building layers, office buildings are often the highest structures in the area. The large number of employees, typically ranging between 50 and a couple of hundred, all work on a rather small footprint, freeing up enough space to accommodate all their cars.
TYPOLOGY
OFFICE
OFFICE TOWER Prefab constructed office tower with large windows on all four sides.
PRIVATE PARKING LOT A private parking lot occupies a large amout of the site, being only accessible to employees of the company.
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06.03. Typology; car repair.
COLLECTIVE WORK: A whole new world of car-related services arose after the arrival of the General Motors plant in 1953. Today a lot of services are left, mostly focused on repair, maintenance and tuning of vehicles. Most of them are located in the oldest part (the original site of the munition plant) of the Golden Mile that can be reached by smaller secondary streets.
TYPOLOGY
CAR REPAIR
GARAGE BUILDING Large gates in the facade give entrance to the building, always equipped with lots of signs.
CAR STORAGE Cars that have been, or still must be repaired are stored here to be picked up or to go into the repair shop.
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06.04. Typology; car dealership.
COLLECTIVE WORK: All Golden Mile car dealerships are located next to Eglinton Avenue. High billboards promote the car’s brand and stand perpendicular on the street, making it visible from a large distance. Showrooms are located rather close to Eglinton. A parking lot in the back often functions to store a new batch of cars.
TYPOLOGY
CAR DEALERSHIP
DEALERSHIP The showroom is fully glazed and illuminated at night to present the cars 24/7.
COMMUNICATION WITH AVENUE Large signs along Eglinton reveal the car brand that is sold inside.
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06.05. Typology; factory.
COLLECTIVE WORK: Despite the Golden Mile’s commercial take-over, still dozens of heavy industrial activities can be found in the area. These are often supressed to its edges, forming a large contrast with suburban housing development on the other side of the street. Besides their aesthetically unpleasing look (considered by most people), people often also speak of noise and smell pollution. Next to the building the lot is mostly used for storage of goods, waiting to be transported by road or the, today barely used, railway tracks.
TYPOLOGY
FACTORY
WAREHOUSE The warehouse adjacent to the factory stores goods and is equipped with docking stations for trucks to deliver products.
ASSEMBLY HALL Inside these large volumes, a various amount of products are assembled.
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06.06. Typology; workshop.
COLLECTIVE WORK: Smaller buildings, often left-overs from older industrial programs are today used as workshops for all varieties in small scale manufacturing and technical services. A lot of them are elaborated within the garage-box typology. Typically very small businesses, existing out of 1 or two people can be found here. Its small operating scale does not imply they have a limited output or sales market.
TYPOLOGY
WORKSHOP
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GARAGE BOX Exists usually out of an old, brickwork structure enclosing small spaces that only receive daylight through its front facade.
FRONT SPACE The space in front is often used to work outside when the weather is good, or used to store goods or cars.
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06.06. Typology; inside the Golden Mile’s industry.
IRON PARTS ASSEMBLY Peter is a self employed mechanic producing small parts for industrial machines and exporting them all around the world. Lots of comparable small scale productive businesses like Peters can be found on the Golden Mile, just not visible from its major axes.
GARDEN TOOL REPAIR SHOP The garage workshop is a rare productive typology. Due to the very small space, most people work outside when weather allows it. Small scale productivity stands in stark contrast to the large retail chains and heavy industry a little further.
TYPOLOGY
INSIDE
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NAPKIN FACTORY The production line of this napkin factory is kept running 24/7 by 3 shifts of 40 employees . Due to increasing automatisation in this sector, factories like these need less and less workforce to keep the conveyor belt running.
STEEL ASSEMBLY Scarborough Steel Works Inc., established in 1950, is a small company that employs highly skilled craftsmen producing custom sized steel beams to be used in large construction projects of multinational companies, like for instance Apple.
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07.01. Addendum; Growth of the GTA.
greenbelt built fabric
THE GTA’S GROWTH The expansion of the GTA’s built fabric can be strongly related to certain periods of time. Each period is characterized by a fabric.
ADDENDUM
GROWTH OF THE GTA
01 DOWNTOWN
02 PRE-WAR SUBURBS
Start of development: 1800s.
Start of development: 1900s.
03 POST-WAR SUBURBS
04 BUFFER
Start of development: 1950s.
Start of development: 2000s.
05 GREENBELT Start of development: Never?
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07.02. Addendum; The GTA is Canada’s driver.
greenbelt industrial buildings
GDP The GTA definitely is Canada’s economic engine. In a part that accounts for less than one thousandth of the country’s land surface, almost 20 percent of the economic output is produced here.
ADDENDUM
INDUSTRIES IN THE GTA
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01 MINING
02 STEEL INDUSTRY
03 MANUFACTURING
Soil around the metropolitan area often contains valuable materials.
Mostly concentrated around the city of Hamilton, also called ‘the hammer’ or ‘steelcity’.
Manufacturing businesses are often located in industrial areas in the suburbs, like the Golden Mile.
04 FINANCE AND BANKING
05 LOGISTICS
06 CAR INDUSTRY
Downtown Toronto is dominated by finance, with the Toronto Stock Exchange being the world’s ninth largest.
Logistical centres can be found all over Toronto. Pearson International Airport holds the largest one.
The city of Oshawa today is the focal point of the car industry in the Greater Toronto Area.
07 WINE
08 AGRICULTURE
09 TOURISM
Canadian wine export is growing, of which almost all of its volume is produced on the Niagara peninsula.
Lots of farms are located just outside the metropolitan area, often in the Greenbelt.
The Niagara Falls are only a 90-min drive from Toronto, but also the city itself is a major tourist destination.
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07.03. Addendum; Toronto’s infrastructure.
industrial buildings
HIGHWAYS Almost all Toronto’s industrial parks are located next to a highway, with the 401 being North-America’s highway. Due to its early conception, the Golden Mile is one of the few examples not following this rule.
industrial buildings
POWERLINES The metropolitan area is fed by numerous amount of high voltage lines. Just north of the Golden Mile runs Downtown’s most important supply of electricity, the Hydro corridor. Named ‘hydro’ because of the electricity’s generation through hydroelectric power.
ADDENDUM
071
TORONTO’S INFRASTRUCTURE
industrial buildings
RAILWAYS + AIRPORTS Railways and airports are the main entry gates for goods and people to the city. Toronto owns Canada’s largest airport and second and third largest railway yards (Macmillan and CPR Toronto).
industrial buildings
(FUTURE) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION When the LRT-network is completed, the Golden Mile will be very well connected to other employment areas, creating opportunities for more circular and interwoven industries.
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+ Atlas.
A brief overview of Toronto’s social, spatial and economical condition.
Heleen Eskens, Lene De Vrieze, Charlotte Sannen, Elisa Dehasque, Zeynep Topçu, Jana Coeckelberghs, Nik Vandewyngaerde, Benjamin Hens, Witold Vandenbroeck, Joachim Mertens, Kristien Bryon, Jaron Vanooteghem, Emiel Swinnen Studio Toronto 1617
074
1800s: Trade over Lake Ontario and the Erie Canal.
19th century Trade over Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal and the Grand Trunk Railway system connecting all major cities. 1900s Inland settlements to exploit minerals, products and wood.
Postwar Fast development of downtown’s financial core due to Toronto’s beneficial location. Takes Montréal’s place in being Canada’s most important metropolis.
Today More than a quarter of Canada’s population lives within a 1-hour drive from Toronto.
SCALE
GREAT LAKES
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076
1900s: Inland settlements.
19th century Trade over Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal and the Grand Trunk Railway system connecting all major cities. 1900s Inland settlements to exploit minerals, products and wood
Postwar Fast development of downtown’s financial core due to Toronto’s beneficial location. Takes Montréal’s place in being Canada’s most important metropolis.
Today More than a quarter of Canada’s population lives within a 1-hour drive from Toronto.
200,000,000 CAD
100,000,000 CAD
CANADA’S TOTAL EXPORT OF GOODS IN CANADIAN DOLLARS
Permagon World Atlas, Atlas of Canada; Plate no. 42. Mapped by author, March 2017.
SCALE
GREAT LAKES
077
Post-war connectivity towards major cities.
078
19th century Trade over Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal and the Grand Trunk Railway system connecting all major cities. 1900s Inland settlements to exploit minerals, products and wood.
Postwar Fast development of Downtown’s financial core due to Toronto’s beneficial location. Takes Montréal’s place in being Canada’s most important metropolis.
Today More than a quarter of Canada’s population lives within a 1-hour drive from Toronto.
THE WORLD’S ALPHA CITIES (A++, A+, A)
GaWC (Geography Department Loughborough University); Global cities in harmonious development. http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/visual/globalcities2010.pdf, mapped by author, April 2017.
SCALE
GREAT LAKES
079
Toronto is Canada’s focal point.
080
19th century Trade over Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal and the Grand Trunk Railway system connecting all major cities. 1900s Inland settlements to exploit minerals, products and wood.
Postwar Fast development of downtown’s financial core due to Toronto’s beneficial location. Takes Montréal’s place in being Canada’s most important metropolis.
Today More than a quarter of Canada’s population lives within a 1-hour drive from Toronto.
25% of Canada’s population
CANADA’S POPULATED AREA’S.
Huffington Post Canada, ‘this is how empty Canada really is’; population density. http://www. huffingtonpost.ca/2014/04/17/canada-empty-maps_n_5169055.html. (April 2014). Mapped by author, April 2017.
SCALE
GREAT LAKES
081
082
Built fabric.
SCALE
city existing city fabric
GREATER TORONTO AREA
083
084
(Future) public transportation network.
SCALE
places to grow centre future LRT line subway line GO train
GREATER TORONTO AREA
085
086
Highway system.
SCALE
GREATER TORONTO AREA
087
088
Major transit hubs.
SCALE
number of passengers volume of goods
GREATER TORONTO AREA
089
090
Concession grid.
In 1791, the land was partitioned into park lots and farm lots of one hundred chains by Deputy Provincial Surveyor Augustus Jones. 1 One hundred chains correspond to two kilometres. Later on, these blocks were further divided into smaller lots, dimensions varying between districts. In Scarborough for example, one block was divided into five lots resulting in 20 chains, or approximately 800 metres. The construction of roads and avenues was based on these concession grids while downtown evolved towards a more densely connected grid of streets, the suburbs did not. As a consequence, the transit dynamics are very different. 1
Neptis Foundation. (2014). Analysis of existing urban areas, http://www.neptis.org/publications/ shaping-toronto-region/chapters/analysis-existing-urban-areas, last visited: 19/05/17.
Public transportation.
091
The existing public transit network comprises buses, streetcars, a subway system and trains. Recent developments are bringing light rail technology in order to complement the existing subway lines. The combination of LRT and subway ought to from a rapid transit network for Toronto, while GOtrains cover transit in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area. The buses follow the concession grid. The future network aims to connect several new centres and employment areas.
092
Topography.
Toronto’s topography is primarily characterized by a number of small and large ravines. These were formed after the end of the last ice age. The rapid melting of the glacier and the following heavy rainfall easily washed away the soft sandy soil in Toronto. Three plateaus appear due to the presence of this green system. The one on the East reaches Lake Ontario, forming an almost hundred-meterhigh cliff, known as the Scarborough Bluffs. This unique geological formation gave Scarborough its first identity, it reminded European settlers of the cliffs in Scarborough, England. City of Toronto; 3D massing. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=d431d477f9a3a410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD, (April 2017).
Flooding.
093
Urbanization led to the appearance of many asphalted and concrete areas, like the Golden Mile for example, preventing water to infiltrate the soil. Offshoots of the ravines are sometimes put underground in a sewage system, but too much rainfall cannot be handled by its capacity. A lot of water running through the ravines causes the sandy soil to wash away its edges.
Government of Canada; natural resources. http://geogratis.gc.ca/site/eng/extraction, (February 2017).
094
Expansion of the built fabric since 1900.
With the arrival of electric streetcars by the end of the 19th century, walkable compact housing districts started to surround the city centre, forming the pre-war inner belt. In the 20th century the advent of the automobile allowed people to live further apart from their work and each other. Toronto’s suburbs were laid-out based on the Levittown model, which brought with an enormous expansion of the city’s consumed land.
City of Toronto; evolution of the built fabric.http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=3c82707b1a280410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD (April 2017).
Parcel area.
095
In the pre-war inner belt, the parcel area is relatively small, contrary to the post war suburbs. The embodiment of a new family ideal, based on the automobile, results in detached houses, large driveways and thus bigger plot sizes.
City of Toronto; property boundaries. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=c3a11a23871b9310VgnVCM1000003dd60f89RCRD, (April 2017).
096
Population density.
Three zones of variable density are visible: the dense city centre, the first suburban belt and the post-war suburbs. The belt around the city centre was built in the beginning of the 20th century and exists of houses with several floors on small lots. The post-war suburbs are spread out widely because of the low detached houses on big lots. Some areas might be densely built, but seem not dense on the map because of a big green area or employment centre in the particular ward.
City of Toronto; Population density.
Building heights.
097
When looking at building heights, the three zones, visible on the population density map, also stand out. Apart from the city centre, a few lines and clusters of high-rise appear along the avenues in the suburbs. However, the building height doesn’t always correspond with the population density, because here not only residential buildings are considered.
City of Toronto; 3D massing. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=d431d477f9a3a410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD, (April 2017).
98
Household income.
An area in the middle of Toronto is more wealthy than the outer neighborhoods, subsequently North and East York in contrast to Etobicoke and Scarborough. The average income is the highest in Downtown and mostly in the first inhabited areas such as Don Mills in the centre. Some areas have an overall lower income due to criminality and poor infrastructure. High income improves wealth, while low income households depend on the governmental support.
City of Toronto; Income and shelter costs.
Unemployment rate.
99
When the employment level is higher, there’s a higher chance of high income. The similarities between the areas with a high income and high employment level are unavoidable. The areas next to the planned LRT’s have a low income and high unemployment rate. An infrastructural investment could evoke an economical shift. Note: the existing employment areas seems to have suspicious rare employment, this is due to the low rate of dwellings situated integral in these employment areas. City of Toronto; Employment areas. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=1a66e03bb8d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD, (April 2017).
100
Footprint of buildings.
The development of tall buildings in Downtown Toronto on the one hand and the production halls and big boxes in the industrial areas on the other hand is noticeable on the map of the footprint of buildings in Toronto. On the other hand, the inner prewar suburban belt has significantly smaller footprints due to a larger number of floors and small parcels. Building dense was not needed anymore after the war, when the car made its introduction on a large scale, Toronto’s postwar suburbs feature larger, often single-floor, detached houses. City of Toronto; 3D massing. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=d431d477f9a3a410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD, (April 2017).
Monthly renting price.
101
Toronto is after Vancouver, Canada’s most expensive city to buy a house, but the most expensive to rent a home. (http://torontosvitalsigns.ca/main-sections/housing/) The monthly renting prices are even averaging over 1000 dollars. It is quite obvious that renting prices in the city center of Toronto are higher than in the outer suburbs, but when comparing this difference in yearly income, we notice that especially the Torontonian suburbs are suffering from this housing affordability issue.
102
Educational level.
There are three significant areas with a high level of education in the city of Toronto. The largest area spreads from Downtown Toronto to the north (York and North York). This is due to the knowledge based industry being located in these city districts. The South-Western high educated area, around the centre of Etobicoke, arose in the same way. Finally, the coastline and Eastern part of Scarborough (Scarborough University) have a high degree of education. Areas close to industrial districts are remarkably lower educated, which could be explained by a close work/home distance. City of Toronto; Level of education.
Visible minorities.
103
Visible minorities are considered to be ‘persons, other than Aboriginal people, who are nonCaucasian in race or non-white in colour. (NHS profile, city of Toronto). With Toronto being referred to as the most multicultural city in the world, this implies minorities are often no minority in a certain neighbourhood. This is especially true in the suburbs, where a lot of districts are dominated by Asian or Latin-American influences.
City of Toronto; Employment Act.
104
References.
IMAGES 00. Intro Location of the Golden Mile
Image retrieved from Google Earth Pro (2016). Edited by author May 2017.
p.11
Left
Toronto Star. (2010). Ontario honours women who won the war. https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/ thestar/news/ontario/2010/03/12/ontario_honours_women_who_won_the_war/women_atwork.jpeg.
p.32
Right
Urban Toronto. (2012). http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/attachments/geco-4-x-jpg.92236/
Bottom
Toronto Transforms. (2013). GoldenMile1949airweb.jpg
Aerial
City of Toronto. (1998). Toronto Archives, aerial photographs, 1947. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=a28244ca68846410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
p.33
Left
Phscollectorcarworld. (2012). 1974-1993 Chevy and GMC Vans from the Scarborough Van Plant. http://3. bp.blogspot.com/-NCmum3ynPBI/UMzwPHFkMyI/AAAAAAAACPw/DRTRJfiClaw/s1600/chevy+van+d.jpg
p.34
Right
Phscollectorcarworld. (2012). 1974-1993 Chevy and GMC Vans from the Scarborough Van Plant. http://3. bp.blogspot.com/-ZtAp97o3BDw/UMzvtYzLq-I/AAAAAAAACPY/nb-cuT1j4dI/s1600/chevy+van+a.jpg
Bottom
BlogTO. (2013). What Eglinton Avenue used to look like in Toronto. http://www.blogto.com/ upload/2013/11/2012410-golden-mile-20-years.jpg
Aerial
City of Toronto. (1998). Toronto Archives, aerial photographs, 1959. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/ contentonly?vgnextoid=d8f71c9dae12e410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
p.35
Front page news in 1952
Jamie on Flickr. (2015). ts 52-10-16 sketch of golden mile. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ jbcurio/23004245234
p.37
Tour of Queen Elizabeth
Jamie on Flickr. (2015). ts 59-06-27 where to see queen. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ jbcurio/23549319701/in/photostream/
p.38
Queen’s visit
City of Toronto. (1998). Web Exhibits, Queen City: her majesty in Toronto. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/ portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=667a757ae6b31410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
p.39
Opening of Loblaws, 1954
Curious Anarchy Tumblr. (unknown). Toronto’s Golden Mile by Niloufar Ameli. http://curious-anarchy. tumblr.com/mile
p.40
Parking and mass consumption
Jamie on Flickr. (2015). tely 54-04-07 gmp 5 loblaws 400. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ jbcurio/23336040650/in/photostream/
p.41
Increasing pace of consumption
Jamie on Flickr. (2015). ts 88-03-17 super centre roller skating pic. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ jbcurio/23336087980/in/photostream/
04.01 History
http://www.torontotransforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/d-
04.02 History
04.03 History Left
Unknown. (unknown). https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/O4rKbqOQYxSdwpT7nv2mgKTfC14D-6w2QlCAi6H k4HwPKpK3Svyi6nEOu4whGY8mK_sP=s128
Right
Cinema treasures. (2000). Golden Mile PLaza Theatre. https://static1.squarespace.com/ static/57bfa1aed1758ecdc1d57c21/t/58956dc51b631b6956e088ff/1486187987035/
Bottom
Image retrieved from Apple Maps. (2016). Edited by author May 2017.
Centre
Image retrieved from Google Earth Pro (2002). Edited by author May 2017.
p.43
Companies dependant on Eglinton
Logos retrieved from wikipedia, multiple pages.
p.46
Route
Images retrieved from Google Street View. (2016). Edited by author May 2017.
p.49
Image retrieved from Google Street View. (2016). Edited by author May 2017.
p.54
Images retrieved from Google Earth Pro. (2016). Edited by author May 2017.
p.67
Images retrieved from Google Earth Pro. (2016). Edited by author May 2017.
p.69
p.42
05. Commercial polarisation
06.02 Typology Bottom 07.01 Addendum Centre 07.02 Addendum Centre
105
DATA USED IN MAPS / INFOGRAPHICS / SCHEMES 00. Intro Eglinton LRT + mid-rise
City of Toronto Planning Department. (2016). Golden Mile Secondary Plan Study. http://www.toronto.ca/ legdocs/mmis/2016/sc/bgrd/backgroundfile-91191.pdf.
p.13
Wikipedia. (2017). Demographics of Toronto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Toronto.
p.15
01. New dynamic Cause: demographic growth
Ontario Ministry of Finance. (2016). Ontario Population Projections Update, 2015 - 2041. Consequence: 40% intensification
Burchfeld M., Kramer A.(2012). Growing Pains: understanding the new reality of population and dwelling patterns in the Toronto and Vancouver regions. Commissioned by Neptis Foundation.
Strategy 1: Places to Grow
Neptis Foundation. (2015). Understanding the Fundamentals of the Growth Plan.
p.17
Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs. (2016). Places to Grow: growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. https://placestogrow.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9&Itemid=12. Strategy 2: The Big Move
Brook Mcllroy Planning, Urban Design Pace Architects, E.R.A Architects, Quadrangle Architects Limited, Urban Marketing Collaborative. (2010). Avenues and mid-rise buildings study. City of Toronto Planning Department. (2014). EglintonConnects, Volume 2: the plan: recommendation and implementation strategies.
Eglinton 2017
City of Toronto: Average weekday, 24 hour traffic volume. (2013). https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20 Toronto/Transportation%20Services/Road%20safety/Files/pdf/24hourvolumemap2013.pdf.
Eglinton 2021
TTC: TTC operating statistics. (2013). https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Operating_Statistics/2013.jsp.
p.20
+ Atlas Concession Grid
Toronto Open Data, mapped by author, April 2017.
p.90
Public transportation
Toronto Open Data + Metrolinx, mapped by author, April 2017.
p.91
Topography
Toronto Open Data, 3D Massing, mapped by author, April 2017.
p.92
Flooding
Government of Canada; natural resources, mapped by author, November 2016
p.93
Expansion of the built fabric (...)
City of Toronto, evolution of the fabric, mapped by author, November 2016
p.94
Parcel area
Toronto Open Data, Property boundaries, mapped by author, November 2016
p.95
Population density
Toronto Open Data, NHS-indicators 2011, average per neighbourhood, mapped by author, November 2016
p.96
Building heights
Toronto Open Data, 3D massing, mapped by author, November 2016
p.97
Household income
Toronto Open Data, NHS-indicators 2011, average per neighbourhood, average after tax family income, mapped by author, November 2016
p.98
Unemployment rate
Toronto Open Data, Employment areas, mapped by author, November 2016
Footprint of building
Toronto Open Data, 3D massing, mapped by author, November 2016
p.100
Monthly renting price
Toronto Open Data, NHS-indicators 2011, average per neighbourhood, mapped by author, November 2016
p.101
Educational level
Toronto Open Data, NHS-indicators 2011, average per neighbourhood, mapped by author, November 2016
p.102
Visible minorities
Toronto Open Data, NHS-indicators 2011, average per neighbourhood, mapped by author, November 2016
p.103
p.99
106
TEXT City of Toronto. (2014). Toronto Employment Survey. http://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/City%20Planning/SIPA/Files/pdf/S/ survey2014.pdf. Last accessed February 2017. City of Toronto. (2011). Ward Profiles: Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest. https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/City%20 Planning/Wards/Files/pdf/W/Ward%2035%20Profile%202011.pdf, last accessed March 2017. City of Toronto. (2011). Ward Profiles: Ward 36, Scarborough Southwest. https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/City%20 Planning/Wards/Files/pdf/W/W36map.pdf, last accessed March 2017. City of Toronto. (2011). Ward Profiles: Ward 37, Scarborough Centre. https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/City%20Planning/ Wards/Files/pdf/W/W37map.pdf, last accessed March 2017. Bonis R. R. (1968). A History of Scarborough. Scarborough Public Library. Scarborough Ontario. p 206-209. Wikipedia. (2017) Golden Mile Toronto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Mile,_Toronto, last accessed May 2017. Lebland D. (2006). Not much remains of Scarborough’s Golden Mile. In: The Globe and Mail. July 28. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/realestate/not-much-remains-of-scarboroughs-golden-mile/article20412579/, last accessed April 2017. Wainwright K. (2015). Historicist: Scarborough’s Bombshell Beauties. In: Torontoist. March 7. http://torontoist.com/2015/03/historicistscarboroughs-bombshell-bomb-girls/, last accessed April 2017. Inside Toronto, (2009). Golden Mile’s contribution to Scarborough recognized by Heritage Toronto. In: Scarborough Mirror. July 20. https://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/269-golden-mile-s-contribution-to-scarborough-recognized-byheritage-toronto/, last accessed April 2017. Novakovic S. (2017). Scarborough’s Golden Mile Joins Wave of Mall Redevelopment. In: Urban Toronto. Jan 5. http://urbantoronto.ca/ news/2017/01/scarboroughs-golden-mile-joins-wave-mall-redevelopment, last accessed April 2017. Jennifer S. (2011) Remembering Scarborough’s Golden Mile Theatre. In: Local Film Cultures: Toronto. https://localfilmculturestoronto. wordpress.com/exhibition-sites-case-studies/remembering-scarboroughs-golden-mile-theatre/, last accessed April 2017. Metrolinx. 2015-2020, Metrolinx Five Year Strategy. (2015). Brook McIlroy Planning & Urban Design/Pace Architects. Avenues and Mid-rise building Study. (2010).
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