Joe Senc
I hate to keep beating a dead horse but look to Montreal on how they bring community, business & after 5pm crowds together, we need walkable streets no cars, with cafes, restaurants, retail & entertainment. Some form of access to the river would nice if possible, use Chicago as the example. You have a blank canvas here use it. People in Toronto continually mention on how great & fun Montreal is well here is our chance lets get it right.

Cairns Deleway
Architecture: It would be great to see a core of skyscrapers that look visually contrasting to the bland glass condos and towers we already see downtown. Future-oriented and ambitious design has an ability to attract people to a place alone. Torontonians need a place they can look at and say "This is proudly, uniquely ours." All of the massing of the buildings look so uniform and boxy, please consider different colours, materials, shapes and perhaps a couple signature tall skyscrapers to make something appealing for Toronto's east-end skyline. Please also consider timber and sustainable options too, position Canada as a leading mass-timber design leader as talked about at the Toronto mass timber institute @ UofT. -Lastly, I want to talk about culture. Culture is a 'feeling in the air', that no bureaucratic document can recreate. It would be a major disappointment walking through the streets of East Harbour and not feeling inspired. Cities like Tokyo and Seoul have vibrant neon lighting and signs that echo a kind of uniqueness and boldness. The reality is, people in the cultural industries are leaving Toronto because it is no longer affordable to have a studio space as well as rents. Arts and Culture are the reasons why we visit cities: Paris, London, New York etc. The most touristic and vibrant neighbourhoods have a thriving arts/cultural scene — Not everyone works in a traditional office setting: i.e. People in music, design, art,, they need studios.

Azeri Abaad
An identity of a city is formed through cultural industries. New York & London are known for their cultural scene but Toronto is just known to be a 'business city' with an arts scene that is not on the surface and is dying. In East Harbour, I'd like to see culture/arts emerge off of the surface of Toronto and finally be able to have space to grow as well as attracting and retaining talent. Creative talent is leaving Toronto and heading to more affordable places like Montreal & Hamilton.

Project team: Please stop this exodus of the creative sector, this should be a main priority.

mike gohl
Being the size that it is, this is a once in a generation kind of development for Toronto and there is only one shot to make it right. Adequate cultural facilities, entertainment, and year-round amenities and events will contribute to a successful development. Consider East Harbour as part of the 'city of neighbourhoods' identity that Toronto is most proud of. East Harbour should be distinct & should rival popular central business districts across the world and be a central spine for the east-end. Consider hosting an international design competition for buildings (being that once these are built, there is no way to go back and change it so let's aim high, be creative and perhaps a little edgy). the 2150 lakeshore development is inspiring in colour, built form and pedestrian scale.. see design as something of value and something that needs to be strongly considered. I'm trying to fit everything into 250 words here, but world-class cities have an 'it' district where all of the most exciting and groundbreaking industries, nightlife, shopping action happens. In London, you have Oxford street as well as 'shoreditch' which proves how culture can revitalise neighbourhoods and cities..in New York you have Tribeca or soho, in Seoul you have gangnam, in Tokyo you have Shinjuku or shibuya... Toronto will and can benefit from a major cultural district that will bring Toronto off of the national stage to the world stage. I like to dream big, I know.

Cairns Deleway
Nightlife. Young people in Toronto want more options that don't close so early. A way to keep East Harbour afloat past 5pm is to bring in a wide range of bars, clubs and cultural options that go through the night. Knowing Torontonians, I know noise is going to be a concern, so look at ways venues can reduce noise through insulation or certain design elements. We have to remember we are in a large city, a noise is inevitable. We have lost over a dozen music venues because of the pandemic, it is at a dire situation for us in the music/entertainment industry. The cultural industries are the hardest hit industry and it expected to take the longest to recover. Ensure East Harbour can accommodate a large number of these types of establishments to position Toronto as a competitive place to 'have fun'. Unfortunately, Montreal is the cultural capital of Canada... but East Harbour should seek to challenge this. Retail should be unique, focusing on shops that you wouldn't normally find in other retail districts downtown. Perhaps local designers, or international designers looking to open a staple Canadian location. Please ensure Live music and live performance is engrained in East Harbour's DNA, as well as give opportunities to artists/buskers being pushed out of Toronto.

I respect your experiences, but this is not outstanding by any class measure of what makes cities 'great' in my own opinion. Every city has YMCA's or corktown commons, but many residents are single and don't have children as well so I'd like to see more out of the box ideas there.

David V
While I agree, a grocery store is not going to 'inject life' into this future world-class development. It will certainly be convenient and important, but it is galleries, venues, museums or lake cultural anchors, sports, shopping, bars etc that will inject life here. These social anchors will draw a crows past 5pm and inject more of a work/live balance in toronto

There seems to be often cultural organisations, artists, artisans and non-profit cultural groups left out of the conversation in city planning. Be sure to survey and include them in this process as it would create a more holistic and collaborative development that could realistically and authentically better impact these communities. The idea of collaborating with local BIAs is along the lines of my thinking as well. Please be in collaborating with or contact with local arts organisations such as "East end arts" which are connected to many other local arts groups close to the future east harbour location. The city of Toronto Music office is also looking to expand music footprint in Toronto as well as a new office being implemented for artist space is in the works. These efforts could actually showcase how community outreach can already start conversations about how major developments don't have to feel disconnected from a new neighbourhood or context and can enrich the development itself. While standing out as a neighbourhood should be encouraged, it's also important to meaningfully reach out to local residents, youth, seniors, professionals and homeless groups. Many people like myself living in the east end will be negatively displaced impacted by the Ontario Line in the interim. I think East Harbour as a destination that benefits local residents, organisations and the broader city can really make up for some loss suffered with any major development and bring us together stronger and united.

Community Services & Facilities

Interested in living here