West 8 Urban Design and Landscape Architecture

Queens Quay, which runs east-west parallel to the lakefront, is Toronto’s main waterfront street. This 1.7km (2 mile) waterfront boulevard, which was officially opened in June 2015, was designed by West 8 in collaboration with DTAH and developed by Waterfront Toronto.

The redevelopment of Queens Quay is one of the sub-projects from the 2006 award-winning Toronto Central Waterfront master plan.

The reconstruction of Queen Quay noticeably reorganizes traffic: it reduces the number of lanes of traffic on the street from four to two, places a dedicated Light Rail Transit (LRT) Corridor in the middle, and adds wider granite sidewalks on both sides of the street. The waterfront Martin Goodman Trail (a multi-use recreational trail) has also been extended and runs along the broad south side of the street.

The generous pedestrian sidewalk on the south side of the street includes a double row of 240 trees. Each of which are planted inside a silva cell, a hollow frame that contains a generous amount of soil for the tree while supporting the weight of the pavement above. Built-in irrigation channels in the pavement steer rainwater to the trees’ roots and then the overflow into the sewer system.

Once uninviting, the opening of the new world-class Queens Quay, links major destinations along the water’s edge creating a Public realm that is pedestrian and cycling-friendly. It offers a grand civic meeting place and an environment conducive to economic vitality and ground floor retail activity. The design will create a lasting legacy for the city, which is both beautiful and functional.