Pocket_parks.indd - pocket_parks.pdf. Public Space. Substitution Between Privately and Publicly Supplied Urban Recreational Open Space. Public space: European Prize for Urban Public Space. Project for Public Spaces - Placemaking for Communities. 2009 Professional Awards. HtO, an urban beach along Toronto’s waterfront, is not only an adored, seasonally adaptive public space where people can relax by the water away from downtown commotion, but it is also a catalyst for the city’s future waterfront development, having set high design standards.
Transformed from an abandoned industrial site, the park is a welcoming, branded destination for the local community and for tourists, effectively drawing visitors and animating the waterfront with color and activity. Toronto’s Central Waterfront is disconnected from the rest of the city by an elevated expressway. HtO was created to draw people to the water, entice them with a unique yet flexible design for passive and active uses, and therefore eliminate these barriers between the downtown and Lake Ontario.
Since its opening, the park has attracted countless visitors during all seasons and has proven to be a much needed public space. HtO has also helped to establish a new language along the waterfront. Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes. The High Line. Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes. Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes.