Three traffic islands situated between Dan Leckie Way and Spadina Avenue in Toronto will soon complement The Bentway as part of a larger vision to revitalize underutilized spaces around the Canadian city’s Gardiner Expressway. The Bentway Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Toronto, announced the design team behind the forthcoming Bentway Islands project. The new public space will be transformed by Field Operations and local practice Brook McIlroy.
The design team was selected through an international competition, with a jury that included representatives from The Bentway, the City of Toronto, the local community, and an Indigenous engagement advisor.
For several years now, The Bentway, a 2.5-acre urban park in Toronto located beneath the Gardiner Expressway, has served as a site offering a slew of dynamic programming, including public space for recreation, art, and community events. The project will align with the goals of the Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan. It will occupy swath of land that will measure 125,000 square feet.
While details of the project thus far are scant, The Bentway shared in a press release that the project will focus on recreation, culture, biodiversity, and low-carbon landscape design—all tenets of the past projects installed on the public space, among these Staging Grounds, a project that promoted placemaking and environmental sustainability through native plants and rainwater reuse.
“Our goal is to create an iconic, vibrant and sustainable public space that embodies The Bentway’s vision,” shared Isabel Castilla, associate partner at Field Operations in a statement.“Partnering with Brook McIlroy, we are excited to combine our firms’ expertise in creating transformative, high-impact public spaces, bringing to life a truly extraordinary new space for Toronto.
Initial design concepts for the Bentway Islands are slated to be unveiled in 2025.