Adam's Eden
In Conversation with Councillor Adam Vaughan
A city councillor, a journalist, a broadcaster Adam Vaughan has worn many hats, but what describes him best is that he's an ardent lover of Toronto. His love affair with Toronto began with his idyllic childhood which was spent in Wychwood Park surrounded by a family that was engaged in building cities. Like its many citizens, Adam Vaughan lives, breathes, works, plays and dreams about Toronto.He is a man with a vision and a passion - to build a city that is both beautiful and an affordable, inclusive home for all. While it may be difficult for ordinary folks like us to visualise the Toronto of tomorrow, we met up with Adam Vaughan to give us a sneak preview.
What is it about Toronto that you find so inspiring?
Toronto is a city that is a home for everybody. Unlike other large cities, when one moves to Toronto, one doesn't get engulfed by an established culture. Most people make it their home by putting their own distinct cultural and ideological stamp on it. They play a role in creating a city that fits them and not the reverse. There are very few cities that can provide an urban experience like this.If you were to paint a picture of tomorrow's Toronto, what would it look like?
A whole new chapter is being written today on what Toronto will look like in the future. In my mind it will be a city filled with rich and vibrant public spaces. With plentiful gardens and lively streetscapes, it will be a city where natural and civic beauty will blossom at every street corner. One of the harbingers of this is the John Street Revitalisation Project. This project aims to create an animated civic boulevard, a pedestrian-priority arts and culture promenade that celebrates the best the city has to offer.I also foresee huge acts of civil engagement, empowering communities to take back control of local parks. In tomorrow's Toronto area residents will play a stronger role in guiding how these public spaces are redeveloped, maintained and programmed. In fact the work for that has already begun. Several major parks in my ward are currently being re-designed and re-constructed with local residents making critical decisions on all aspects of the program.The other most important thing I see is the creation of a city that is an affordable place for families, individuals, small businesses and artists to live and work in.What is your vision for Toronto 2020?
I see a refinement of all the things I've described above. There'll be greater attention to detail in the way we beautify the city. Toronto 2020 will be a city where there will be no monolithic neighbourhoods.The city's cultural and economic diversity will create a fascinating mosaic. It would be imperative to sustain this diversity in order to make Toronto a stronger, vibrant and interesting place to live in.It will also be a city filled with architectural riches and safer streets not just in terms of crime, but the way traffic moves, pedestrian friendly, green...Toronto will provide a more enhanced quality of life. There will be more mixed housing that will encourage families, individuals, artists to move in. We will see stronger, vibrant and more sustainable neighbourhoods for all.What measures are being taken to make this a reality?
Many strategies are in place. I plan to work with local residents and BIAs, especially on the revitalization of the John Street corridor, which links the AGO and OCADU to the waterfront with three new parks and squares.One of my other priorities is re-evaluating the Richmond-Adelaide Corridor to determine how these streets could better serve the neighbourhood.I also wish to work with residents to reform how local parks are managed by enabling communities to form Park Improvement Associations so they can generate funding and have more control over the programming and maintenance of their parks.In terms of housing, we are seeing condo developers introduce larger family friendly units.As the city's demographic changes, there'll be flexibility in the way housing units are designed. There'll be knock-out panels, so once the family expands instead of having to move out, condo owners will have the option to buy the adjacent unit.To make all this happen, I believe in encouraging the private sector to invest its resources and skills in building a city that provides a better mix for its citizens.All renderings are artist's concept only.
