The pandemic has highlighted how important green spaces are in providing opportunities for Torontonians to connect with nature and each other. Parks are our most common green spaces, but public laneways also provide a hidden opportunity to introduce nature and community space near where we live, work and play.
Cosmos Nature Lane has been selected as a site for the 2nd annual 2022 Laneway Park-ing installment as a laneway in an underprovisioned (Bloordale/Wallace-Emerson) neighbourhood and due to residents’ ongoing, independent efforts to create a natural area in their laneway which can be enhanced through their participation in this laneway transformation.
TLP and the Cosmos Nature Lane Residents’ Association are partnering to enhance existing efforts in the laneway to create a new alternative green space for the neighbourhood using the right-of-way itself and marginal unused spaces on the rear-frontages of lane-adjacent properties to introduce green infrastructure, public art, pedestrian lighting, street furniture, and traffic-calming measures.
Cosmos Nature Lane captures the spirit of TLP’s and Laneway Park-ing’s mission. Residents have built a community around their laneway, founded on the principle of environmental stewardship. They host community clean-up days and other programming including the planting of – and collection of seeds from – cosmos flowers in the cracks of pavement and other disused spaces to celebrate the area’s Portuguese heritage and resiliency, after which they named their laneway. The residents’ association believe in creating a sustainable future through creating natural urban environments, the circular economy, and investing in children through play and education.
These beliefs are the central themes of this Laneway Park-ing project which will be used to create a new, alternative urban green space that meets the unique needs and desires of the community.
PROJECT KICK-OFF AND SITE ANALYSIS E-MEETING
Tuesday, APRIL 5, 2022
MASTER PLAN COMMUNITY MEETING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 | 6:30 - 8 PM (drop in)
The Laneway Project & Cosmos Nature Lane Residents Association invite the community to join us on Thursday, September 15 to discuss the master plan for Cosmos Nature Lane.
Drop by the garage of 722 Brock Avenue to learn more about the plan and share your feedback!
EXISTING CONDITIONS
