Toronto’s Barangaraoo

The issues surrounding the proposed development on the Bath Street site are not new to waterfront development proposals that ‘suck private benefit out of public land’.

One of the six consultants employed to develop the Toronto Foreshore Masterplan/Bath Street proposal is Philip Thalis of Hills Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects, a public space advocate. In 2012 he wrote about Sydney’s Barangaroo project in The Conversation

The issues raised in the interview give a sense of déjà vu for the current proposal for

Toronto’s waterfront precinct.

Q. What aspects of Barangaroo could have been better?

A…“Crucially, we proposed the entire foreshore as inalienable public space. Our professional experiences had alerted us to prevalent commercial forces that promote enclaves of self-interest at the expense of the broader public good.

So why are our governments making these big projects so dumb and anti-public? Public space is fundamental to civil society. Government should be custodian of our long-term interests, yet Labor and Liberal governments have proved equally bad – perpetuating ‘business as usual’. They completely lack what could be called ‘public imagination’ that engages with ideals of equity and sustainability, with initiatives for cultural vitality and quotidian vibrancy.

Q Should it ring alarm bells for other cities?

A. We must not squander such important strategic sites. Instead we should be building the open city as a paradigm of the society we wish to be; intelligent, environmentally progressive, equitable and inclusive.