23small things

Traffic Islands These are generally the smallest public spaces in the city. They occur at cul-de-sacs or in areas with irregular traffic convergences. Normally separated by roadways on all sides, they are also the least accessible and are correspondingly supplied with the fewest public amenities. In fact most are not intended for any kind of use whatsoever and merely act as an aesthetic feature of mediocre quality. Some have a flower bed, but most are sparsely landscaped. Because of their general uselessness and low-aesthetic quality, they give parkettes a bad reputation.

name: Platsis Parkette location: Mimco Street size: 0.01 hectare rank: not listed

elements: trees and plants

Road Allowances Road allowance parkettes occur in places where the City has withheld land from the property market for a public road. In some cases the road allowance is wider than needed and even after the road is built there is ample space left over. At this point it becomes possible for the Parks and Recreation Department to take over the space and convert it into a parkette. Road allowance parkettes function more as enhanced streetscaping projects than anything else. Benches, public art and landscape elements frame both sides of the street and provide a setting for people to sit and watch the hustle and bustle of the street. The character of the park spaces is defined by the street that it is situated next to; they work best in very urban settings where there is a lot of street activity. In suburban areas, or areas dominated by large singular institutional structures, they aren’t as effective.

elements: seating

name: Toronto Jail Parkette location: 0 Don Jail Parkway

waste bin

trees and plants

size: 0.47 hectares rank: 518th smallest

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On Site review 23

Small Things

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