15.09.2023

Downsview Framework Plan wins the Toronto Urban Design Award!

We’re happy to share that our resilient masterplan for North Toronto’s new Downsview district has won the prestigious Toronto Urban Design Award!

One of the most significant city-building opportunities in North America, the Downsview Framework Plan, has been awarded a 2023 Toronto Urban Design Award in the Vision and Masterplan category.

Developed through comprehensive dialogue with a world-class design team and the community, our resilient masterplan for North Toronto’s new Downsview district is green-minded, human-scale, and people-first. The innovative design puts nature, sustainability, and resilience front and center making parks, open spaces, streetscapes, courtyards, and buildings work together as an integrated nature-based stormwater management system, even during extreme storm events while enhancing biodiversity across the site:

“In Downsview, we introduce a whole new hierarchy for how to design our cities. By putting nature first, we create a new way of living in Toronto centered on climate resilience, local identity, and strong community. We call this design approach ‘City Nature’, and we’re thrilled to see our collective vision for a greener and healthier future celebrated”

— Rasmus Astrup, Partner and Design Principal at SLA.
Downsview The 2.1-kilometer runway is turned into a pedestrianized street, lined by housing, shops, and schools - changing from connecting people on a global level to connecting people on a local level.
Downsview One hundred acres of green spaces will tie the new neighborhoods together - with each other and with the rest of Toronto.

The project is spearheaded by Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company, the Framework Plan is designed in collaboration with a world-class team of international and local architects, designers and planners that includes Henning Larsen, KPMB, Urban Strategies Inc., Rambøll, Transsolar, Swerhun Inc., Department of Words and Deeds.

Read more about the project here.

17.09.2024

Hybrid Planning Applications for Earls Court submitted

After four years of consultation, collaboration, and conversations with local communities and stakeholders, we are happy to share that the Earls Court Development Company yesterday submitted the Hybrid Planning Applications to reinstate Earls Court as a global destination for wonder.

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12.09.2024

A new Public Realm Plan for Aarhus Ø

Yesterday, the City of Aarhus approved our new Vision Plan for Aarhus Ø’s Public Realm – establishing for the first time a comprehensive strategic plan for the public spaces of Aarhus’ new blue-green neighborhood.

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05.09.2024

Groundworks for Copenhagen's Storm Surge Plan published

Can we protect Copenhagen from the more intense storm surges of the future? Today’s report says yes, and shows a way forward.

 

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