On Wednesday, November 27th, SEDRA hosted an online event “Elevating Insights: A Virtual Conversation on High-Rise Community Planning in Davisville.” The event’s goal was to bring community members together to hear a short presentation and Q&A around the past, present and future of high-rise development in the Davisville Apartment neighbourhood. The presentation was led by Oren Tamir, Director of Community Planning at the City of Toronto. In the presentation we heard about the history of the Apartment neighbourhood which was built between 1965 and 1978. This growth was spurred on by the opening of the Yonge Subway system in 1954 and the closure of the Belt Line railroad along Merton Street in the 1970s. Since then, and particularly in the last couple of years, the planning regime has changed to promote intensification close to transit hubs and with this a new form of apartment development began in Davisville; that being infill apartment towers. These new developments will bring opportunities to improve the public realm in the neighbourhood (parkettes, through-block pathways) such as along Yonge Street, Merton, Balliol and Davisville. After the presentation SEDRA opened a discussion with Mr. Tamir by way of questions that had been received from community participants. We hope the evening was informative and will encourage residents in the Davisville Apartment neighbourhood to become more engaged in the City’s community planning process.
This event was the first in what we hope will be a series of discussions on issues that impact the SEDRA community. We’d love to hear what other events you’d like to see in the future – which topics or questions you have about your neighbourhood. Please send your ideas to ac.ot1741655163norot1741655163ardes1741655163@ofni1741655163. A copy of the presentation from Mr. Tamir is available for viewing here.
Davisville Apartment Neighbourhood in 1968. Courtesy City of Toronto.
Oren Tamir: Director of Community Planning
Oren is a Director of Community Planning for the City of Toronto and a lecturer of Land Use Planning Law at York University. He has held various positions in Toronto’s Downtown and Midtown neighbourhoods, including Manager, Senior Planner, Planner and Assistant Planner. His primary responsibilities include coordinating, assessing, and evaluating development applications, such as Zoning By-law and Official Plan Amendments, Site Plans, Rental Housing Conversions, and Condominium Applications. Additionally, Oren has managed planning studies and has been qualified as an expert in land use planning by the Ontario Land Tribunal.