Toronto

Ken Greenberg played a key role in "The Regent Park Collaborative Team" which was commissioned by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation to prepare a comprehensive redevelopment plan and recommendations for the public/private renewal of Regent Park, one of Canada's oldest and largest public housing projects in downtown Toronto. The Plan demonstrated that it is possible to reintegrate this neighbourhood with the rest of the City by introducing streets, creating generous new park spaces, aligning buildings along the streets and providing opportunities for employment, education, culture, and community facilities. It proposed that a mixed income, mixed use neighbourhood with a diversity of built form and activities replace the current Regent Park. The study demonstrated that this is feasible and presented a financial analysis. It also examined the issue of tenant relocation during the construction period and proposed a multi-year phasing strategy, a development vehicle to begin implementation and created a regulatory framework for the site.

The plan is based on a pattern of urban blocks framing a major new central park and greenways linking a series of smaller neighbourhood squares and parks and schools. Approximately 4500 new dwelling units, employment space, and local retail and neighbourhood amenities will be created on the site. The study involved extensive consultation with the Regent Park community and additional consultations with the surrounding neighbourhoods as well as area-based community agencies, financial experts, developers, architects and City staff. The first phase of the project has been initiated with architectural and developer competitions and is now underway. Ken Greenberg continues to serve on a Design Review Panel overseeing the implementation of the Plan. The Regent Park Revitalization Plan has received the 2003 City of Toronto Urban Design Awards, Honourable Mention and the 2003 Canadian Institute of Planners 2003 Excellence Award. The Regent Park Revitalization Plan Urban Design Guidelines received the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) 2005 Award for Excellence in Planning.