GreekTown on the Danforth BIA Community Collaboration – EDAC
Alexander the Great Parkette has always been a refuge from busy Danforth Avenue and city life because of its tranquil fountain and unique urban condition of retail facing the parkette. Although a comfortable resting spot for anyone, over the years surrounding community and businesses have proudly represented Greek culture at the parkette through celebrations, dancing, concerts, parades and street festivals, sharing and welcoming everyone to enjoy our traditions.
After decades of public use, GreekTown on the Danforth Business Improvement Area embarked on a tremendous collective effort to refresh east end Toronto’s famous parkette. From the first meeting, it was clear that the parkette revitalization must maintain the parkette’s distinct cultural identity as representative of Greek culture and traditions, while creating a space that welcomes all people of all abilities and lifestyles. The Parkette has always been a beacon of Canada’s distinct cultural diversity, and the revitalization solidifies that cultural position for years to come. At a time when corporate images and influence dominates urban life and commercial interests persuade citizens in all aspects of their lives, the parkette offers a place to gather with our community, a place of respite from the pressures of urban life, and a place to experience a distinct cultural group with rich traditions that all can share.
Alexander the Great Parkette, revitalized in 2024, blends modern design and contemporary landscape features with a layout that draws classical inspiration from ancient Greece, an homage to the neighbourhood’s heritage as a gathering place for Greek immigrants to Canada. The parkette now maximizes its natural feeling of enclosure, featuring colonnades arranged with inspiration from Euclid’s golden ratio, framing the space while drawing the public in. As one enters the parkette, the refurbished fountain fills the air with moisture, and the decades old tree canopy provides dappled light. The principles of efficiency, multi-purpose functionality, flexibility and the recognition of the cultural heritage of the site that guided the design process also guided the detailing of the elements.
This revitalization project succeeds at meeting the needs of stakeholders, the project’s surrounding community, and abiding by municipal requirements. The Parkette honours the past, connects the public’s collective memories to the future and through contemporary materials and construction techniques creates a sustainable, enduring public space for decades to come. Likewise, the community’s morning social meetups resumed as usual.
Sustainability was a key consideration in the design and construction of the Parkette. Special consideration and painstaking care were focused on maintaining the existing tree canopy by providing healthy growing conditions for existing trees within the parkette. As the existing mature honey locust trees had well developed roots, the design team designed robust paving that impacted the underground roots as little as possible. Existing trees are either surrounded by softscape or gravel that slows infiltration. Excess material was reduced through preservation efforts, as the new pavers sit on as much existing granular material as possible, rather than sitting on a new concrete slab. By successfully maintaining the existing tree canopy in this parkette, and adding green infrastructure to this urban context, the parkette contributes to lowering greenhouse emissions and reducing the urban heat island effect.
The Alexander the Great Parkette was a collaborative of work between GreekTown on the Danforth BIA, the federal government (FedDev Ontario), and the City of Toronto. The project has been completed in the last year. Immediately upon re-opening in September of 2024, BIA hosted a 3-week live music series in the Parkette, a 25-day winter festival culminating in a winter solstice parade, and a fire and ice festival on Family Day weekend.
