Workshops

 

Workshop 1:  Showcasing Technical Challenges for Urban Flood Protection: Lower Don River Case Study

 

This workshop will focus on Waterfront Toronto plans for the Lower Don Lands, the “Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection Project,” and the Dutch “Room for the River Project” as examples of multidisciplinary approaches to address flood risk in urban areas in both countries. Room for a River will explore examples of technical constructibility of flood protection, including decisions on using berms and valley wall creation and within technically challenged soils and high water tables. How to address cost effective complex construction design will be the focus, to show confidence in addressing the needs of communities facing flood and resiliency issues.

 

Both projects identified the need for “space” to eliminate the risk due to catastrophic flooding to the surrounding urban lands, under the current and future hydrological regimes. Historically, engineered flood protection pursued works that maximized the efficiency of flood conveyance through the straightening and hardening of channels, and through the reduction in channel roughness. In the case of both projects in question, a different approach was taken. A more naturalized river channel system was sought to provide the necessary conveyance capacity to remove flood risk to the surrounding urban lands. In providing the space necessary to create these more natural channel systems, extensive opportunities were provided for greenspace and an improved public realm when designing the flood protection systems. Instead of creating a hardened flood channel that turns its back on the neighbourhood due to low aesthetics and high public risk, these two projects met their flood conveyance needs, while at the same celebrating these flood protection systems that are central to the neighbourhood and providing a focus for the community and for future urban developments.

 

The intent of this workshop is to present the planning and design principles that were used to define the features of each project, and then explore in detail the challenges that became opportunities which can be used for other similar projects around the world. While the footprint and alignment of the future Don Mouth have now been effectively set with the approvals of the DMNP (Don Mouth Naturalization Project) Environmental Assessment (EA) and LDL (Lower Don Lands) Master Plan EA, through these discussions, new ideas may arise that could be interesting to Waterfront Toronto and other communities engaging in flood protection.

 

 

 

Workshop 2:  Re-Use of Soil and Sediment: New Ways to Proceed

 

This workshop will begin with a brief presentation of the Don Mouth Naturalization Project and Port Lands Revitalization - Excess Soil Management - Challenges and Opportunities by Waterfront Toronto.

 

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change will discuss policy (and other) challenges and barriers that they are confronting as they move forward to implement better ways to manage soil including through their Best Management Practices guidelines. What is needed to develop a comprehensive and workable excess soil framework here?

 

The Dutch perspective is important on this and will be discussed next. The Dutch have already provided advice and leadership in Ontario on their approach which is well respected. They will provide an introduction on their excess soil policies and reflect on issues, challenges and lessons they have learnt.

 

After the presentations, table sessions using Waterfront Toronto as an example, will focus on what strategies are effective and where barriers lie with soil management. This discussion will include how to match soil volumes and quantities.

 

While going through this exercise, a number of opportunities and challenges will be addressed, including a  focus on specific challenges confronting municipalities as they attempt to implement Best Management Practices and reuse suitable soils.

 

Download Excess Soil Barriers and Questions

 

 

Workshop 3:  Exploring Vertical Community Resilience: Integrating Retrofit, Water, Energy, Infrastructure, and Social Systems

 

This  workshop  will  focus  on  the  environmental,  physical, and social topics that need to be addressed for existing neighborhoods. Discussion will consider urban design and architectural issues that immediately impact the quality of water and natural/infrastructure/social spaces adjacent to areas such as Tower Renewal in Toronto, as well as providing a business case for new investment.

 

Aderonke Akande of the City of Toronto Tower and Neighbourhood Revitalization Unit will introduce Thorncliffe Park as an “inner suburb” on the watershed. This aging, post-war, dense, high-rise residential neighbourhood with a high new-Canadian population, adjacent to a river, is relevant to considerations around planning and building cities by the water (i.e. Resilient Urbanism), with themes around health and active living, social and economic challenges and benefits. How can we revitalize this area better? How  can  we  take  better  advantage  of  its  unique  location?

 

There has already been work done between the Netherlands and Canada on some of this, and the Dutch examples and perspective (with case studies) will be provided around existing neighborhoods.

 

Can Thorncliffe  Park  become  a  climate-resilient,  zero-energy community?

 

The changing climate demands for adjustments to our built environment and the inevitable end to fossil fuels makes energy- neutrality a necessity. The greatest challenge lies in the existing built environment, in particular energetically inefficient large- scale residential developments of the 1950s-1980s, such as Thorncliffe Park.

 

Andy van den Dobbelsteen, professor of Climate Design & Sustainability at the Delft University of Technology, will briefly present Dutch approaches to becoming energy-neutral, whilst contributing to climate adaptation. Andy will also outline climate- change challenges and opportunities that can be met with sustainable integration of retrofit, water, energy, infrastructure, and social systems. These will be tested on Thorncliffe Park.

 

Paul Dowsett, principal architect at SUSTAINABLE.TO Architecture+ Building will outline an example of an ongoing integrated design and construction mentorship approach with resident, building owners and local community backbone organizations at a similar Tower Neighbourhood Community which is achieving innovative, meaningful, sustainable results. Paul will also draw on his experience from leading award-wining post-Katrina and post- Sandy housing and community redevelopment projects that not only provide homes for people most affected by climate-induced natural disasters, but show how we can also design for future resilience.

 

Download Workshop #3 Participation Handout

 

 

Workshop 4:  Designing a Regional Resilience Strategy

 

How do we create regional resilience strategies that are necessary to make a difference? Traditionally, we have looked largely at political boundaries to plan and implement much of what we do. We need to think differently now to address environmental and climate change considerations that go well beyond this. However, such a strategy will discuss the  fundamental  need for an integrated approach, collaboration between all levels of governments and different disciplines, and the need to plan for both adaptation and mitigation.

 

How do we create a robust process to achieve this? What are the tools? What are the best practices? Can we begin with quick start or pilot projects? How to demonstrate the economic efficiencies and have business participate in a meaningful way?

 

We will focus here on the example of taking action in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and the Dutch leaders will give their own perspectives and experience with this.