walkability in toronto’s apartment neighbourhoodsfaculty.geog.utoronto.ca/hess/downloads/wlkbty...

Walkability in Toronto’s Apartment Neighbourhoods

PRELIMINARYREPORTONSCARBOROUGHVILLAGEWALKABILITYWORKSHOP

November2009

PaulHess,PrincipalInvestigatorAssociateProfessor,DepartmentofGeographyandProgrammeinPlanningUniversityofTorontoPh.416‐978‐4955Email:[email protected]:faculty.geog.utoronto.ca/Hess/hess_home.html

JaneFarrow,CommunityEngagement&LogisticsExecutiveDirector,Jane’sWalkPh.416‐642‐5779Email:[email protected]:www.janeswalk.net

SCARBOROUGHVILLAGEREPORTCREDITS

ReportWritingPaulHessJaneFarrow

PhotographyEditorKatherineChilds(www.khchilds.com)PhotographyKatherineChildsPaulHessJaneFarrowMappingMartinDanylukScarboroughVillageWorkshopStaffMartinDanylukJedKilbournIanMalczewskiEmmyPantinRaniSandersonAmySicilianoVrindaVaidyanathanCommunityPartnersScarboroughVillageNeighbourhoodAssociationActionforNeighbourhoodChangeYouthlinkMayor’sTowerRenewalOffice,CityofTorontoStudyFundingSocialSciencesandHumanitiesResearchCouncilofCanadaTorontoCommunityFoundation

PreliminaryReport:ScarboroughVillageWalkabilityWorkshop 1

INTRODUCTION

Thisdocumentreportsona“WalkabilityWorkshop”heldinScarboroughVillageonSeptember26,2009.MembersofthelocalcommunitywerepresentincludingrepresentativesoftheScarboroughVillageNeighbourhoodAssociation,ActionforNeighbourhoodChange,YouthlinkandmanyresidentsoflocalhighrisebuildingsonCougarCourt.Theworkshopwasheldintheactivityroomof215MarkhamRoad,duringacommunitybarbequeandstreetfestivalorganizedbytheMayor’sTowerRenewalteam.

TheworkshopispartofalargerstudycalledWalkabilityinToronto’sApartmentNeighbourhoodsthatwillincorporateinformationgatheredfromeightTorontoneighbourhoods.Thegoalofthestudyistoexplorethewaysresidentslivinginhigh‐riseareasgetaroundtheirneighbourhoodsand,especially,tohighlighttheimportanceofwalkingforresidentsincarryingouttheirdailylives.Itisintendedtoidentifywhatworksforpedestrians,barrierstowalking,andpossibleimprovementstothelocalwalkingenvironment.

EglintonAvenueEast,Scarborough.Busysuburbanarterialroadsoftenfunctionaslocal“mainstreets”withretailplazasonbothsidesoftheroadway.Pedestriansoftenmustnegotiatecrossingstouseneighbourhoodshops.

InPartOne,thisreportgivessomebackgroundontheoverallproject.InPartTwowedescribewhatweactuallydoaspartofawalkabilityworkshop,andinPartThreewesummarizesomeoftheinformationgatheredattheScarboroughVillageworkshop.Thereportisintendedtogivepreliminaryfeedbacktoparticipantsandothersinterestedinthewalkingenvironmentofthearea.Itislargelyastraightforwardreportingoftheinformationwegatheredanddoesnotofferanalysisoranysubstantialinterpretationsofwhatweheard.Furtheranalysisiscomingaswegathermoreinformationandworkwiththedata.Afinal


reportwillidentifyandexplorethemes,trendsandvariationsinthewalkingenvironmentofallthehigh‐riseneighbourhoodsweworkedin.Thiswillbecompletedandmadeavailablebyfall2010.

PARTONE:STUDYBACKGROUND

ProfessorPaulHessoftheDepartmentofGeography,UniversityofToronto,isconductingthestudy.ProfessorHessdesignedandinitiatedthestudyandwrotetheinitialgrantthatprovidedfunding.Heisthestudy’sprincipalinvestigatorandisresponsiblefordatacollection,analysis,andinterpretation.

ThestudyisbeingdoneinpartnershipwithJaneFarrow,ExecutiveDirectorofJane’sWalk,theJaneJacobs’communitywalkingtourinitiativethatpromotesurbanliteracy,walkableneighbourhoodsandcitiesplannedforandbyresidents.Shehasdevelopedthecommunityengagementcomponentofthestudyandhasmanagedworkshoplogistics.

HessandFarrowarejointlyinvolvedinwritingstudyreportsanddisseminatingfindingsfromthework.Ourcontactinformationcanbefoundonthecoverpageofthisdocument.Wewelcomeanyquestionsaboutthisreportortheoverallstudy.AllrequestsfordatashouldbedirectedtoProfessorHess.

TheauthorsthanktheSocialSciencesandHumanitiesResearchCouncilofCanadaandtheTorontoCommunityFoundationforhelpingtofundtheresearch.WealsoaregratefultothecommunityorganizationsthathavehelpedusorganizeourworkshopsandtheTowerRenewalstafffromtheCityofToronto.Wethankallthelocalresidentswhoparticipatedintheworkshopandshowedsuchcommitmenttoanddeepknowledgeabouttheirneighbourhood.

TheoverallgoaloftheresearchprojectistohelpbetterunderstandthewayspeoplegetaroundToronto’shigh‐riseapartmentneighbourhoods,especiallybywalking.BuildingontheargumentsJaneJacobsespousedmorethan40yearsago,theimportanceofcreatinggoodplacesforpeopletowalkisnowincreasinglybeingrecognizedbytransportationexpertsandpublicofficials.Plannersandarchitectshavepushedtheideaof“NewUrbanism,”arguingthatnewneighbourhoodsshouldbebuiltmoreliketheAnnexorCabbagetownneighbourhoodsofdowntownToronto,withconnectedstreetsandhousesthatdirectlyfrontsidewalks.Publichealthresearchersandofficialsevensuggestthatthewayswearedesigningourcitieshascontributedtotherecentriseinphysicalinactivityandobesitybecausepeoplenolongerwalkaspartoftheirregular,dailyactivities,andthereisanincreasingmovetowardtheideaof“completestreets”thatconsiderallmodesoftravelinstreetdesign.

Thesediscussions,however,areusuallyfocusedondowntownareasornewdevelopmentsintheoutersuburbs.ThisstudyisintendedtoputmorefocusonthemanypeoplelivinginToronto’sinnersuburbs.Aspeopleinterestedinmakingbetterwalkingenvironments,webelievethatToronto’shigh‐riseneighbourhoodsareenormouslyimportant.


ClosedpedestrianpathwayinthePeanutneighbourhood.Fencesandclosedpedestrianlinksareacommonsuburbancondition.

Thesetypesofplaceswereplannedanddevelopedinthe1960’sand1970’s.Atthattime,itwasassumedthatmostofthepeoplelivinginthenewapartmentswouldnothavechildren,wouldmovetohousesassoonastheycould,andwouldbeabletodrivetotheplacestheyneededtogo.Thesingle‐familysubdivisionsintheseareaswere,atleast,designedsothatchildrencouldwalktoschool,buttheapartmentsonbigarterialstreetswerenotplacesdesignedforwalking.

Today,however,adifferentpopulationislivinginthem,oftenpeoplewithlimitedincomes,peoplewithchildrenandcomplicatedtravelneeds,andpeoplewhodonotownacarorwhoonlyhaveaccesstoacarpartofthetime.Inotherwords,neighbourhoodsthatweredesignedforcarsnowhousepeoplethatmustrelyonwalkingandtransittocarryouttheirlives.Thisstudyisintendedtobetterunderstandhowtheseresidentsgetaroundtheirneighbourhoods,especiallybywalking.Ourgoalistosharethisinformationwiththepeoplewholiveinthemsotheycanbetteradvocateforimprovements.

ThisisagoodtimeforresidentstomakeclearwhattheywantandneedbecauseofpoliciesandprogramsbeingdevelopedbytheCityofToronto.TheCityisworkingwithlocalcommunityorganizationsanddevelopingpoliciesandprogramsfor13PriorityNeighbourhoodsthatincludemanyofthehigh‐riseapartmentareas.Itisadoptinga“WalkingStrategy”to“makeTorontoagreatwalkingcity”thatexplicitlyincludestheseareas.Itiscurrentlydevelopinga“TowerRenewal”programthatalsopromisestobringimprovementstoapartmentareas.Finally,theCityhasanambitioustransitplan,“Transit


City,”thatcouldbringlight‐railandothertransportationimprovementstosomeoftheseneighbourhoods.Alltheseinitiativesoffersomepotentialforchangingapartmentneighbourhoodsintobetterplacestolive.

Theauthorsdonotrepresentthecityandwedonotknowwhatwillbecomeofthesevariousinitiatives,butwestronglybelievethatbetterinformationabouthowresidentsusetheirneighbourhoodsiscruciallyimportanttomakingpositivechange.FortheseeffortstobesuccessfulandmakeTorontoabetterplaceforitsresidents,webelievethattheresidentsthemselvesmusthaveastrongvoiceandplayacentralroleindecision‐making.WearedoingthisworktoprovidebothresidentsandtheCitywithinformationtohelpfosterthisobjective.

ProfessorPaulHessandgraduatestudentEranthieMendisdoingafieldsurveyofwalkingconditionsintheNorthKiplingarea.

PARTTWO:WHATHAPPENSINTHEWORKSHOPSANDHOWTHEINFORMATIONISUSED

Thewalkabilityworkshopstakeplacewiththeassistanceoflocalneighbourhoodorcommunityorganizations.Theorganizationshelprecruitlocalresidentstoparticipate,providealocationtomeet,andprovideothersupportsuchasvolunteerassistanceforsettingupandcleaningup.Westrivetoincludeawiderangeoftypesofresidentsintermsofageandbackgroundandwemakesurethatchildcareandsometranslationsupportisavailableifneeded.Allinformationgatheredintheworkshopistreatedasconfidentialandnoinformationiscollectedthatcouldbeusedtoidentifyindividualparticipants.

WORKSHOPACTIVITIESTOGATHERINFORMATION

Afteranintroductiontotheproject,threeactivitiestakeplaceintheworkshoptoexplorehowresidentstravel:


(1)Survey

Eachparticipantfillsoutasurveyconsistingofroughly40questions.Thesurveycontainsbackgroundinformationontherespondentsuchasage,householdincome,whetherornottherearechildreninthehousehold,howlongtheresidenthaslivedinthearea,howmanycarsanddriversareintheirhouseholdifany,etc.Thisinformationisusefulinunderstandingthetransportationneedsofresidentsandinexploringdifferenttravelpatternsbydifferenttypesofpeople.Thesurveyalsoasksmoredirectlyabouttheactivitiespeopletraveltoonaregularbasisandhowtheygettothem.Forexample,peopleareaskedwheretheydotheirfoodshopping,howmanytimesaweektheyshopforfood,andiftheyusuallyshopbywalking,usingtransit,driving,takingataxi,orsomeothermeans.Finally,thesurveyasksaseriesofquestionsabouthowpeoplefindthewalkingenvironmentintheirarea,whethertheyfeelsafewalking,whethertrafficisaproblem,andotherissues.

Asummaryofmuchofthisinformationispresentedbelow.Itwillbefurtheranalyzedandpresentedwithtablesandgraphsinthefinalreport.

(2)Individualmaps

Participantsarealsoaskedtocreatemapsthatshowhowandwheretheytravel.Eachparticipantisgivenamaponwhichtodrawwithcolouredpens.Usingthepenstorepresentdifferentmodes(walking,bus,auto,bicycling),theyareinstructedtotraceallthetripsthey


regularlytakeduringatypicalweekwhentheweatherisgood.Participantsareaskedtoshowtheiractualroutesandtolabeltheirdestinations.Whentheytraveloutsideoftheareaonthemap,theyareaskedtonotetheireventualdestination.ThisinformationisbeingenteredintoaGeographicalInformationSystem(GIS)thatcanbeusedtoanalyzethedistancespeopletravelbyvariousmodesfordifferentactivities,thetypesofstreetstheytendtouseandthedirectnessoftheirwalkingroutes.Thismapinformationcanalsobeconnectedtosurveysforfurtherstatisticalanalysis.

Thisanalysisisveryintensive.Itwillbeincludedinthefinalreportbutisnotreadyforthispreliminarydocument.

(3)Smallfocusgroupexercise

Participantsareaskedtodiscusstheirneighbourhoodanditswalkingenvironmentandpublicspacesaspartofasmallgroupof6–10people.Eachgroupisseatedaroundalargedisplaymapofthearea.Amemberoftheresearchteamactsasadiscussionfacilitatoraswellasusingapentorecordparticipants’commentsdirectlyonthemap.Forexample,ifaparticipantpointedoutaspecificplacewhereitwasparticularlydangeroustocrossastreet,wantedacrosswalk,likedaparticularpark,oravoidedwalkingatnight,thiswasrecordedonthemap.Anothermemberoftheresearchstaffactedasanotetakertorecordthediscussion.

DetailofanannotatedmapofScarboroughVillagefromafocusgroupexercise.


Asummaryofmuchofthisinformationispresentedbelowintextformincludingquotesdrawnfromthefocusgroups.Themapnotationsmadeintheworkshoparestillbeingcompiledintoonemapandarenotpresentedhere.Thisanalysiswillbepresentedinthefinalreport.

HOWTHEINFORMATIONWILLBEUSED

Theinformationgatheredfromtheworkshopsinthisprojectwillbeusedtoproduceseveralreportsandpapers.Theauthorshopethattheinformationwillbeusefulforneighbourhoodresidentstoadvocateforimprovementstotheirneighbourhood.

(1)Preliminaryreport

Thiscurrentdocumentisapreliminaryreport.ItisintendedtogivefeedbackfromtheScarboroughVillageworkshop.Similarreportsarebeingproducedforeachneighbourhoodthatparticipatedinthestudy.Thereportsdescribetheproject,describewhoparticipatedintheworkshopandgivesaninitialsummaryofwhattheresearchersheardfromparticipants.ThereportwillbemadeavailabletocommunityorganizationsinScarboroughVillageandacopyfordownloadcanalsobefoundatthewebsitesforJane’sWalk(janeswalk.net)andforPaulHessattheUniversityofToronto(faculty.geog.utoronto.ca/Hess/hess_home.html).Wewelcomeadditionsorcorrectionsbyresidents.

(2)Finalreport

Afinalreportwillbemadethatincludestheinformationgatheredfromalloftheneighbourhoodstudies.Thisreportwillincludeafullanalysisofallthedataandpresentgeneralconclusionsaboutwhatwelearnedfromthestudyareasasagroup.Wewillalsodiscussissuesofwalkingandtransportationinindividualneighbourhoodsaswellascompareareastoeachother.Likethepreliminaryreports,wewillmakethisreportwidelyavailable,sendittotheorganizationsweworkedwithandpostitonourwebsites.WewillalsoprovidecopiestotherelevantpeopleandcommitteesattheCityofTorontoincludingtheMayor,CityCouncillors,PublicRealmOffice,TowerRenewalOffice,andthePedestrianCommittee.

(3)Academicpapersandpresentations

Wealsohopetoaddtothegrowingliteratureonwalkingandwewillpublishacademicpapersinplanningjournalsandpresentatconferencesbasedonthestudy.Thegoalistohelpplanners,academicsandstudentsbetterunderstandpedestrianissuesinthesetypesofenvironments.

PARTTHREE:THESCARBOROUGHVILLAGEWALKABILITYWORKSHOPScarboroughVillageisanneighbourhoodinScarboroughattheendeasternofEglingtonAvenuewhereitmeetsKingstonRoad.TheothermajorarterialroadintheareaisMarkhamRoad.TheworkshopwasconductedonSaturdaySeptember26,2009duringa‘streetfestival’heldonCougarCourt,asmallcul‐de‐sacoffMarkhamRoadwheretherearefourtowerapartmentbuildings,oneofwhich(215MarkhamRoad)isapilotbuildingfortheMayor’sTowerRenewalprogram.Thereisalowvacancyrateinthefourtowersbecause


theyare,accordingtolocalcommunityorganizers,“affordabletonewcomers.”Accordingto2006StatisticsCanadadata,about2,500peoplelivethereinjustover700apartmentunits.Inattendancewereagroupofenthusiasticparticipantsrepresentingabroadrangeofagesandbackgrounds.Approximately38participantscompletedthemapsandsurveyandfivefocusgroupsessionswereconductedaroundthelargemapspreparedforthearea.Wesupplementedthisstudywithvisitstothecommunitytodofieldsurveysandphotographicdocumentationandwealsofollowedupwithcommunitymemberstogetfurtherinformationaboutspecificconditionswehadfound.First,wepresentinformationgatheredfromthesurveytodescribewhoparticipatedandtheirgeneraltravelpatterns.Thisinformationisgiveninpercentagestohelpbetterconveytherangeofresponsesbutitshouldberememberedthatnumbersarelow.Forexample,10percentofrespondentsrepresentapproximatelyfourpeople.Thefollowingsectionsthenpresentthemorequalitativeinformationonwhatpeoplesaidabouttheirwalkingenvironment.WHOPARTICIPATED?

Participantsintheworkshopwereadiversegroupofpeople,butshouldnotbeseenasrepresentativeoftheneighbourhoodasawhole.Thissectiondescribessocio‐demographiccharacteristicsoftheparticipantsaccordingtothesurvey.

ElingtonAvenueatCedarDrive.


Sexandage

TheScarboroughVillagerespondentswerealmostevenlysplitongender‐56%werefemaleand44%male.Theagerangewasbroad:13%wereunder18,53%rangedbetween18and39yearsold,33%werebetween40and64and5%wereseniors.Housingandhouseholdtypes

Almostallparticipantsarerentersandliveinapartmentbuildingsoffivestoriesormore(94%).Becauseparticipantswererecruitedfromastreetfestivalheldbetweenfourlargeapartmentbuildings,thiswasexpected.Onlyonepersonreportedthattheyliveinadetachedsinglefamilydwellingthattheyown.Theaveragehouseholdsizeforrespondentsisapproximatelyfourpeople.Halftherespondentsreportlivingwithapartnerorspouseandchildrenandanother18%ofparticipantsstatethattheycomefromsingle‐parenthouseholds.Asmallnumberofpeoplelivewithunrelatedadults(11%)andafewmorelivealone(8%).

CougarCourtcul‐de‐sac,lookingnorthbetween225Markhamand25CougarCourt.

Incomeandeducation

Thedataonincomewasincompletewith36%reportingthattheydidn’tknowwhattheirannualhouseholdincomewas.Ofthosewhodid,33%saidthattheirhouseholdearnedlessthan$24,000,11%earnedlessthan$39,000andanother11%earnedlessthan$79,000.Censusdatashowsmedianannualhouseholdincomeforthetwodisseminationareasthatincludetheapartmentsandabout20housesisunder$35,000,whichislowforthecityespeciallygiventhelargehouseholds.


Educationlevelsvariedwith48%oftheadultrespondentshavingatleastsomecollegeeducation.Severalholduniversitydegreesorhavedonesomepost‐graduatework,while39%hadattendedorgraduatedfromhighschool.Severalrespondents(13%)werestillinhighschoolorgradeschool.TimeinCanadaandlanguageathome

ScarboroughVillageishometomanynewcomerstoCanada.Forty‐fourpercentoftherespondentsreportlivinginCanadalessthan10yearswhileanother26%saytheyhavelivedhereovertenyears.About31%reportlivinginCanadatheirentirelife.Sixty‐threepercentofrespondentsreportedtheyspokeprimarilyEnglishathome,whileanother16%reportedthatFarsi/Dariwastheirprimaryhomelanguage.SeveralrespondentsspokesecondarylanguagesathomesuchasUrdu,Bengali,French,HindiandPashtu.Lengthoftimeinneighbourhoodandreasonsforresidence

Over70%ofparticipantsreportthattheyhadlivedinScarboroughforover10years.Notethatthisdataconflictswiththereportingof“timeinCanada”above,butevenifinaccurate,itsuggeststhatmostarelong‐termresidents.Thisisincontrasttosomeimagesofsuburbanhigh‐riseapartmentdwellsasatransitorypopulation.Fourteenpercentofparticipantslistedthattheyhadlivedtherefrom4–10yearsandanother14%hadlivedthereforlessthanthreeyears.Inthesurvey,participantswereaskedtoselectfromalisttheimportantreasonstheychosetoliveintheneighbourhood(withmultipleresponsesallowed).“Affordable”wasnotedby29%oftherespondents.Another29%saiditwas“closetowork/school,”while“livingclosetofamilyorfriends”waslistedby16%oftheparticipants.Proximitytoamenitieslikeparksandstoreswasnotedby21%ofrespondentsand“thesocial/culturalfeelofthearea”wascheckedoffby16%.Therewaslittleresponseforreasonssuchas“qualityoftheschools”or“desirablehousingsizeand/orfeatures”.Employment

Theemploymentstatusofparticipantswasmixed,with26%reportingthattheywereunemployed,18%workedfulltime,15%parttime,10%workedfromhomeand5%wereretired.Twenty‐sixpercentreportedbeingstudents,oneofwhomhadapart‐timejob.Peoplelisting“student”includedadultsaswellasyouth.Ofthepeoplewhoreportedbeingemployed,33%saidthattheywork“intheneighbourhood”,22%said“downtown”and25%checkedoff“anotherareaofToronto”.OnepersontravelledoutsidetheCityofTorontototheirjob.Driver’slicenceandautoownership

Themajorityofparticipants(54%)reportedthattheydonothaveadriverslicence,butofthosepeople,morethanhalfsaytheyareplanningtogetalicense.Two‐thirdsofstudyparticipantsstatethatatleastoneotherpersonintheirhouseholdhasadriverslicence.Thisroughlycorrespondstoratesofvehicleownership,with62%ofparticipantsreportingthat


theirhouseholdhasatleastonevehicleand38%reportingtheyliveinahouseholdwherenobodyownsacar.Ofthosehouseholdsthatdoownatleastonecar,abouthalfofthem(52%)havefewercarsthanadultslivingintheirhouseholds.Thissuggeststhatcarsaresharedinsomewayinthesehouseholds,withsomeadultsnotalwayshavingaccesstothehouseholdvehicleandlikelyneedingtorelyonwalkingandtransitfortravelatleastsomeofthetime.TRAVELBEHAVIOURThissectionplaceswalkingintoalargercontextbydescribingthegeneraltravelpatternsoftheparticipantsintermsofhowoftentheydocommonactivitieslikeshopping,(locallyoroutsidethearea)bymodeoftravel–walking,bus,driving,bikingorothermodes.Thesocio‐demographiccharacteristicsoftheparticipantssuggestapopulationthatisoftendependentonwalkingandtransitformeetingtheneedsoftheirhouseholds.Thiswasconfirmedinthesurveywhere32%ofpeopleagreedand18%agreedstronglywiththestatementthatthey“onlywalkbecauseIdon’thaveaccesstoacar”.Andyet,somesimplychoosetowalkoverothermodes–29%disagreedand11%stronglydisagreedwiththeabovestatement.Still,50%ofthepopulationappearstobewalkingasanecessitynotachoice.Goingtoworkandschool

Oftheparticipantswhoworkoutsidethehomeorgotoschool,acombinationoftravelmodeswasusedbymost.Seventy‐threepercentrelyontransitheavily,while27%driveacar,17%walk,3%cycle,3%arepassengersinacarandanother3%takecommuterrail.Localtravelisclearlyveryimportantformost.Othermembersofparticipants’households(whowerenotattheworkshop)tendtofollowthispattern–48%tooktransittoworkand40%drove.Therewerechildrenundertheageof14in63%ofhouseholds,usuallymorethanone.Ofthosehouseholdswithsuchchildren,42%reportthattheymostoftenwalktheirchildrentoschool.Another32%gavemixedanswersthatincludingwalkingatleastpartofthetime,withabout21%reportingthattheyusuallywalkand/orusetransittogettheirkidstoschoolandabout11%reportingnormallywalkingordrivingtogettheirchildrentoschool.FieldobservationssuggestthatofchildrengoingtothenearbyCedarDrivepublicschoolall,ornearlyall,arewalking,butthedatacannotconfirmthis.Thedatadoesshowthatothermodesaccountforasmallershareofschooltrips,withabout21%ofhouseholdswithchildrenunder14reportingtheyusuallydrivetheirchildrenandabout5%reportingtransituse.


CougarCourtchildrenontheirwaytoschoolonCedarDrive.

Shopping

Upwardsof70%oftheparticipantsinthestudyshopforfoodand/orgoodsmorethanonceortwiceaweek.Afull73%ofthatshoppinggetsdone“nearmyhome.”Walkingisthemostcommonwaypeopledotheirshoppinganderrands(50%),incombinationwithcartrips(aloneorwithotherfamilyandfriends),transitandtaxi.Peopletendtocombinetransportationmodeswhilegettingshoppinganderrandsdone,asonewomanexplained,“IwalkandtakethebuggyforMetrogrocerystoreandtakethebustoCedarbraeMall.”Mostparticipants(76%)reportbeingthepersonintheirhouseholdmostresponsiblefordoingthegroceryshopping,with76%ofallrespondentsshoppingforfoodonceortwiceaweekand16%morereportingtheygroceryshopthreeormoretimesaweek.Decisionsoverwheretoshopweregovernedlargelybythreefactors,oracombinationthereof:61%saidprice,37%saidtypeoftransportationavailable(e.g.bus,car,walking)and37%saidavailabilityofculturalspecificfoods(e.g.Halal,WestIndian,Asian,etc).WhilemostshoppingtripstakeplaceintheimmediatevicinityofScarboroughVillage,whenpeoplegooutsidethearea,destinationssuchasCedarbraeMall(twokilometresnorthwherethereisaNoFrills)andScarboroughTownCentrewerepopularchoices.


EntrancefromMarkhamRoadtoMetrosupermarket.

HOWPARTICIPANTSSEETHEIRTRAVELENVIRONMENTThissectionpullsinformationfromboththesurveyandthesmallgroupexercise.Participant’sevaluationsoftheirpedestrianenvironmentarefollowedbyadiscussionofpublicspace,and,finally,anevaluationofthebussystem.GeneralEvaluationofPedestrianEnvironment

“Someofthebuildingsaremaintainedprettywell,andsomearenot.[Weneed]morelighting,morefacilitiesforchildren,benchessoyoucansitdown.Atthebackofthebuilding,theyusedtohavebenches.There’snothingtherenow.Idon’tknow[why].Ihaveatheorytoputitnicely:Thedemographicofthisneighbourhoodchanged.Asthepopulationgotbrownerandbrowner,thefacilitiesallleft,thestandardswentdown,thelightingwentdown…andthepolicewentup.”TheScarboroughVillageresidentswhoparticipatedinthisstudyexpressarangeoffeelingsandopinionsaboutthepedestrianenvironmentswheretheylive.Inthesurveyparticipantswerepresentedwithgeneralstatementsaboutthelocalwalkingconditionsandaskedtomarkaresponseonafive‐pointscalerangingfrom“stronglyagree”to“stronglydisagree.”Thebroadeststatementgivenwas“Myneighbourhoodisagoodplaceforwalking.”Manypeopleagreed(32%)oragreedstrongly(13%)withthisstatement,but34%wereneutral,16%disagreedand11%stronglydisagreed.


Awkwardcurbcut,MarkingtonSquare.

Thisfindingreflectsanintriguingdifferencebetweenthisneighbourhoodandtheothersinourwalkabilitystudies–inmostotherareaswherewehaveworked,thevastmajorityofresidentsstateunequivocallytheythinktheirneighbourhoodisgenerally‘goodforwalking’despitesomehostileconditionssuchaslarge,difficulttocrossstreets.ThemuchmoremixedresponseinScarboroughVillagemaypointtothefactthatpeoplearereticenttoparticipateinidentifyingtheirneighbourhoodas‘unsafe’.Muchstigmaandstereotypingflowfromsuchadesignation,asevidentinthisexchangeinthefocusgroup:“Iworkdowntown,andmybosssays,‘youliveinScarborough?’(shocked).Yeah,Ijustlivemylife.Igotowork.Igetmydaughter.That’sourroutine.Facilitator:Soyoujustwalkbecauseyouhaveto?“Yeah.Theneighbourhoodisnotexactlymyfavouriteplace.SoIjustgoout,comeback.Thekidshavelimitedexposure.”“Yeah,youdowhatyouneedtodo.That’sit.”Andso,whiletheScarboroughVillageparticipantswerehesitantormutedintheirapprovalofthegeneralwalkingenvironmentinthe‘overview’question,theybehavedmuchastheotherwalkabilitystudyrespondentsbyfreelyairingtheirconcernsaboutpersonalsafetyandpedestrianbarrierselsewhereinthesurveysandgroupdiscussions.SafetyandSecurityConcerns

“ThirtymonthsagowaswhentheyputthatCripsguyinprisonforsevenlifetimesforthemurderbehind15[CougarCt],andthat’swhatbrokethedrugcartels.[Backthen]peoplewouldn’tridetheirbikebecauseofthehassle.Theywouldn’twalk.Theydidn’twanttogetcaughtinthecrossfire.It’stakenthepolice20to25monthstocleanupthearea.Progressivelyoverthelasttwoyears,there’sahigherconfidencelevel.It’saworldofdifference.”“It’sgettingthere.It’salmostcleanedup,butit’snotyet.”F:Areyouworriedforpersonalsafety?Doesthataffecthowyouwalk?“No.Notnow.Itdid,whenIfirstmovedhere.”


“Iwon’twalkwest[onEglington]onthissideofMarkham,becausetheystillhaven’trenovatedithere,withtheexceptionoftheonebuilding….Thesearestillvictimsofthedrugwars.”“Thedrugwarstooktheirtollonthiscommunity.Notjusthere,butacrosstheroad….Thisisthebigissue.”ScarboroughVillagehasbeenthesiteofseveralviolentandtragicincidentsinthepastfewyearsthathaveprofoundlyaffectedhowpeopleperceiveandexperiencethesafetyoftheirwalkingenvironment.Accordingtoourrespondents,ScarboroughVillagewas,untilrecently,considereda‘havenfordrugdealers’,and‘ascaryneighbourhood.’Asnotedintheabovecomments,thesefearsanddangersconstrictandlimitmanyactivities,makingthesimpletaskofgettingaroundunappealingandanxietyprovoking.Overthepastcoupleofyears,thecityandpolicehaverespondedwithincreasedeffortstoclampdownonillegalactivitiesand,accordingtotheparticipantsinthisstudy,thereisagreatercomfortlevelaroundwalking,cyclingandmovingaroundtheneighbourhood.Mostpeoplecredittheincreasedpolicepresenceasthemainreasonwhytheneighbourhoodfeelssafer,butsomeparticipantsalsoreportthatthepolicingeffortseemstomaketheneighbourhoodfeellesssafe:“There’stoomuchpolicepresenceattimes.Itfeelsasifsomethingisabouttohappen,makespeoplesuspiciousofothersorintimidated.”“Theproportionofpoliceforcetotheactivityis,like,unbelievable.Nothingreallyhappensthat’ssignificant,andthere’spolicecars,like10,15,andwhat?Like,twoweeksago,didyouseehowmanypolicewerehere?TheyhadSWATguysontheroof,andhoursandhours,they’relooking.Theresponseisunbelievable,youknowwhatImean?Theresponsewasblownoutofproportion.Alotofitwasveryhysterical.Givemeabreak….Theymadethisproduction,halfofaday,onandon,SWATandshieldsontheroof,andropescomingdown.Whatthehell?Whatwasthatfor?”UnsafeInfrastructureTherearevariousreasonswhypeoplereportfeelingunsafetravellingonfootinScarboroughVillage.Somehavetodowiththesocialenvironmentandsomehavetodowiththegeneralbuiltenvironmentandqualityoftheinfrastructuresuchasroads,paths,sidewalkconditionsandsnowclearing.Startingwiththetrafficandinfrastructureconditions,47%ofrespondentsreportedthattheyfeltsafefromtrafficwhilewalkingintheirneighbourhoodalthough33%disagreedorstronglydisagreedthattheyfeltsafefromtraffic,while20%percentwereneutral.Thirty‐threepercentagreedorstronglyagreedthattherewereenoughplacestosafelycrosslargestreetswhile50%felttherewerenotenoughplacestosafelycrosslargestreets.Eighteenpercentofrespondentswereneutralonthisquestion.Again,theseanswerssuggestthatpeoplehavemixedresponsesoratleastfeelambivalentaboutthelocalwalkingenvironment–thisisalsoevidentinthehighnumbersof‘neutral’responses.


Comparedtootherstudyareas,theresponsesshowahigherpercentageofpeoplefeelingunsafefromtrafficorthattherearenotenoughplacestocrosslargestreetssuchasEglintonandMarkham.Theseissuesarefurtherdiscussedbelow.

Pedestrianscrossfrequentlybetweentheapartmentsat225MarkhamandtheshoppingplazasacrossMarkhamRoad.

Therewaslittleambivalence,however,abouthowrespondentsfeltaboutlettingtheirchildrenwalktoplacesontheirownintheneighbourhood.Only15%saidtheyagreedwiththestatement“Ifeelcomfortablelettingmychildrenwalktoplacesontheirown”while73%disagreedorstronglydisagreed.Agreatdealofanxietyaboutkidshavingsafeplacestowalkandplaywasexpressedbysomeparentswhonotedtheironyofconflictingideasaboutwherethesafeandunsafespotsare::“Mykidshavetostayaroundmybuilding[CougarCt].They’renotallowedoverhere[onEglintonwestofMarkhamRd.].ButIhaveagirlfriendwholivesoverhere[onEglintonwestofMarkham],andherkidsarenotallowedoverhere,aroundourbuilding.”Despitethesehesitationsandobstaclestopersonalmobility,respondentswalkedagreatdealandwereveryclearabouthowtheynavigatedthewalkingenvironment.ShortcutsarecommonlyusedbyresidentstogetaroundScarboroughVillage‐66%ofpeoplereporttakingunpavedpaths,cuttingacrossparkinglots,andsoon.Indiscussions,manypeoplesaidthattheirwalkingrouteschangeatnightwhenlightingontheseshortcutsisofteninadequate.Inordertoshortentheirroutes,ahighpercentage(47%)ofpeoplesaytheycrossstreetswheretherearenolightsorcrosswalks.Inasurveyquestionthataskedparticipantstoidentifymajorbarrierstodailytravelintheneighbourhood,18%reportedthat“therearenomajorbarriers”.Theremainderoftherespondentscheckedoffoneormoremajorimpedimentstowalking:

• poorlighting‐63%• litteredorunkemptpathways/sidewalks–39%• toomuch/toofasttraffic–39%• missingconnectionsorpathways–29%


• placesareveryfarapart–26%• scarypeople‐34%• toofewpeople”‐26%• narrowspaceswithfencingonallsides‐21%• obstructedsightlines,corners‐29%

Socialfearisasignificantissueforpeopleinthisstudysample–manyrespondedindetailwhenaskedwhatstrategiestheyuseforfeelingsafer:

• avoidwalkingatnight‐55%• keeptoareaswithlighting‐50%• avoidcertainstreets,places–47%• carrycellphone‐37%• walkwithothers–32%• keeptomainstreet‐26%• usecar(whereavailable)–26%• crossstreettoavoidpeople‐16%

Duringthefocusgroupdiscussions,manypeopleelaboratedonthesestrategiestofeelsafe,statingthatpoorlightingisasignificantconcerntomost.Theysticktothefrontofbuildingsatnight,avoidthebackofthebuildings,donottakeshortcutsatnightandavoidtravellingalone.Thespeedandvolumeoftrafficisalsoasignificantissue.Oneresidentnoted,“Kingstonisoneofthemajorroadsforus.(It)isnotwalkableanyway.It’slikeahighway”butthecommentcouldaseasilyhavebeenmadeaboutEglintonAvenueorMarkhamRoad,theothermajorroadsthatabutsthesite.Itisalsoworthnotingthatpoorlymaintained,unkemptsidewaysandpathwayswasnotedasabarrierbyjustasmanypeople:“Onethingforwalkinglightsandcleaningupthedebrisandstufflikethat.Youknow,whenyou’rewalkingyouwanttoenjoyit.”Thenumberofpeoplewhomarkedthisresponseisexceptionalcomparedtoourotherstudyareas.

Stepsat15CougarCourt.


FourKeyPedestrianLinks

Thevariousimpedimentstowalkabilitywillbediscussedinseparateheadingsbelow,butitisworthtakingacloserlookatfourspecificsitesinthecommunitythathighlightsomeofthemajorthemesofthe‘unwalkability’ofScarboroughVillage:dangerouscrossings,unsafewalkingroutes,poorlightingandsecurityrisks.ThesesitesareclusteredintheareaaroundtheapartmentbuildingsandMarkingtonSquare,theshoppingplazaonthesouthsideofEglintonAvenuethatcontainsthenearestsupermarket.

1. Thedrivewaythatrunseastandwest,between215Markhamand15CougarCourtthatemptiesoutonCedarDrive,bythemosqueWewillrefertothisastheCougarCourtdriveway.

2. ThepedestrianpathwaybetweenthetwoprivatelyheldpropertiesontheplazathatfrontsonthenorthsideofEglinton,eastofMarkham,nowreferredtoasthePlazashortcut.

3. AhightrafficjaywalkingsiteacrossElglintonbetweenthePlazashortcutandMarkingtonSquarewheretheMetrosupermarketislocated.

4. TheintersectionofEglintonAveEastandCedarDrivewherethereisatrafficlight.

ImportantCougarCourtpedestrianlinksmentionedintext.


1.TheCougarCourtDrivewayTheCougarCourtdrivewayrunsacrossthesouthsideofthepropertiesof215Markhamand15CougarCourtandconnectsthesepropertiestoCedarDrive.Itbothservestheparkinglotsofthebuildingsandactsasaverybusypedestrianroutethatcarrieshundredsofresidentsdailytothelocalprimaryschool,parks,busstops,theplaza,amosque,andthemostpopularinformalmeetingspaceinthearea,TimHorton’s.Thesurfaceofthedrivewayitselfisworndown,hassomepotholes,cracksandgapsandpeoplestatedthatrainwaterdoesn’tdrainwellanditisveryslushyinwinter.Themostcommoncomplainthoweverwasthatthereisanalmostcompleteabsenceoflighting–wecountedonelightonthebackof15CougarCourtthatlooksasifitisintendedtoilluminatetheparkinglotadjoiningthebuilding.Thedrivewayitself,whichstretchessome200metersbetween215Markhamandthepublicstreet,hasnolightingatall.

TheCougarCourtdrivewaylookingtowardCedarDrive.Residentsreportpoolingwater,roughconditions,poorsnowclearanceandlackoflighting..

TheCougarCourtdrivewayisabothanactiveroadwayandamainpedestrianlinktotheCedarDrivePublicSchool,TimHorton’s,amosque,MarkingtonSquareandbusstops.


“Thereisamosquehere[onCedarDr.atCougarCtdriveway].Thepeoplegoing[fromthetowers]tothemosque,thereisnotenoughpavement.Theolderpeople,over60,sometimesfalldown.”“Thiswholeroadneedsmorelighting.Wherethehousesareonthenextstreetfromhere—thoselights,perfect.Buthere….itcanbebetterlighting.Andthenallthecarsthatpark…theycastashadowacross.Soit’sjetblack.”Lackoflightingcameupinotherareasofthecomplextoo:“Therearenolights,between15(CougarCt)and215(Markham).Nolightsandit’sscarytowalk.”2.ThePlazaShortcut

ThePlazashortcutisformedbytheservicelanethatleadstotherearoftwosmallplazasonEglingtonAveonthesouthsideoftheapartmentcomplex.LiketheCougarCourtdriveway,thePlazashortcutconnectsthecommunitytomanyvitalcommunityservicesandamenities,includingthebiggestgrocerystore(Metro)andcommercialplaza(MarkingtonSquare),busroutesandsmallergrocerystoresthatspecializeinethnicfood.Technically,theshortcutappearstobeonthepropertyof3226EglintonAvenue,theeasternmostpropertyinthesmallplazathatcurrentlyhasasmallHalalmeatandgrocery,butitservicesalltheshopsintheplazatowhichthisshopisadjoined.Thesidewallofthisshopdefinesthewestsideoftheshortcut.Ontheeastsideacommunitymuraltitled“NaturalMystic”hasbeenpaintedonthesidewalloftheotherplazathatdefinestheshortcut.ThepaintingofthemuralwasorganizedbyMuralRoutesin2006andwassponsoredbytheCityofToronto,ActionforNeighbourhoodChange,YouthLink,andotherorganizations,anditinvolvedseverallocalyouthasartists.Itatteststotheimportanceofthisspacetothecommunity.

ThePlazashortcutlookingtowardtheapartmentsfromEglinton.Notethecommunitymural,“NaturalMystic,”installedin2006underaprogambyMuralRoutesandsupportedbytheCityofTorontoandcommunitygroups.


TheentrancetothePlazashortcutfromtheCougarCourtdriveway.

ApedestrianonthePlazashortcut.Notetheroughwalkingsurfaceconnectingtherearserviceareaofoneplazatotheservicedrivewayoftheadjoiningplazathatformstheshortcut.

DespitetheimportanceofthePlazashortcut,itisonprivatepropertyandisnotaformalwalkingroute.Yet,thefencebetweentherearoftheplazasandtheCougarCourtdrivewayhasbeendeliberatelyleftopentoformasort‐ofgateandthereisevenasmallpatchofasphaltthathasbeenlaidatthispointforpedestrianswheretheypassthrough.Still,theshortcuthasnolighting,haspoorsightlines,roughsurfaces,nocurbcuts,brokendownfencing,doesnotgetclearedofsnowortrashregularlyandtheentranceisfrequentlyblockedbycars.Residentsinthecommunitygettogetheronceortwiceayeartoclearthewalkwayofgarbageandbrush.Inthefocusgroupsessionsmanyresidentscommentedontheshortcut:


“Ohgod,thegarbage.Thesmell.Likebrokenglassandgarbageeverywhere.”“Theissuesforthatpathwayis—unevenpavementisoneissue.Toomuchbush,alongtheentirefencing.Itimpedesthesightlines.Weknowcriminalsliketohide,soyoucan’tseewho’sthere….”“WhenIwanttogotothestorehere[onEglinton],Itakethelongroute,becausethere’snolight.”“Lighting,downthisdriveway.It’spitchblack.”“It’sprivateproperty.It’susedasaroad,theytakethatasashortcut.It’sanentranceforparking.”

Communitycleaningcrew.

3.JaywalkingonEglinton

ThePlazashortcutemptiesoutonEglintonAve,rightacrossfromMarkingtonSquareandtheMetrosupermarketlocatedthere.Asteadystreamofpeoplefromtheapartmentsappeartojaywalkhere,crossingsevenlanesoffast‐movingtraffic,withchildren,buggies,inscooters,withcanesandonwalkers.Despitetheobvioushazard,somepeopleactuallyconsiderita‘safer’crossingthantheintersectionofCedarandEglinton,abitfurthereast,wherethereisatrafficlightandpedestriansignals.Thefollowingexchangefromafocusgroupisillustrative:F:How’scrossingthestreethere?[betweenthePlazashortcutandtheMetrostore]“It’sajaywalk.”“Youjustcross.Youjaywalk.”“FromMarkhamtoCedarDr.Iseethatcarsaveragingwellover60clicksperhour.”“Theyneedtoputtrafficlightshere.Everybodyjaywalks.It’sscary.”


PlazashortcutwithaviewtotheMetrosupermarketacrossEglintonAvenue.

SomeofthesteadyflowofpedestrianscrossingEglintonafterexitingfromthePlazashortcut.

F:Doyoueverstandinthemiddle?“That’swhyit’sthere.”F:Arepeopleafraidofmakingthatcrossing?“You’reatgreaterriskstandingatthiscorner[pointingtoMarkham&Eglinton]thanyouarehere.Therehavebeenthreehitandrunsatthiscorner….driversareturkeys.Thepedestrianhasanexpectationofsafetyhere[atthecorner]…becauseit’sacrosswalk.Thepedestrianhasnoexpectationofsafetyhere[midblock].Ifyou’recrossingatthemiddleoftheblock,youusethecentremedian.Youmakedamnsureit’ssafe.Driversarecareless.”


EglintonAvenueatthecrossingbythePlazashortcut:sixlanesoftrafficplusacentreturn‐lanethatsomeresidentsuseasapedestrianrefugewhencrossingtheroadway.

4.TrafficLightatCedarDr.andEglintonAve.

ThetrafficlightatthisintersectionshouldmakeitsaferforresidentsofScarboroughVillagetocrossEglinton,butsomeresidentsreportedthattheymustwaitalongtimeforthesignaland/orthatthatthesignalchangestooquicklyforthemtocompletethecrossingofsevenlanesoftraffic.Somepeopledonotwaitandcrossagainstthelight.Workshopparticipantsalsoreportedthatsomepedestrianshavebeenhitatthisintersection.CityofTorontocollisiondatacollatedfrompolicereportscorroboratesthis,with12incidentsrecordedofvehicleshittingpedestriansatthisintersectionbetween2002and2008.“AtCedarDr.,oppositeTimHortons,therehavebeenthreedeathssofar.Andthereasonbeingthatlight,itusedtobeprettylong,sopeopletrytobeatthetraffic.Sotwodiedthatway,andonetriedtowalkinfrontofabus….Lastyearsomeonewashit,butnotseriouslyinjured.”“Andthelight(atCedar),whenyoupressthewalkbutton,ittakesagestochange.Andbythetimeyougettothemiddleofthestreet,it’sdone,it’stooquick.”“Icallthecouncillors’officetwice.AndIaskedforthewidestripesthatyouseeallovertheGTAtomakeitmorevisible.AndIdon’tgetaresponse.CedarDr.,forsure,wherepeopledie.”Althoughthecitydatadoesnotshowanydeathsinrecentyears,itdoesshowthatonecollisionresultedin“major”injuriesandsixothersin“minor”injuries.Abouthalfofthese,includingthemajorinjury,occurredwiththepedestriancrossingwiththeright‐of‐way,andabouthalfwithpedestrianscrossingwithouttherightofway.


TheintersectionofEglintonandCedarDrive.Focusgroupparticipantsreportedthatthewaitforapedestriansignalhereistoolong,andthatoncethelightturnsthetimeallowedtocrossthestreetistooshort.SomesaidtheyfeelsafercrossingatthelocationofthePlazashortcut,wherethereisnolightorcrosswalk.

SimilarbutlessfrequentcommentsweremadeinthefocusgroupdiscussionabouttheverylargeintersectionofMarkhamandEglinton.Bususersheavilyusetheintersectionandtherearefrequentlylargepedestrianflowsacrosstheintersection.“Thosepeoplecomerippingaround.Theydon’tlook.Idon’tfeelsafethere.”“Meneither.Peoplewhiparoundthatcorner.Theydon’tlook;theydon’tstop.”Citydataalsoshowsmanycollisionsinvolvingpedestriansatthisintersection,with21recordedbetween2002and2008,ofwhichabouthalfinvolvedminorinjuries.Innearlythreequartersofthesepedestrianshadtheright‐of‐way.Fencing,ConnectionsandShortcuts

ThePlazashortcutisonlyoneofthemanyshortcutsresidentsuseinthearea.Inthesurvey,29%ofparticipantsnotedthatthelackofdirect,connectedwalkingroutesasamajorbarriertowalkingintheneighbourhoodand66%saidthattheyoftenuseshortcutstogettotheirdestinations.Inanothersectionofthesurvey,manyalsonotedthattheyarelesslikelytouseshortcutswhenitisdark.Manypeopleinthefocusgroupsnotedpedestrianroutesacrossprivatelandaswell:“Theplaza,whentheyputthefencingin,(they)leftacutoutopen,asaconveniencetotheircustomershere.Butwhentheyrenovatedhere,theysealedthecutouthere.”“Theonebehindtheveterinaryclinicisshutdown.There’stheirony.Theyspendthousandsofdollarsrenovating….Andthentheylockthegate.”


ThenewlockedfenceandpavingbehindtheVeterinaryclinc,anothercommonshortcutbetweentheapartmentsandEglinton.

Anotherwell‐travelledshortcutthattheentirecommunityknowsaboutstartsbehind25CougarCourtandleadsouttoCedarDrivebytheendofGatesviewAvenue.Itcrossesthepropertyof34CedarDrivewhichhasanabandonedhouse.Whenthisshortcutisopen,itseemstobeanimportantwalkingroutetoCedarDrivePublicSchoolandScarboroughVillagePark,bothjustashortwalkfromtheendoftheshortcutdownGatesviewAvenue.However,itisnotalwaysopenandthereisapparentlyanon‐goingbackandforthwiththethefencebeingreplacedorrepairedtodissuadeuseoftheshortcutanduserswhobreakitopenagainorfindotherwaysacrossit.Wedidnotdiscoverwhotakesonrepairingthefence,whetherthemanagersof25CourgarCourtortheownersof34CedarDrive.Residentshavemixedfeelingsaboutthisroute,withsomerecognizingthatitisandimportantrouteformanychildrenbutothersbeinguncomfortablethatitgoesacrossprivatepropertyandbyanabandonedhouse.

Thewell‐wornpaththatispartofthe“ghosthouseshortcut.”


Inthefocusgroupsthereweremanycolourfulstoriesaboutthishouse,whichalmostuniversallywasreferredtoasthe‘ghosthouse’or‘hauntedhouse’.Children,whoseemtousethepathwaythemost,circulatestoriesaboutitscurrentstateofrepairor‘scaryinhabitants.’It’sunfortunatethatsuchacruciallinkageinthecommunitycausessomuchanxietyandfear:YoungGirl:“Peoplethinkit’shaunted.Somepeoplearescaredofit.Awitchcomesoutatnight.Thewitchwalkedoutsidethehouseandputpaintonthepath,tolightitup.Adults:“Yes.Peoplethinkit’saghosthouse.”“Andthehouseisabandoned,sothatprobablymakespeopleshaky.”F:Doallthekidsgotheretogotoschool?Adults:“Yeah.Idon’twantmysontogothere.Itookthelongway.Ipassbythisstreet.[Mostkids]gothroughtheshortcut.”“It’ssolonely.Nobodylivesthere.Onedaytheysaid…don’tpassbyhere,becauseit’smyproperty.They’reblockingthefence.”“Sometimestheyrefixthefence.”F:Sothat’sabigissue?Adults:“Yeah.”

Thefencebetweentheapartmentsandthe“ghosthouseshortcut”thatleadstowardGatesviewAvenueandtheCedarDrivePublicSchool,left,withaholerippedinitand,right,withaninformal“ladder”afterthefencehadbeenrepaired.

AlthoughnotdirectlyassociatedwiththebuildingsaroundCougarCourt,duringfieldsurveyswelocatedmanyothershortcutsinthearea.Forexample,onthesouthsideoftheCedarDrivePublicSchoolareotherdifficultconnectionstotheschoolgrounds.Forexample,thereisagatebetweentheschoolandtheparkinglotof3380Eglintonwithasetofstepsthatisusedbymanyparentswithsmallchildrenandevenstrollers.Theadjoiningapartmentpropertyhasanevenmoredifficultconnection,withaholeinafenceandanevenlargerstep.Thisconnectionalsoappearedtoreceiveheavyusage.


Stepsandgatebetween3380EglintonandtheCedarDrivePublicSchool.Thegate,whichhasa“notrespassing”sign,isafrequentlyusedroutetotheschool.

Holeinfencebetween3400EglintonandtheScarboroughVillagePark,anotherfrequentlyusedroutetotheCedarDrivePublicSchool.

Thestepuptothesamefencehole,withaviewtotheschool.


Ingeneralinformalroutesandshortcutsofteninvolvepedestrianscopingwithpoorwalkingconditionssuchassteps,mud,increasedrisktopersonalsecurityortrafficwhencomparedtomoreformalroutes.ThesignificantamountsofshortcutsandimprovisedwalkingroutesinScarboroughVillageareindicationsof‘poorconnectivity’becauseformalroutesdonotdirectlyconnecttheplacespeoplewanttogo.Thepublicinfrastructure,withtheexceptionoftheverylargearterialsformotorvehicles,isextremelylimitedinthisarea.Sidewalkandlanewayconditions

Peoplereportthatwhiletheycangetaroundreasonablywellintheimmediatevicinity,muchofthiswalkinggetsdoneontheroadwayswherepedestriansarecompetingwithcars,trucksandbusesforspace.Theseroadwayroutesarejustmoredirectattimes,butthistrendisdangerousandexacerbatedinthewinterwhenthesidewalksaren’tclearedandthere’smorespaceforwalkingontheroads:“Notmanypeopleusethesidewalk(inwinter),soitalmostdoesn’tmatter.Mostpeoplewalkdowntheroad.”

NarrowsidewalkandpedestrianwalkingonEglintonnearintersectionwithCedarDrive.

PoolingwaterwasreportedbymanyasaconsistentproblemonCougarCourt:“Betweenthebuildings[225Markhamand25CougarCt],there’samanhole(sewergrate).Theyoverflowwithwater,becauseit’sblocked.(Just)afewweeksago,liketheocean!Winterisworse,butespeciallyduringthespring,whenit’sraining.”Asfortheconditionofthesidewalksandpathsmoregenerally,peoplestatethattheyareinpoorcondition,thesurfacingisunevenanditmakesgettingaroundhazardous.Missingorverypoorqualitycurbswithoutcurbcutsareparticularlyprevalentthroughoutareaanywherewalkwaysareonprivateproperty.


Becauseofthis,mostofthewalkwayswithinthecomplexoffourapartmentbuildingsareinaccessibletopeoplewhoneedwheelchairsorscooters,andtheyareforcedtousedriveways.Manywalkwaysareverynarrow,havestepsanddonothavecurbcuts.Almostallwalkwaystothebuildingentrancesendinalargestepdowntothelevelofthedoorway,whichopensdirectlyontothedrivewaylevel.Familieswithstrollersandpeoplewithgrocerycartscomeupagainstthesameobstacles.Inparticular,severalrespondentssingledoutthebackof215Markhamasbeinginaccessible,butwemayhavegottenevenbetterinformationifmorepeoplewithaccessibilityproblemsparticipatedintheworkshop.Unfortunately,wewereunabletoincludetheinputofseveralpeoplebecausetheapartmentcommunityroomwehaduseofwasinaccessibletopeopleinwheelchairsorscooters.Despitethislimitationmanypeoplecommentedoninaccessibilityissuesbecausetheyknowpeoplewhoexperiencetheseobstacles..

Walkwayswithintheapartmentcomplexarenarrowandhavesteps.Pedestrianswithstrollersandshoppingcartsalongwithpeoplewhorelyonscootersandwheelchairsusedrivewaysandroadwaysinstead.

Apartmententrancesopenontodriveways.Walkwayswithoutcurbcutsareastepabove.


There’sawidespreadperceptionthatthesepoorconditionsreflectalackofcareorconcernfromthemunicipalauthoritiesandpeoplereportedfeelingdevalued:“There’sbeennocurb,sidewalk,orroadmaintenancewithin10cityblocksofthecornerofMarkhamandEglintonin15years.”“Andinthewintertime…thewholelengthofthissmallstreetiswater.Idon’tknowwhytheydon’tdosomethingaboutit….Waterandice,foryears.Yearsandyears.Yearsandyearsit’slikethat.”“On15(CougarCt),rightattheentrance,asyoufinishtheculdesac,there’spotholesandwater….”Potholeswereidentifiedbymanypeopleasahazardfornotonlydrivers,butcyclists,peopleonscootersandevenpedestrianswhooftensharedrivewayswithvehicles:“Potholesisquitedangerousinmyarea.Alotofdriverslookdowntoavoidhittingthepotholesbut(thenthere’s)anincreaseofhittingsomeonewiththevehicle.”

Stepsandwalkwayoutside15CougarCourt……

…..leadtotheundergroundparkingexitandnotthebuildingentrance.


SnowClearing

Snowandiceclearancewasnotedasapersistentandseriousproblemthatmadethewalkingenvironmentimpassableortreacherousformany.“Inwintertime,theyleavetheiceonthestreet.Ifalldowntwice.Onthepath,youknow?Onthesidewalk.”“There’slikeathicklayeroficeandstuff,andyou’reslippingandsliding.”“Youtakeitslow,andwhenyouslide,theiceisonthesidewalk.”“TheCity’ssupposedtodoit,buttheCitydoesn’t.”“Notmuchattentionispaidtosafety.”Manyparticipantsexpressedangerandfrustrationthatthepublicandprivatethoroughfaresandsidewalksdonotgetclearedadequatelyorinatimelymanner.Wheresnowiscleared,itissometimespushedintotheinformalwalkingroutesthatmanyrespondentsrelyon:“Whentheycleartheparkinglot,theypushthesnowinfrontofthelanewaytotheMetro–hugesnowbanks.”Benchesand‘Sitability’

TheresidentsofScarboroughVillagewereclearthattheylikemeetingtheirneighbours,andmanycommentedonapositivecommunityfeel‐“Peoplearereallyfriendlyinourneighbourhood.”Manyalsonoticedthatithelpsthemfeelsaferandbuildsasenseofbelongingiftheyhaveplacesoropportunitiestositandchatwithpeopleandneighbours.“Thiskindofstuffthatyou’redoingtoday(thestreetfestivaloutside).Thisisperfect–it’sadeterrentforbadinfluencedpeopleandyougettoknowyourneighbours,yougettoknowpeople.”

Residentsreportedthattheywouldlikebenchesnearthebuidingentrancesfortalkingtoneighbours.


Butthisinformal,lowcostinfrastructureismissingorderelictinseveralimportantlocations,andpresentsabarriertomuchneededsocialcohesion:“Itwouldbenicetohaveallthebenchesputbackinthatplaza….Thereusedtobebenches.Theygotridofthemallbecauseofthedrugproblem….I’moutthereattwoorthreeo’clockinthemorning.Idon’thesitate…now,notatall….Butthereisnowheretopauseandsitandrelax,haveacigarettefor10minutes.”Bencheswerereportedlymissingatthefrontandbacksoftheapartmentbuildingsandnearexistingchildren’splayareas.

Informalconversation,MarkingtonSquare.Residentsreportedalackofcomfortable,publicspacesinwhichtomeetneighbours.

PublicSpacesTheneighbourhood’sstreetsandparksareimportantsocialspacesandplacesforrecreationalwalkingandexercising.Fiftypercentofparticipantsreportedthattheyvisitalocalparkoneormoretimesaweek,someofthemdaily.Twenty‐ninepercentwalkorrunatleast3timesaweekandanother32%dosoonceortwice.Fewrespondentsstatethattheycycleregularlyorrecreationally.Thereasonsofferedwerethelackofsecurebikeparking,fearoffastmovingtrafficandtheabsenceofbikelanes.Neighbourhoodparkswereamajorattractiontomany,withpeoplesayingthattheyenjoyedwalkinginsuchgreenspacesasScarboroughVillagePark,MasonParkandthecommunitygardenfrontingonKingstonRoad:“Yougetawayfromallthenoiseandeverything.There’slikepicnictablesthere.”


“ScarboroughVillagePark.It’sbaseballdiamonds,soccerfield,washrooms.It’stheonlyparkintheareathathasfacilities.It’sactuallyreallynice.”AfewrespondentsmentionedthattheyliketotakewalksinthenearbyravinesandontheScarboroughGolfCourse.AfewmoresaidthattheylikewanderingtheresidentialstreetssouthofKingstonRoad,arelativelyaffluentarea:“Iwalkoverhere,this[south]sideofKingstonRd.Justtowalk.There’spathsallbackheretogettothebluffs,alldifferenttrailsandstuff.Iwouldtakemybaby.IfeelsaferonthatsidethanIdohere.”Stillothersfeelthestingofsocialexclusionwhilewalkinginthisneighbourhood:“Butyou’vegottopracticallytakeabloodtesttowalkalongthere,becausethereisn’tahouseonthestreetunderamilliondollars….ThatisprobablynowthewealthiestareainScarborough,thesixblocksbetweenMarkhamandMcCowan.”ManyparticipantsagreedthatthewoodedareasouthofMarkingtonMall,the‘CampbellHousewoods’wasverydangerousandwalkingthroughtheunlit,informalforestpathwayswassomethingtheyavoideddoing.“Istayoutofthosewoodsdownthere,causethosewoodsaredangerous.Iwasattackedinbroaddaylightthere.Thesetwoguysgrabbedme…andIranaway.ItoldthepoliceandtheysaidIshouldn’tbewalkinginthere.”“Youmightconsidergoingnow,butatallinthelasttwoyears,youwouldn’thavegone.”F:What’stheproblem?“Drugsandparaphernalia.It’sbeencleanedup….Wewatchedthecrewsgoinginandcleaningitout…quiteabitactually.Butthatwasonlythisspring.”Despitethewell‐knownrisksofwalkinghere,peopledotakethesepathsasashortcuttothepopularScarboroughVillageCommunityCentretousetherecreationalfacilities,skatingrink,ESLclasses,youthgroupsandsoon.Parenthetically,thereisactuallynopedestrianwalkwaythatdirectlyconnectsthiscityfacilitytothepublicsidewalksonMarkhamRoad,andpeoplewalkingorusingwheelchairsorscootersmustusethedriveway.PlayareasforChildren

Manyparticipantswhohadchildrencommentedonthelackofnearbyplayareasforchildrenthatweresafeandaccessible.Thereisasmallplayareaforyoungchildrenonthestreetsideof215Markhamwithswingsandasmallmetalelephantclimber.Ithasonesmallbenchwithoutaback.Thereisanother,veryoldmetalplaysetinthenortheastcorneroftheparkinglotbehind225Markham.ItisalonganinformalpaththatispartofanortherlyroutetoCedarDrivePublicSchoolandhasasmallslide,see‐sawandclimber.Itispartiallyunderthetrees,quiteseparatedfromthebuildings,andfeelsquiteisolated.Ithasnobenches.Residentswouldclearlylikebetterplayfacilitiesthataremoreintegratedwithspaceadjoiningthebuildings:


Thelocationoftheold,metalplayequipment,awayfromthebuildingbeyondthenortheastcorneroftheparkinglot.Someresidentsdesiredplayequipmentnearthebuildings.

“In15CougarCourt,therearenorecreationfacilitiesforthekids,especiallybesidethebuilding.There’snothingforthekids,noslides.“(Before)everybuildinghadaplayarea,fullofswings,everythingforkids.Nownothingisthere….”GarbageBinsandOdoursUnsightlygarbagebinsandodoursalsomakewalkingintheneighbourhoodunpleasant.LocationsthatweresingledoutwererearoftheEglintonPlaza,thebackentranceto215Markhamandthebackandfrontof15CougarCourt,bothofwhicharefrequentlyused.The“backentrance”to215MarkhamisactuallytheclosestentrancetoMarkhamRoadandisusedtoaccessbusstopsandthesmallshoppingplazasonthewestsideofMarkham.Thisisatypicalcondition,withareasaroundbuildingsdesignedforserviceandgarbageactingaspartofimportant,directpedestrianroutestofrequentlyuseddestinationsinthecommunity.“Thechuteforgarbageisinthemiddleofthebuilding,itsmells.It’snotemptiedenough.Garbagecollectsalotintheditch,whenitrainsthedrainsgetclogged.”“Thegarbagearound15Cougarjustwhacksyouintheface.Butthepeoplehere{in215Markham}usuallycleanup.Butthebuildingbehindus[15Cougar],theynevercleanup.Andthewindjustwhipsthroughhere.IthappenstomeallthetimewhenI’mwaking,thegarbagejustwhacksmeintheface”.”


Residentsarefacedwithsmellydumpstersaspartoftheirwalkingroutes.

Dumpstersbyanentranceto215MarkhamRoad.Althoughthisisa“rear”entry,itistheclosestdoortoMarkhamRoadandisusedfrequently.

Distances

AbasicdisadvantageoflivinginScarboroughVillageidentifiedbymanyparticipantswassimplytheverylongwalkingdistancesbetweentheactivitiesandamenitiestheyuse.Whenaskedaboutmajorbarrierstheyfaceingettingaroundtheneighbourhood,26%checkedoff‘placesIwanttogoareveryfarapart’.Thougharangeofshops,servicesandtransitarecloseby,severalparticipantsnotedthattheywouldliketohaveadiscountgrocerystorecloserathand(likePriceChopperorFoodBasics)insteadofjusttheMetrothatmanycommentedwas‘tooexpensive’.Acoupleof


peoplestatedthattheywalktogettothepubliclibrary(atLawrenceandCedarbrae)butinwinterthistripismoredifficultasthelonghillonMarkhamisoftenslipperyandhazardous.BusandTransitServices

Busserviceandtransitisnotafocusofthisstudy,butmanypeoplemadecommentsaspartofthesmallgroupdiscussionsabouttheirabilitytogetaroundtheneighbourhood.ManyreportedthatthebussesonEglintonandMarkhamwereunreliableandalmostalwaysfull;peoplereportedthattheysometimeshadtowaitforthreeorfourbussesbeforetheycouldgeton,eveninwinter.SUMMARYOFTHEMES

Theinformationpresentedinthispreliminarywalkabilityreportdoesnotfullydescribeallthecommentsweheard,alltheinformationcollectedinthesurvey,nordoesitincludeasystematiccompilationofthenotesmadeonthemaps.Thisworkwillcontinue.However,eventhepreliminaryreportingofinformationfromtheworkshopbringsupsomeclearthemes.Manyoftheparticipantsdonotcomefromhouseholdswithavehicleordriver’slicense.Assuch,theparticipantsarehighlydependentonwalkingandtransittocarryouttheirdailylives.Mostshopbyfootwithintheneighbourhoodandmanyalsowalkortakethebuslocallyforworkandschool.Whattheyencounter,forthemostpart,arehostileandunsafewalkingconditions,andtheabsenceofvibrantinformalsocialspaces.Peoplefeltgenerallymorenegativeabouttheirwalkingenvironmentherethaninanyoftheotherareaswherewehaveconductedworkshops.ThisleavesmanyresidentsofScarboroughVillagefeelingunappreciated,isolatedandresignedasevidencedincommentssuchasthese:“Thewholecommunity’snotforwalking,andallimmigrants,theydon’thavecar.”“There’snotalotaround….Nothingis,‘aah,beautiful.’It’sjustlike,‘boom,boom,let’sdoit.’…Thesmells,thebrokenstuff,it’sjustdepressing.Andwhenit’sdirty…I’mjustlike,‘ohmygod.’Andyoujustcamefromareaswheretreesareclean….Assoonasyougethere,brokenstuff,stuffsmells….Andthenmybuilding’sevenworse,butthat’sawholedifferentstory.Soifyoucanfixanything….”Onaglobalquestion,manypeoplesaythattheneighbourhoodisagoodplaceforwalking,butadeeperambivalenceisrevealedinfollow‐upquestionsandcommentsthatsuggestsanxietyandconcernsoversafety,securityandeaseofmovementintheneighbourhood.Fundamentalwastheconditionofthepathwaysandsidewalks,poolingwater,unevenpavementandplaceswherethereweresimplynosidewalksatallandsopeopleresortedtowalkingonactivedrivewaysthatfunctionasroads.Snowclearingwasalsodeemedaseriousimpedimenttopedestrianmobility.


Manypeoplereportedthattherewereenoughplacestosafelycrosslargestreets,butasignificantnumberofrespondentsdisagreedandwereparticularlythreatenedbyfasttrafficonKingstonRoad,EglintonandMarkham.AsignificantamountoftimeinthefocusgroupswasusedtodiscussthehighfrequencyofwalkingthattakesplaceacrossEglintonbetweenthePlazashortcutandthemall.Manysaidthatinstallingacrosswalkherewasagoodidea,butothersthoughtitwastooclosetothelightandcrossingwithoutalightorcrosswalkwassaferbecauseitforcedpedestrianstobemorevigilantabouttheirownpersonalsafety,ratherthanrelyingondriverstoobeysignalsandsigns.Similarly,thetrafficlightatCedarDriveandEglintontakestoolongtoturnanddoesnotallowadequatetimetocrosssafely,andparticipantsreportedthatmanypeoplewalkagainstthelight.PeopleviewthisasadangerousintersectionandthisappearstobesupportedbytheCity’scollisiondata.ScarboroughVillageisadenseandvibrantneighbourhood,facingseriouschallengesaroundcommunitysafetyandaccesstoresources.Despitethis,manypeoplesaidtheyenjoyedspendingtimeinlocalcoffeeshops,malls,publicspacesandparkswheretherearesometimesplacesforthemtosit,peoplewatch,relaxandconnectwithneighbours.Theyreportfeelinggenerallysafeduringthedaytimes,butchangetheirwalkingroutesatnighttoplaceswherethereismoretraffic,lightingandbettersightlines.Manyarealsoverylongtermresidents,havinglivedintheareafor10yearsormore.ThisisacommunitythatepitomizesthetrendsidentifiedintheVitalSignsreportspublishedbytheTorontoStarandTorontoCommunityFoundationthatpointtoagrowinggapbetweenhavesandhave‐notsinthiscity.InScarboroughVillagetherearecomparativelyhighratesofunemployment,povertyandsocialisolation.ButjustafewblockssouththereisaveryaffluentneighbourhoodthatbordersontheScarboroughBluffs.Peopleinbothcommunitieshaveastakein,andwanttomakeimprovementsto,thesocialandeconomiccohesionofScarboroughVillage.

AnothershortcutbetweentheapartmentsandEglinton.ThisoneisacommonroutetotheTimHorton’s.


Themuchneededchangesininfrastructurethatwillmakethiscommunitymoreconnected,walkableandsafearestraightforwardandaffordable(walkways,sidewalks,crosswalks,betterlighting,removaloffences,playareas,snowclearance)especiallywhencomparedtocostsassociatedwithtransitandroadconstruction,crimepreventionandsocialservices.Becausemakingchangeswillofteninvolvemultipleprivatepropertyowners,however,theyarenotnecessarilyeasy.Thefacilitiesthatareusedmostinthepublicrealmarethelargearterialroadways,andthesetoowillalsobedifficulttochangewithoutreadjustingpolicyprioritiesformovingtraffic.Localresidents,however,arekeenforthesechanges.Thisformofengagementwithneighbourhoodimprovementeffortscreatesasenseofbelonging,asentimentthatissadlydecliningamongstCanadian‐bornminorities,thetypesofpeoplewhotypicallyliveinthesehigh‐riseneighbourhoods.InanationalstudycitedintheVitalSignsreport,65%ofrecentblackimmigrants,79%ofSouthAsianimmigrantsand52%ofChineseimmigrantsfelttheybelongedinCanada.Inthesecondgenerationthosenumbersdroppedto37,50and44%respectively.InspiteofallthedisadvantagesanddangersassociatedwithlivinginScarboroughVillage,residentsareenthusiasticallyengaginginrevitalizationeffortswithsuchorganizationsasActionforNeighbourhoodChange,ScarboroughVillageNeighbourhoodAssociation,Youthlink,WesthillCommunityServices,BengaliSocialClub,andtheeffortsofmanyAfghancommunityresidents.TheresidentsofScarboroughVillageandparticipantsinthisstudyexpressedtheirsincerehopethatthiswalkabilitystudywillhelpthemmakethesepositivechanges.

walkability in toronto’s apartment neighbourhoodsfaculty.geog.utoronto.ca/hess/downloads/wlkbty...

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