DTAH Partner James Roche presenting at the 2024 OALA Conference
Image: Bloor-Annex BIA Parkette on Major Street. Photo Credits to Scott NorsworthyDTAH Partner James Roche is speaking at the upcoming OALA Conference, where he will discuss the Bloor-Annex BIA Parkettes. The theme of this year’s conference is Ripple Effect, exploring how small interventions can have lasting impacts on the well-being of our communities.
The award-winning Bloor-Annex BIA Parkettes is a compelling example of how the transformation of small spaces can have a big social, environmental, and economic impact on the surrounding neighbourhood. These asphalt paved spaces, used for parking and storage of garbage and waste material, were transformed, and reimagined into dynamic green social community spaces. Adaptive pollinator plant species and shade trees were carefully curated and porous surfaces were introduced to facilitate stormwater absorption. Reclaimed materials from local construction sites and quarries were salvaged and repurposed as sculptural seating elements, completing the transformation.
The result is a series of passive sustainable public amenity spaces for rest, contemplation, and social interaction. The dramatic shift from unsightly asphalt paving to lush, ecologically functional parkettes, serves as a successful model that can be implemented across other neglected small brownfields within the city.