Campus Core Revitalization

We are excited to report that the Campus Core Revitalization project is complete!  All areas of the project — Nelson Mandela Walk, Gould Street and Victoria Street — were reopened for pedestrian circulation on September 18, 2020. 

As a key component of our Campus Public Realm Plan, the Campus Core Revitalization provides a vibrant and engaging configuration of public spaces, as well as modernized infrastructure to improve the student, faculty, staff and visitor experience.

A signature TMU landscape 

The Campus Core Revitalization project enhanced the quality, safety and accessibility of the outdoor heart of our campus. It provides improved outdoor event and programming space to encourage gathering and community connection in line with the new Campus Master Plan’s goal of building inclusive, vibrant spaces and an urban destination.

The revitalized Gould Plaza offers a distinctly Toronto Metropolitan University space creating a special pride of place in the heart of downtown Toronto — with signature lighting and outdoor furniture — that gives the community an animated, flexible zone for open-space activities, art, displays and celebrations.

Improved accessibility

The project made the pedestrian-only zone permanent on Gould Street and Victoria Street. A distinct paving scheme was expanded to clarify and separate the designated areas for pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles. The project raised the street level to be even with curbs through the pedestrian zone and added new ramps from Nelson Mandela Walk to improve accessibility. 

Transitional surface materials — such as textured plates and changes in paving stone patterns  and materials — also add tactile cues at intersections where the pedestrian zone ends and transitions to shared roadways. These changes in surface texture help improve safety by adding non-visual warnings at intersections where pedestrian and vehicle routes meet.

Infrastructure upgrade: planning for future needs

In addition to improving accessibility and providing opportunities for our community to engage with versatile spaces, there was also significant underground work conducted in deep excavations to modernize infrastructure and provide opportunities for technology advancements.

Cable duct banks and electrical systems have been installed to future-proof our campus by providing channels for cabling and networking to support continuous connectivity improvements as our technology demands evolve. Large service vaults to facilitate future cabling infrastructure have been set beneath the intersection of Gould Street, Victoria Street and Nelson Mandela Walk.

As part of TMU’s commitment to sustainability, stormwater catch basins have been upgraded and relocated and eco-friendly soil cells have been buried. These soil cells are designed to allow tree-root structure to expand and support the growth of large trees and improve our environmental impact with efficient and more environmentally-friendly stormwater management.

Contribution from the City of Toronto

Toronto Metropolitan University would like to acknowledge the generous contribution of $7 million in funding towards the overall budget of this project from the City of Toronto and the tremendous support from Toronto City Councillor Wong-Tam.