The Bentway is teaming up with Light Bureau (Norway), CityPlace and Fort York BIA, the Waterfront BIA and the City of Toronto to brighten intersections under the Gardiner Expressway, starting with a bold new lighting project coming soon to Dan Leckie Way at Lake Shore Boulevard West.
Running 7-kilometers through the heart of the city, the Gardiner Expressway arguably forms Canada’s largest urban canopy. It stretches above city streets, sidewalks, and public spaces, offering shade from the summer sun and shelter from the elements. By day, it creates a cool microclimate beneath its massive frame, but by night those same spaces often feel dark and disconnected.
As part of our comprehensive vision for ongoing transformation of the land below the Expressway, The Bentway’s new Under Gardiner Lighting Project will deploy creative lighting strategies to transform the highway’s intersections into renewed waterfront gateways.
a new light under the Gardiner
Pedestrian-oriented lighting was a key recommendation from the Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan. It supports a more welcoming and walkable city, promoting better connections between the waterfront and the city to the north, and fostering improved safety at some of the city’s most challenged pedestrian crossings.
Working with lighting design studio Light Bureau, The Bentway and partners believe that we can make the Gardiner’s underside feel safe, inviting, and even a little magical, especially at night.
“We see the Gardiner’s future not as a barrier, but as a backbone. This lighting project is one of many ongoing pilots helping us test new strategies that can be scaled city-wide. We’re just getting started.”
– Robert McKaye, Senior Manager, Planning & Design, The Bentway Conservancy
renewed waterfront threshold
The Under Gardiner Lighting Project includes illumination on bents 111 and 112, located at the foot of Dan Leckie Way, under the Gardiner near Bathurst St. The intersection is more than just a crossing, it is the threshold between the Waterfront, CityPlace and Fort York neighborhoods and the perfect site to explore how creative public lighting can create a stronger sense of place. The intersection will also one day serve as the western entrance to The Bentway Islands, a new Bentway site currently in development.
Learnings from this lighting project are expected to inform a future Under Gardiner lighting strategy/system that will stretch the full length of the Gardiner, from Dufferin St to the DVP.
“This lighting project in partnership with The Bentway and the CityPlace–Fort York BIA shows what’s possible when we reimagine these spaces with care. A small intervention like better lighting can go a long way toward making our gateway underpasses feel safer, more welcoming, and more connected — especially in the evening hours. As has been demonstrated with our other Waterfront ReConnect pilot projects at Rees, Lower Simcoe, and York St, there are many ways that we can soften the experience of “running the gauntlet” to get to the Waterfront, and even integrate elements of fun and whimsy into these spaces.”
– Oliver Hierlihy, Director, Operations at the Waterfront BIA
Photos by Mila Bright Zlatanovic.
“Projects such as these invite people to enjoy the unique urban fabric of Toronto which makes our City a safe and special place to live, work and play. As our city and the waterfront continues to evolve, this lighting project is a step forward in the implementation of the CityPlace and Fort York BIA Streetscape Master Plan and will inform future work to improve the pedestrian experience at the Expressway’s underpasses permanently once the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation is complete.”
– Mary Fragedakis, Executive Director, CityPlace and Fort York BIA
meet our lighting designers,
Light Bureau
We’re proud to be working with Light Bureau on this project, an award-winning lighting design studio with extensive experience in reimagining the role of light in urban space. Projects such as the Espenes Rest Stop, Øresund Bridge, and the Fyllingsdal Tunnel speak to the studio’s blend of artistry and sustainability, using light to illuminate and elevate the visual environment. Their experience working in complex public environments makes them a strong fit for this project’s focus on lighting as a tool for creating more accessible and responsive urban spaces.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with The Bentway and its partners on the Under Gardiner Lighting Project. The work The Bentway has done to reimagine the spaces beneath the Gardiner is truly remarkable, and we are excited to contribute to this transformation. Toronto’s waterfront is a defining element of the city, and reframing the expressway from a barrier to a vibrant gateway to the harbor presents an inspiring and impactful challenge.”
– Arve Olsen, Design Director, Light Bureau
thanks to our partners
This project brings together a dream team of engineers, designers, artists, and city-builders, all working together to bring the Under Gardiner PRP recommendations to life and improve the experience of the under Gardiner from end to end. It is made possible thanks to a strong network of collaborators and supporters:
- The City of Toronto
- Waterfront BIA
- CityPlace and Fort York BIA
- Concord Adex
- Balsam Foundation
- Manulife
- Toronto Hydro
