ASHBRIDGES BAY
TREATMENT PLANT
SITE DESIGN

Located on Lake Ontario near the mouth of the Don River, the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant is the sole treatment plant for the wastewater generated by 4.5 million Toronto residents. planningAlliance, together with Diana Gerrard Landscape Architecture, was commissioned to prepare a Landscape Master Plan for the plant’s extensive grounds. The result creates a unique integration between a working public utility, the waterfront and the surrounding city.

The plan comprised a walking circuit marked by distinct ecological zones (or “gardens”), significant views, and interpretive signage that explains the functioning of the Plant, its relationship to the City and the lake, and the evolution of the site and broader waterfront over Toronto’s history. The team held a variety of public workshops, open houses, and public design charettes throughout the planning process, and maintained a website that informed citizens about the emerging design and encouraged their participation.

The plan received awards from the Washington, DC-based Waterfront Center, Canadian Architect, the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects.

CITY OF TORONTO
TORONTO, CANADA
2003
40 hectares