Latest news with #LauraSolano
Edmonton Journal
30-07-2025
- General
- Edmonton Journal
Toronto's reclaimed Port Lands built to withstand another Hurricane Hazel
Article content To reclaim the Port Lands, Toronto partnered with the U.S.-based landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, which has worked on the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Article content Laura Solano, the lead designer, said the project was 'duty bound to address catastrophic flooding,' but stressed it offered 'much more.' Article content Because the area has been reformed to cope with flood waters, parts have been declared safe for new housing — an urgent need in the expensive metropolis. There is also a new park, trails and people can canoe or kayak through the rehabilitated Don. Article content Article content Solano stressed Toronto's initial decision to alter the area was consistent with the times, when North American cities moved to 'industrialize their waters … to raise their economic position.' Article content But now, 'every city is looking to reclaim their waters,' she told AFP. Article content Article content The Port Lands 'shows the world that it's possible to fix the past and turn deficit and remnant industrial lands into living and breathing infrastructure.' Article content Article content 'It's all planned so that it can flood, the water level can rise, the river can get about three, maybe four times wider than it is now, absorb all of that volume of water,' he said. Article content 'When the storm event subsides, it will shrink back down to this.' Article content It's a planning approach that recognizes 'we're seeing more and more of these events.' Article content 'Like in Texas, you see very tragic outcomes when you haven't really tried to plan for nature,' he told AFP, referring to flash floods in early July that killed at least 135 people. Article content He urged planners to 'reposition' their relationship to nature and ditch the mindset that 'humans (can) control everything.' Article content 'Let's acknowledge the river is going to flood. Let's build the space for it.'
National Post
30-07-2025
- General
- National Post
Toronto's reclaimed Port Lands built to withstand another Hurricane Hazel
Article content Laura Solano, the lead designer, said the project was 'duty bound to address catastrophic flooding,' but stressed it offered 'much more.' Article content Because the area has been reformed to cope with flood waters, parts have been declared safe for new housing — an urgent need in the expensive metropolis. There is also a new park, trails and people can canoe or kayak through the rehabilitated Don. Article content Article content Solano stressed Toronto's initial decision to alter the area was consistent with the times, when North American cities moved to 'industrialize their waters … to raise their economic position.' Article content But now, 'every city is looking to reclaim their waters,' she told AFP. Article content The Port Lands 'shows the world that it's possible to fix the past and turn deficit and remnant industrial lands into living and breathing infrastructure.' Article content Article content 'It's all planned so that it can flood, the water level can rise, the river can get about three, maybe four times wider than it is now, absorb all of that volume of water,' he said. Article content 'When the storm event subsides, it will shrink back down to this.' Article content It's a planning approach that recognizes 'we're seeing more and more of these events.' Article content 'Like in Texas, you see very tragic outcomes when you haven't really tried to plan for nature,' he told AFP, referring to flash floods in early July that killed at least 135 people. Article content He urged planners to 'reposition' their relationship to nature and ditch the mindset that 'humans (can) control everything.' Article content 'Let's acknowledge the river is going to flood. Let's build the space for it.' Article content
