The role of heritage in new development: conserving city identity

Garrison Commons, known today as Liberty Village, can be identified as one of the most important historic industrial districts in the west end of Toronto, due to high density and strong character of a great number of manufacturing buildings from late 19th and early 20th centuries. The purpose of this thesis is to focus on heritage value of the industrial character of Liberty Village in Toronto and, by proposing and re-programming and new sensitive re-development for the historic site, to introduce a way for a rapid growing contemporary city to develop its fast changing identity without losing the historical and cultural past. The second objective of this thesis (that may have become the primary focus of the design exploration) is to revitalize and enhance public life in the somewhat forgotten neighborhood of South Parkdale. Adjacent to industrial in its character Liberty Village, lays one of the oldest Toronto neighborhoods - South Parkdale - and underprivileged residential community of low socio-economic status, presently lacking public amenities, the community that lost its pride and is missing an identity.