Encompassing 520 acres, the lands at Downsview represent one of the largest community-building opportunities in North America. The sheer scale of the project, amplified by the pandemic, required an unprecedented approach to create a rigorous engagement strategy that could both be inclusive of local communities' voices and capture the multiple stakeholders' priorities in this urban transformation.
Months of work across the multidisciplinary design team led by HLA and KPMB, and three rounds of engagement, culminated in a shared vision for Downsview: a comprehensive Framework Plan. The Framework Plan responded to calls for connected, complete communities, integrating nature, open space, jobs, housing, community facilities, and more. The Plan also incorporated a focus on Indigenous placekeeping, equity and inclusion, arts and culture, youth, and heritage.
As the central liaison between the public, the engagement consultants, the design team and the clients, Future Simple Studio’s diverse backgrounds, creative range and nimble responsiveness allowed us to capture the various stakeholders' needs and effectively communicate