Downtown to Waterfront Through Intermodality

How the Hyperloop System Can Revitalize the Public Realm in Toronto

Lisa Sabiucciu

Betreuung:
Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Roger Riewe
Institut für Architekturtechnologie
2022
Link zur Diplomarbeit

The subject of this thesis is the elaboration of a design strategy for the enhancement of Toronto’s Union Station modal interchange within the perspective of integrating mobility systems at different scales and regenerating the fragmented areas separating Downtown from Lake Ontario. The project moves from the transformative opportunities offered by the development of a new mass transit system based on the technology of “Hyperloop”. This system, currently under development, involves the movement of passengers in “pods” that travel inside vacuum tubes at 1000 km/h. Among the most discussed proposals, there is a connection between the Canadian cities of Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal. The design phase was preceded by an extensive analysis of the various aspects of the problems and by an on-site survey. The area where the new station of the Hyperloop system is hypothesized to be located is endowed with a strategic value for the city, because of its high concentration of infrastructure terminals and its potential role as a hinge between the dense Downtown and the underused Waterfront. By intercepting and integrating interstitial spaces and multi-level pedestrian pathways, the project aims to establish a continuous and articulated system of public spaces that can implement permeability and restore the city’s relationship with the lake. This aim is pursued mainly through the creation, above the level of the tracks, of a continuous plate, where the existing public-use infrastructure is connected both by indoor pathways and by a system of gardens, providing outstanding viewpoints over the city.