Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila
Wow, a lot of similarities there. It's really fascinating how some of these same patterns re-appear across multiple cities. Obviously Toronto's growth patterns today are far different than Chicago's, with super-dense infill and TOD popping up everywhere, and even Toronto's new SFH neighborhoods are on much smaller lots from what I recall.
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In Toronto you still had a decent amount of walkable mixed use developments built in the few years after 1945 (Toronto was growing at about 5%/year so it built a lot in just a few years). Based on 1947 aerials, most of Eglinton Avenue, especially West of Allen Road, was vacant lots. Even East of Allen Road you had vacant lots that were built up after 1947.
The buildings home to the Fa Flower Shop and Ashford Cleaners were vacant lots in 1947
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Nor...a3eb3ef68d23fa
"00" across the street too.
These ones too (obviously)
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.70329...jfEN3Bd8hw!2e0
These 5 shops too
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.70326...n_Y8CC2YkQ!2e0
This whole row on the N side of Eglinton (S side looks like it was finishing construction)
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.69940...aH6oQT97HA!2e0
And between Weston and Allen Road, most of it was post 1947
Like 100% of what you see here:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.69730...gG4bBbHnmg!2e0
And not just Eglinton.
All of this:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.64538...D5nSBoaJGg!2e0
As for the retail strip East of there around Royal York, around half was post 1947.
Avenue Road North of Lawrence too, that's a pretty substantial section.
This block of Kingston Road in Scarborough
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.68877...05K9159pyQ!2e0
And several little pockets in East York.
Neighbourhoods built around that time include Clairlea, Topham Park, Cedarvale, even parts of East York South of Taylor Creek
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Nor...a3eb3ef68d23fa
It's actually pretty interesting looking at old aerials.
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/co...0071d60f89RCRD
It seems like small warehouses and manufacturing businesses like this were more common in Toronto's west side neighbourhoods.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.65592...pq-i0nfZdg!2e0
Also Downtown was basically south of Queen, although it extended west and east of the current Financial District. Downtown actually already had quite a few parking lots in 1947, though they were small. Lots of railyard type stuff too, including a chunk of Liberty Village, one where Simcoe Place/Roy Thompson Hall is, The Esplanade too. More vacant lots than I expected as well. And of course South the current rail corridor too.
The Portlands were basically a big oil refinery.
Dundas Street through Chinatown appears to have been residential, though it's quite the opposite today:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.65315...jeVUxZfTCQ!2e0