Bridging the Design Gap

[Taller, Better]

Here is a little challenge that I stumbled upon that I think might be quite exciting.... and I can, off the top of my head, think of a number of people here who might come up with some exciting ideas regarding the design of a bridge!!
We all dream of a Better Toronto, and we all want more exciting designs for our city, so rather than just wishing and hoping and cutting and pasting dreams from the rest of the world, here is a chance for us to put our money where our rather active collective mouths are and try and enact some positive change now. I think we can do better than just a run of the mill box truss bridge for this very important rail crossing at this pier location connecting Front Street to City Place, and I am hoping perhaps there is an aspiring wannabe bridge engineer/designer out there. Here is the link to the challenge!
http://www.bridgingthedesigngap.com/
I reprint some of the information here to whet your appetite:

A bridge design charette that thinks
outside the box (truss).

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: May 29, 2009

Many cities around the world view bridge-building as heroic acts of city-building. Scores of pedestrian bridges have been blessed with extraordinary design and aspire to being much more than simply providing passage from A to B.... they have become destinations themselves. These iconic structures are symbols of an urban maturity that values design matters.

Toronto has built one "landmark gateway" for pedestrians and cyclists, the Montgomery & Sisam-designed arched bridge over the Humber River (see RESOURCES).... and now a highly-visible opportunity exists to build another extraordinary gateway for pedestrians and cyclists, this time over the yawning rail corridor, providing a critical link from Front Street to Cityplace, the 3 hectare public park now under construction and the waterfront beyond.

This opportunity is about to be wasted and we may well be saddled with a truly pedestrian bridge. Current plans involve plunking down yet another forgettable box truss bridge along with a vague promise to tart it up with the help of local artisans.

UrbanToronto believes it’s time to think outside the box truss, and you are invited to join the charette to draw, design, comment and critique. Your participation just might help derail the existing plan for such a pedestrian pedestrian addition to Toronto’s public realm. Click on SUBMIT A DESIGN to read the charette guidelines and check out RESOURCES for photos of the site that you can use for your submission and links to case studies from around the world.

UrbanToronto is an urban planning, architecture, transportation and public realm internet discussion forum 4000 members strong.




I do hope everyone checks it out and comes up with a few exciting ideas! We
don't really need another box truss...... do we? There are some design constraints, so have a look at the links, but, remember, there is no room for small thinking in a big city. Let's think beyond the "box"!