“[Six Points] should be seen as a precedent-setting plan that reclaims city streets from being treated as highways and reimagines them as functional and engaging public realm amenities.”
– City of Toronto Urban Design Award Jury

The design transforms the freeway-style “spaghetti junction” at the convergence of Dundas St. West, Kipling Ave., and Bloor St. West into three pedestrian friendly at-grade intersections and a network of new streets. This major city development project is not only the first set of intersecting complete streets to be designed and constructed in Toronto, but will also transform Etobicoke as a regional hub.

Constructed in response to Toronto’s postwar suburban expansion, the Six Points Interchange is now reaching the end of its lifespan. The utilitarian design provides little amenity, no cycling infrastructure, cuts off parts of the neighbourhood from each other and takes up 16 acres of valuable land immediately adjacent to two subway stations. A new vision of the neighbourhood envisions a mixed-use community that will serve as a new civic centre located mid-way between Toronto Pearson International airport and the downtown.

The new design will see the replacement of all the grade-separated interchanges with urban, grade-related intersections. Generous public boulevards will be provided on all streets including a double row of trees along Dundas Street West and space for patios along Bloor Street. New protected bike lanes will ensure that cyclists and motorists can co-exist safely. Overhead utilities will be buried and continuous tree trenches integrated into the streetscape. Public art features that preserve elements of the Westwood Theatre sign will be incorporated into the medians.

SvN completed the design drawings including detailed designs for innovative stormwater management infrastructure, cycling intersections and local parks. The firm is currently the technical advisor to the City of Toronto for the Street and Landscape Design.

Six Points Interchange received a 2018 RAIC National Urban Design Award of Merit as well as a 2017 City of Toronto Urban Design Award of Merit.