This weekend, I attended the "Preservation? Modernist Heritage and Modern Toronto Symposium", hosted by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. The event explored the challenges of conversing Modernist architectural heritage in Toronto, with specific examples including Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre. In a city where rapid development and urban expansion are reshaping the landscape, the symposium offered an inspiring discussion on how we can thoughtfully conserve our built heritage resources and cultural heritage landscapes while planning for a vibrant and thriving future.
One key takeaway echoed by all presenters was the collective responsibility to be better stewards of our heritage buildings. For those of us in the private sector as heritage planners, this means actively balancing conservation with growth, championing adaptive reuse, and preserving community identity by recommending practical and sustainable mitigation strategies. By doing so, we can help ensure that Modernist built heritage resources and cultural heritage landscapes remain integral parts of our evolving cities, enriching their character and identity for generations to come.
#HeritageConservation #HeritagePlanning #HeritageMatters #PreserveOurPast
Owner & Director - Quality, Environment and Health & Safety
5moBest of luck Team BDG architecture + design