When you think of the word “islands” in a travel context, you likely automatically think of a large or small land area surrounded by water, perhaps with palm trees on land and a bridge connecting the island with a larger land mass.

However, in Toronto, the Bentway Islands project is actually “traffic islands” adjacent to, or just below, the busy Gardner Expressway within the city of Toronto. According to David Carey, co-executive director, The Bentway, “A ‘bent’ is an architectural/engineering term that describes the column-and-beam structures that frame the space under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway and many highways and bridges like it.”

© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Bentway

Field Operations, a New York-based design firm; and Brook McIlroy, a Toronto-based, award-winning architecture, urban design, landscape architecture and planning practice, have been appointed as the design teams working on the Bentway Islands project, which will transform three large-scale traffic islands, spanning 125,000 square feet between Dan Leckie Way and Spadina Avenue, into vibrant public spaces.

The Bentway Islands will act as a “sister site” to The Bentway’s existing Phase 1 location, one of Toronto’s most cherished public amenities, a beloved cultural hub under the Gardiner Expressway that has welcomed more than 1.4 million visitors since its opening in 2018. The “islands” will provide additional outdoor space for a rapidly growing urban population within neighborhoods near the sites.

© Jack Landau, courtesy of The Bentway

“The Bentway Islands mark an exciting next chapter in our ongoing mission to solidify a new future for the Gardiner Expressway,” said Ilana Altman, co-executive director, The Bentway. “This site will offer new opportunities for recreation, play, culture, and retail, promote biodiversity, and set a benchmark for low-carbon landscape design. Most importantly, it will continue to transform a long-standing barrier into a better connector and gateway.”

This is the first tangible realization of the Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan, a comprehensive vision for underutilized spaces below and adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway, developed by The Bentway with the City of Toronto and approved by the Toronto City Council in April 2024.

© David Pike Photography, courtesy of The Bentway

Field Operations, known for iconic projects such as Waterfront Seattle and NYC’s High Line, along with Brook McIlroy, won a competitive search by a jury representing The Bentway, the City of Toronto, the local community and an Indigenous engagement advisor.

The Bentway Islands design will integrate what was learned from The Bentway’s experience at its Phase 1 site, as well from various off-site demonstration projects along the Gardiner Expressway. The design will also incorporate fresh insights from local residents, Indigenous communities and technical experts from the City of Toronto. Initial concepts are expected to be unveiled in 2025, with construction following the multiyear rehabilitation of the Expressway planned for the area.