Young Street
Home | Young Street. Toronto, Ontario, Canada Press Releases 2007

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Many should take advantage of what the city of Toronto has to offer because it is at Young Street which is the premiere nightlife center downtown Toronto.
 

Yonge Street (pronounced "young") is a major arterial street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and its northern suburbs. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world,[1] and is a national historic site.

Yonge Street was fundamental in the planning and layout of Toronto and Ontario, forming the basis of the concession roads in Ontario. It was also the site of Toronto's first subway line. It also serves as the dividing line between the east and west parts of east–west roads in Toronto and York Region.

Yonge Street is home or close to many attractions in Toronto, including street and theatre performances, the Eaton Centre, Dundas Square, the Hockey Hall of Fame and–at the very start of the road–'One Yonge Street', the offices of the Toronto Star. The Yonge Line of the Toronto Subway runs under and in open cuts beside Yonge Street from south of King Street to Finch Avenue. The Viva Blue BRT line continues along Yonge from Finch to Newmarket Terminal.

1.0 Introduction

“Downtown- where all the lights are bright” may be lyrics in the popular 1960’s Petula Clark song, but they are ironic considering the song reached its popularity just as the lights were dimming on many downtowns across the country. In another decade, downtowns sat in ruins of their former glory.

As politicians, civic leaders, and the few remaining business and residents who remained downtown tried creative endeavors to renew the old center of the city; those who left for the suburbs shifted their thinking about the city as well. Downtown had become desolate, crime-ridden, and often dangerous, especially at night. Once fashionable neighborhoods lay in decay and the old bustling shopping districts became home to the homeless, gangs, and drug addicts. It seemed like an impossible situation.

A brief history of downtown, including background on other revitalization and urban renewal programs and economic stimulants that are related to urban entertainment centers. In addition, this paper presents a definition of the urban entertainment center and how it differs from other attempts at renewal in terms of definition and goals. Baltimore, Maryland and Denver, Colorado are two cities that have used urban entertainment with varying degrees of success, and this paper discusses each of them.

Finally, this paper presents an examination of some of the specific issues associated with building and maintaining urban entertainment centers, and concludes with a discussion of their effectiveness to be a catalyst for downtown revitalization.

2.0 History

American downtowns were not always is need of revitalization. From the colonization of America until the early 20th century, cities bustled with activity; the influx of immigrants, and the downtown district stood as the center of business, religion, and politics. However, the 20th century brought many changes. New technologies, such as streetcars, made possible the ability to live, work, and play in areas once thought too far from one another and from downtown. Following World War II, the Federal Housing Administration insurance program, which protected banks against mortgage default, VA loans  to war veterans, and the availability of affordable transportation coalesced and creation of the suburbs.

Source : An Examination of the Use of Urban Entertainment Centers as a Catalyst for Downtown Revitalization / John S. Bender

 
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