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— CH. 1 · INTRODUCTION —

The Bentway

4 min listen · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections

  • The Bentway runs beneath Toronto's Gardiner Expressway, a public trail built from land that used to hold rail lines, parking lots and outdoor storage. Urban designers now point to it as a leading example of adaptive reuse in city planning, turning overlooked infrastructure into public space.

    Who looked at that gap beneath a highway and pictured a park instead of a dead space? What did the city end up calling it, and why did that decision take two separate votes? And what has been built there since, both in the ground and above it?

  • Judy Matthews, a Toronto urban planner and activist, first proposed turning the space under the Gardiner Expressway into a park. On the 17th of November 2015, Toronto's mayor approved the initiative. Matthews then donated funds to the City of Toronto through the Judy and Wilmot Matthews Foundation. The gift was described as one of the most significant in Toronto's history, one organizers hoped would inspire other residents to fund similar projects.

    Waterfront Toronto, an agency representing the governments of Toronto, Ontario and Canada, joined the city as a partner on the project. Ken Greenberg Consultants Incorporated and Public Work took on the job of managing its planning and design.

    City staff had already given the project a placeholder name, Project: Under Gardiner, one that would not last.

  • In March 2016, organizers opened a public contest to replace that placeholder, and Torontonians sent in 884 different name suggestions. A panel of 12 artists, policy experts and community leaders narrowed those entries to four finalists: The Artery, The Bentway, The Canopy and Gathering Place.

    Public voting ran from the 28th of April to the 8th of May 2016. The Bentway held a steady lead, ahead of The Artery by 10 percentage points. In the final hours before voting closed, Waterfront Toronto noticed a sudden surge of votes for The Artery. Organizers questioned whether those late votes were legitimate, and a runoff vote was called between the two finalists. On the 6th of June 2016, The Bentway was declared the official winner of the contest.

    Construction moved ahead in phases, and the first phase, which included a winter skating trail, opened on the 6th of January 2018.

  • A 1.75 kilometre multi-use trail connects Exhibition GO Station to Spadina Avenue, running through three main sections of The Bentway. Along its length, visitors can find farmer's markets, gardens, performances, ice skating and festivals.

    That trail crosses six Toronto neighbourhoods holding about 77,000 residents combined: Liberty Village, Niagara, Fort York, the Fashion District, CityPlace and Harbourfront.

    Near Dan Leckie Way and Lake Shore Boulevard, a newer piece of the project was still to come.

  • Bentway Staging Grounds opened in September 2023, just south of Canoe Landing Park. The site includes a network of ramps and elevated walkways built for pedestrians and cyclists.

    Agency-Agency, based in New York City, and SHEEEP, based in Toronto, designed the space to blend art, public space, experimentation, education and environmental regeneration. The design channels runoff water from the highway above into oversized planters set in the space below. Those planters support the growth of diverse, native plant species. Their water filtration and retention also help reduce the risk of flooding.

    Every winter, a different stretch of The Bentway takes on an entirely different use.

  • Each winter, part of The Bentway turns into a public ice skating trail lined with art from local artists. During the 2022-2023 season, skaters passed Shellie Zhang's installation Beacons. During the 2023-2024 season, the display changed to The Gateway, a work by the Canadian artistic duo Yi Zhou and Carlos Portillo.

    Each season brings a different artist to the ice, so the trail beneath the expressway looks new to anyone who returns the following winter.

Common questions

What is the Bentway in Toronto?

The Bentway is a public trail and corridor space that runs underneath the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was built on land that had held rail lines, parking lots and outdoor storage, and it is widely cited as a leading example of adaptive reuse in urban design.

Who first proposed the idea for the Bentway?

Judy Matthews, a Toronto urban planner and activist, first proposed turning the space under the Gardiner Expressway into a park. On the 17th of November 2015, after the mayor approved the initiative, Matthews donated funds to the City of Toronto through the Judy and Wilmot Matthews Foundation.

How did the Bentway get its name?

The Bentway's name came from a public contest that drew 884 suggestions, narrowed by a panel of 12 to four finalists. After a first vote favored The Bentway and a contested late surge for The Artery, a runoff was held, and The Bentway was declared the official winner on the 6th of June 2016.

How long is the Bentway trail and where does it run?

The Bentway's multi-use trail is 1.75 kilometres long and runs between Exhibition GO Station and Spadina Avenue. It passes through six Toronto neighbourhoods, Liberty Village, Niagara, Fort York, the Fashion District, CityPlace and Harbourfront, home to about 77,000 residents combined.

When did the Bentway open to the public?

The first phase of the Bentway, which included a winter skating trail, opened on the 6th of January 2018.

What is the Bentway Staging Grounds?

Bentway Staging Grounds is a public space south of Canoe Landing Park that opened in September 2023, featuring ramps and elevated walkways for pedestrians and cyclists. It was designed by Agency-Agency of New York City and SHEEEP of Toronto, and it channels highway runoff water into planters that support native plant species.

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All sources

20 references cited across the entry

  1. 1NewsWaterfront Toronto renames Under Gardiner project as the BentwayInsideToronto — June 6, 2016
  2. 2Grand Opening: Experimental Gardens under the Gardiner Expressway2023-09-18
  3. 3The Bentway, Toronto’s public space project under an expresswayMatt Hickman — 2022-10-03
  4. 4NewsMatthews generous with ideas, energy — and cash — for TorontoEdward Keenan — Toronto Star — November 16, 2015
  5. 5FAQ - Learn More About The BentwayThe Bentway
  6. 6EX10.7 - Staff Report - Private Donation to Animate the F.G. Gardiner Expressway from Approximately Strachan Avenue to Spadina AvenueCity of Toronto
  7. 7NewsVote-rigging suspected in naming of future Gardiner Expressway parkLaura Fraser — CBC — May 9, 2016
  8. 8NewsHelp choose a name for new-look land under Gardiner ExpresswayPeter Goffin — Toronto Star — April 28, 2016
  9. 9NewsHighway art: The Bentway defines the next wave of urban public spacesAlex Bozikovic — July 5, 2017
  10. 10'It's very Canadian': The Bentway skating trail under Gardiner opens this weekendcbc.ca — January 5, 2018
  11. 11WHAT IS THIS PROJECT?Project: Under Gardiner
  12. 12New Bentway installation uses rainwater runoff from Gardiner Expressway to nurture plantsSeptember 18, 2023
  13. 13Bentway Staging Grounds introduced under Gardiner Expressway
  14. 14Bentway Staging Grounds Brings Plant Life to Gardiner Designlines2023-09-22
  15. 15Infrastructure/Ecology: Staging Grounds Extends The BentwayStefan Novakovic — 2023-09-29
  16. 16Staging Grounds repurposes infrastructure as an educational gardenKristine Klein — 2023-09-22
  17. 17Staging Grounds — SHEEEP
  18. 18NewsAttention, Toronto artists. Local landmarks are looking to exhibit your workJanuary 25, 2023
  19. 19"First Winter" Programming at The Bentway
  20. 20Northern Lights in the City: The Gateway at The BentwayTim Fujio — 2023-12-05