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PATH (Toronto)
Encyclopedia
PATH is a adj=on 28 network of pedestrian tunnels
beneath the office towers of Downtown
Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. According to Guinness World Records
, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world with 371,600 m² (4 million sq. ft.) of retail space.
The PATH network's northerly point is the Toronto Coach Terminal at Dundas Street and Bay Street
, while its southerly point is the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
's Convention South Building. Its main axes of walkways generally parallel Yonge Street
and Bay Street.
In 1900, the Eaton's
department store constructed a tunnel underneath James Street, allowing shoppers to walk between the Eaton's main store at Yonge
and Queen
streets and the Eaton's Annex
located behind the (then) City Hall
. It was the first underground pedestrian pathway in Toronto, and is often credited as a historic precursor to the current PATH network. The original Eaton's tunnel is still in use as part of the PATH system, although today it connects the Toronto Eaton Centre
to the Bell Trinity Square office complex (the latter of which stands on the site of the former Annex building).
Another original underground linkage, built in 1927 to connect Union Station
and the Royal York Hotel
, also remains an integral part of today's PATH network.
The current PATH system began under city planner Matthew Lawson in the 1960s. Toronto's downtown sidewalks were overcrowded, and new office towers were removing the much-needed small businesses from the streets. Lawson thus convinced several important developers to construct underground malls, pledging that they would eventually be linked. The designers of the Toronto-Dominion Centre
, the first of Toronto's major urban developments in the 1960s and completed in 1967, were the first to include underground shopping in their complex, with the possibility of future expansion built in. The city originally helped fund the construction, but with the election of a reform city council
this ended. The reformers disliked the underground system based on the Jane Jacobs
notion that an active street life was important to keeping cities and neighbourhoods vital and that consumers should be encouraged to shop on street level stores rather than in malls (whether they be above ground or below); however, the system continued to grow, as developers bowed to their tenants' wishes and connected their buildings to the system. This also converted low-valued basements into some of the most valuable retail space in the country.
The first expansion of the network occurred in the 1970s with the construction and underground connection of the Richmond-Adelaide office tower and the Sheraton Centre
hotel complex.
s (P (red) for south, A (orange) for west, T (blue) for north, H (yellow) for east) on ceiling signs at selected junctions.
The signage can be hard to find inside some of the various connected buildings. Building owners concerned about losing customers to neighbouring buildings insisted that the signs not dominate their buildings, or their own signage system. The city relented and the result is the current system. Many complain that the system is hard to navigate.
The city of Toronto is constructing a 300-metre, $
65 million (EUR 50 million US$65.8 million) tunnel connecting Union Station to Wellington Street, the first publicly-owned segment of the 4000000 square feet (371,612.2 m²) PATH subterranean shopping district. Toronto planners have begun work to guide future PATH development and ensure PATH link construction is included in basement levels of key new buildings.
and Rogers Centre
are connected via an enclosed elevated walkway, called Skywalk, from Union Station
.
Underground city
An Underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of these. The term may also refer to a network of tunnels that...
beneath the office towers of Downtown
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. According to Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world with 371,600 m² (4 million sq. ft.) of retail space.
The PATH network's northerly point is the Toronto Coach Terminal at Dundas Street and Bay Street
Bay Street
Bay Street, originally known as Bear Street, is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Street in that role in the 1970s...
, while its southerly point is the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Metro Toronto Convention Centre , located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario at 255 Front Street West, has of space. The convention centre was completed in October 1984 and is home to the 1330-seat John Bassett Theatre...
's Convention South Building. Its main axes of walkways generally parallel Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
and Bay Street.
Early pedestrian tunnels
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
department store constructed a tunnel underneath James Street, allowing shoppers to walk between the Eaton's main store at Yonge
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
and Queen
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
streets and the Eaton's Annex
Eaton's Annex
Located on Albert Street, directly behind the Eaton's Main Store and Toronto's City Hall, the Eaton's Annex was a 10-storey building containing both retail and office space...
located behind the (then) City Hall
Old City Hall (Toronto)
Toronto's Old City Hall was home to its city council from 1899 to 1966 and remains one of the city's most prominent structures. The building is located at the corner of Queen and Bay Streets, across Bay Street from Nathan Phillips Square and the new City Hall in the centre of downtown Toronto...
. It was the first underground pedestrian pathway in Toronto, and is often credited as a historic precursor to the current PATH network. The original Eaton's tunnel is still in use as part of the PATH system, although today it connects the Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Eaton Centre
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...
to the Bell Trinity Square office complex (the latter of which stands on the site of the former Annex building).
Another original underground linkage, built in 1927 to connect Union Station
Union Station (Toronto)
Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
and the Royal York Hotel
Fairmont Royal York
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, formerly the Royal York Hotel and still often so called, is a large and historic hotel in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at 100 Front Street West. Opened on June 11, 1929, the Royal York was designed by Ross and Macdonald and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway...
, also remains an integral part of today's PATH network.
Origins of current system
Toronto-Dominion Centre
The Toronto-Dominion Centre, or Centre, is a cluster of buildings in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of six towers and a pavilion covered in bronze-tinted glass and black painted steel. It serves as the global headquarters of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, as well as providing office and...
, the first of Toronto's major urban developments in the 1960s and completed in 1967, were the first to include underground shopping in their complex, with the possibility of future expansion built in. The city originally helped fund the construction, but with the election of a reform city council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
this ended. The reformers disliked the underground system based on the Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs, was an American-Canadian writer and activist with primary interest in communities and urban planning and decay. She is best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities , a powerful critique of the urban renewal policies of the 1950s in the United States...
notion that an active street life was important to keeping cities and neighbourhoods vital and that consumers should be encouraged to shop on street level stores rather than in malls (whether they be above ground or below); however, the system continued to grow, as developers bowed to their tenants' wishes and connected their buildings to the system. This also converted low-valued basements into some of the most valuable retail space in the country.
The first expansion of the network occurred in the 1970s with the construction and underground connection of the Richmond-Adelaide office tower and the Sheraton Centre
Sheraton Centre (Toronto)
The Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel is the 33rd-tallest building in Toronto, and is the tallest all-hotel building in Toronto. When it opened in 1972 it was the second largest hotel in Toronto with 1,450 rooms, behind only the Royal York Hotel...
hotel complex.
Path signage
In 1987, City Council adopted a unified wayfinding system throughout the network. The design firms Gottschalk+Ash International and Muller Design Associates were hired to design and implement the overall system in consultation with a diverse group of land owners, City staff and stakeholders. A colour-coded system with directional cues was deployed in the early 1990s. Within the various buildings, pedestrians can find a PATH system map, plus cardinal directionCardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
s (P (red) for south, A (orange) for west, T (blue) for north, H (yellow) for east) on ceiling signs at selected junctions.
The signage can be hard to find inside some of the various connected buildings. Building owners concerned about losing customers to neighbouring buildings insisted that the signs not dominate their buildings, or their own signage system. The city relented and the result is the current system. Many complain that the system is hard to navigate.
Future expansion
The City of Toronto released a long-term expansion plan for the PATH. As part of the expansion plan there will be 45 new entry points, and the walkway expanded to as long as 60 kilometres when changes are completed.The city of Toronto is constructing a 300-metre, $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
65 million (EUR 50 million US$65.8 million) tunnel connecting Union Station to Wellington Street, the first publicly-owned segment of the 4000000 square feet (371,612.2 m²) PATH subterranean shopping district. Toronto planners have begun work to guide future PATH development and ensure PATH link construction is included in basement levels of key new buildings.
Major facilities connected to PATH
There are more than 50 buildings or office towers that are connected through the PATH system. It comprises twenty parking garages, five subway stations (Osgoode station connects only to the Four Seasons Centre), two major department stores, two major shopping centres, six major hotels, and a railway terminal. The CN TowerCN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
and Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
are connected via an enclosed elevated walkway, called Skywalk, from Union Station
Union Station (Toronto)
Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
.
- 1 King Street West
- 2 Queen Street East
- 22 Front Street West
- 55 University (Markel building)
- 150 York
- Air Canada CentreAir Canada CentreThe Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
- Atrium on BayAtrium on BayAtrium on Bay is a retail and office complex in Toronto, Canada. It was built on the former site of the Ford Hotel on the north side of Dundas Street West, extending from Yonge Street to Bay Street. The 14-floor building was built in 1981 with two floors of retail stores...
- Bay Adelaide Centre
- Bell Trinity Square
- Brookfield Place
- Canadian Broadcasting CentreCanadian Broadcasting CentreThe Canadian Broadcasting Centre, located in Toronto, Ontario, is the broadcast headquarters and master control point for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's English-language television and radio services...
- Citibank Place
- City HallToronto City HallThe City Hall of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the home of the city's municipal government and one of its most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong, and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965...
- Commerce CourtCommerce CourtCommerce Court is a complex of four office buildings on King- and Bay-streets in the financial district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, The main tenant is the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce...
- Design ExchangeDesign ExchangeThe Design Exchange is a design museum and centre for the advancement and promotion of Canadian design located in the historic Toronto Stock Exchange building. The DX hosts over 50 programs every year that promote the value of design as it contributes to the economy, quality of life and environment...
- Dundas SquareDundas SquareYonge-Dundas Square is a commercial junction and public square, situated at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in Downtown Toronto...
- Dundee Place
- Exchange Tower
- Federal Building
- First Canadian PlaceFirst Canadian PlaceFirst Canadian Place is a skyscraper in the financial district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at the northwest corner of King and Bay streets, and is the location of the Toronto headquarters of the Bank of Montreal. At , it is Canada's tallest skyscraper and the 15th tallest building in North America...
- Four Seasons CentreFour Seasons CentreThe Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is a 2,071-seat theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada which had its grand opening Wednesday, June 14, 2006. The first actual performance however, commenced in September 2006 with the first Canadian production of Richard Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen...
* - Hilton Hotel
- Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
- HSBC Bank of Canada Building
- Hudson's Bay CompanySimpson'sThe Robert Simpson Company, or Simpsons , was a Canadian department store chain, founded by Robert Simpson. The chain was eventually bought by the Hudson's Bay Company.- History :...
's The Bay Queen StreetThe Bay Queen StreetThe Bay Queen Street store is the flagship store of the The Bay in Toronto and head office of the Hudson's Bay Company. Located at 160 Yonge Street on the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Queen Street West, the building is actually a complex of buildings built between 1896 to 1969.The 1896... - ING Tower
- MetLife Place
- Metro HallMetro HallMetro Hall is a 27-storey Postmodern office tower at the corner of Wellington and John Streets in Toronto, Canada. It looks out onto Pecaut Square. Part of the three-tower Metro Centre complex, the building was completed in 1992 to house the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and its employees...
- Metro Toronto Convention CentreMetro Toronto Convention CentreMetro Toronto Convention Centre , located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario at 255 Front Street West, has of space. The convention centre was completed in October 1984 and is home to the 1330-seat John Bassett Theatre...
- Munich Re Centre
- Richmond Adelaide Complex
- RBC CentreRBC CentreRBC Centre is a , 43-storey office tower completed on June 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the outskirts of the traditionally defined financial district, owned and managed by Cadillac Fairview Corporation...
- Roy Thomson HallRoy Thomson HallRoy Thomson Hall is a concert hall located at 60 Simcoe Street in Toronto, Ontario. It is the home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Opened in 1982, its circular architectural design exhibits a sloping and curvilinear glass exterior. It was designed by Canadian...
- Royal Bank PlazaRoyal Bank PlazaRoyal Bank Plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is the de facto headquarters of the Royal Bank of Canada. The building shares with the Fairmont Royal York Hotel the block in Toronto's financial district bordered by Bay, Front, York, and Wellington streets....
- Royal York HotelFairmont Royal YorkThe Fairmont Royal York Hotel, formerly the Royal York Hotel and still often so called, is a large and historic hotel in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at 100 Front Street West. Opened on June 11, 1929, the Royal York was designed by Ross and Macdonald and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway...
- Ryerson UniversityRyerson UniversityRyerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
- Scotia PlazaScotia PlazaScotia Plaza is a Postmodern commercial office complex in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The complex is situated in the financial district of the downtown core, and is generally bordered by Yonge Street on the east, King Street West on the south, Bay Street on the west, and Adelaide Street...
- Sheraton CentreSheraton Centre (Toronto)The Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel is the 33rd-tallest building in Toronto, and is the tallest all-hotel building in Toronto. When it opened in 1972 it was the second largest hotel in Toronto with 1,450 rooms, behind only the Royal York Hotel...
- Sun Life Centre
- Telus TowerTelus TowerTelus Tower, originally named Union Tower, is a 30 storey office tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the south side of the traditionally defined financial district. Anchor tenant Telus will occupy 60 percent of the rentable area....
- 10 Dundas East
- Thomson Building
- Toronto-Dominion CentreToronto-Dominion CentreThe Toronto-Dominion Centre, or Centre, is a cluster of buildings in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of six towers and a pavilion covered in bronze-tinted glass and black painted steel. It serves as the global headquarters of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, as well as providing office and...
- Toronto Eaton CentreToronto Eaton CentreThe Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...
- Toronto Coach Terminal
- TTCToronto Transit Commission-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
subway stationsToronto subway and RTThe Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...
:- Dundas stationDundas (TTC)Dundas is a station of the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 300 Yonge Street at Dundas Street West/East....
- Queen stationQueen (TTC)Queen is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada subway. It is located at 171 Yonge Street at Queen Street West/East.-Entrances:The main entrances are at the intersection of Yonge and Queen streets...
- King stationKing (TTC)King is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto subway and RT in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 70 Yonge Street at King Street. King is one of several stations connected to the underground mall system called PATH...
- Union stationUnion (TTC)Union Station is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto subway and RT. Opened in 1954 along with the first twelve subway stations of Toronto, it is located between the Yonge Street and University Avenue sections of the line at 55 Front Street West between Bay Street and York...
- St. Andrew stationSt. Andrew (TTC)St. Andrew is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada subway. It is located at 147 University Avenue at King Street West. It opened in 1963, named for the nearby St...
- Osgoode stationOsgoode (TTC)Osgoode is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway/RT system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Osgoode Station is located at 250 University Avenue at Queen Street West...
*
- Dundas station
- Union StationUnion Station (Toronto)Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
- Victory Building
- Yonge-Richmond Centre