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Guided by a bold new Academic Plan, an ambitious research agenda, and a
recently-completed Master Plan to revitalize the campus and surrounding
neighbourhood, Ryerson is now the most applied-to university in Ontario relative
to available spaces, and its reputation with business and community leaders
continues to rise.
In just a few years since the introduction of its
first master's program, Ryerson has grown to host 2,000 graduate students in 34
programs, including nine at the doctoral level. The University now ranks third
in Canada - and first in Ontario - in terms of research growth. And Ryerson is
reshaping the downtown core of Toronto with two new buildings: a Photography
Gallery and Research Centre in the heart of campus, and a Student Learning
Centre on the site of the iconic Sam the Record Man property on Yonge Street, in
the heart of the city.
Since 1948, Ryerson has built its reputation on
the strength of its academic curriculum, and offers close to 100 PhD, master's,
and undergraduate programs, with a total enrolment of 25,000 and more than
65,000 registrations annually in The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing
Education.
"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir the blood
and probably will not be realized. Make big plans. Aim high in hope and work."
- Daniel Burnham, Chief Planner for the City of Chicago, 1909
Ryerson
University is a dynamic institution at the forefront of post-secondary education
in Canada. Located in the heart of Toronto - Canada's economic, academic,
research and cultural capital - the University is changing dramatically and
growing rapidly, both academically and physically.
Ryerson's Master Plan
is a bold undertaking, a flexible framework to revitalize the campus and act as
a catalyst for change and renewal in the unique downtown community surrounding
the University. The project was announced by President Sheldon Levy in March
2006 in a major address to the Canadian Club. Two years later, the Master Plan
was approved by Ryerson's Board of Governors. Read the complete Master Plan
here.
When President Levy announced the Master Plan, he outlined the
University's pressing need for more quality space for students and more academic
and research facilities in order to improve student engagement and experience,
expand graduate studies and research, and build pride within the community. He
shared a vision that recognizes no boundaries in the traditional sense between
the University and its downtown neighbourhood. In declaring his intention to
focus on 'the University as city-builder', President Levy said: "With energetic
partnerships and great ideas, our aim is to move Ryerson and Toronto forward
together."
Following a rigorous search process, Ryerson selected a team
of four acclaimed Canadian firms, distinguished by their visionary leadership
and reputation for excellence in architecture, urban planning, urban design, and
economic analysis. The Master Planning Team of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg
Architects and Daoust Lestage Inc. in association with Greenberg Consultants
Inc. and IBI Group began its work in October 2006. Over an 18-month period,
approximately 300 meetings, consultations and forums were held with Ryerson
students, faculty, staff and alumni, the City of Toronto, the Downtown Yonge
Business Improvement Area, the Yonge-Dundas Square Board of Management and other
institutional and residential neighbours.
The Master Plan is a flexible,
innovative framework that will guide future decisions about the growth of the
University and its precinct. It is both visionary and practical. The Master Plan
is shaped by Ryerson's commitment to excellence and sustainability, and the need
to address its academic goals. It is not a building plan or an architectural
plan, nor does it focus on the allocation of space within the University.
Rather, it establishes three broad goals and a comprehensive set of principles
that form a framework within which the University will evaluate future
opportunities and make decisions about campus growth to benefit students,
faculty and staff for decades to come.
The three goals of the Master Plan
are:
Urban Intensification
People First: Pedestrianization of the Urban
Environment
A Commitment to Design Excellence
"Urban Intensification"
focuses on reinventing the centre of the campus and building the vertical
campus, to make efficient use of Ryerson's extremely limited land and the small
and valuable properties on and around the University. One of the most important
principles of urban intensification is providing transparency and accessibility
at ground level, as well as programs that are conducive to social interaction,
in order to enhance a strong sense of collegiality and community.
"People First" is about creating a pedestrian-friendly campus with green
open spaces, informal meeting places, bike paths, and access to public
transportation. A pedestrian-oriented University core provides an environment
conducive to academic excellence and vibrant student life.
"Design
Excellence" builds a commitment to design excellence for academic and student
space into the evaluation of all future buildings and public spaces. It calls
for the creation of inspirational learning and teaching environments that
support the University's Academic Plan and provide a sense of belonging to a
strong, vibrant academic community.
For a detailed description of the
goals and principles, read the complete Master Plan here.
The first
University building under construction since the launch of the Master Plan will
be the Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre. A dramatic glass
building open and accessible to the community and public right in the heart of
campus, the Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre reflects the three
goals of the Master Plan and also heralds the transformation of Gould Street
into a pedestrian-friendly environment.
Another major new project for the
University is a state-of-the-art Student Learning Centre, which will be located
on the site of the former Sam the Record Man at the corner of Yonge and Gould
Streets. The Student Learning Centre will give Ryerson a gateway onto Yonge
Street and the opportunity to play a key role in redeveloping Toronto's main
thoroughfare and downtown core. It will be designed and built to reflect the
goals and principles of the Master Plan. |
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