Landscape of Landmark Quality, University of Toronto

The Landscape of Landmark Quality project, one of the largest landscape infrastructure initiatives in Canada, is transforming the heart of the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus. Designed by KPMB Architects and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), the project removes surface parking, limits vehicle access, and prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists to create a greener, more accessible campus. 

At King’s College Circle—the centerpiece of four historic campus landmarks—the lawn was regraded and framed with gardens and granite pathways, linking the precinct with a car-free network illuminated by pedestrian lighting. A glass pavilion provides access to a below-ground garage, beneath which lies a geothermal field of 368 boreholes reaching 250 meters deep. Acting as a thermal battery, the system will help cut emissions by 46,000 metric tons annually by 2027, as part of project Leap, while serving as a visible teaching tool through subterranean observation windows. 

With 90 gardens, 55,000 perennials, and hundreds of new trees, the project reclaims 17 acres as a welcoming, sustainable campus core.