David Crombie  Park was chosen as the space of study due to its considerable contextual location and interesting adjacencies, as well as the display of its highly praised mixed-use environment, and the rich history that encompasses it. The long stretch of park in context to The Esplanade provides a connection point between two major areas, the downtown and the Historical Distillery District. A link between new and old, the park not only acts as an access, but has successfully revitalized what was once a derelict industrial sector. 

In the mid-nineteenth century Toronto’s city centre was divided from its waterfront by the placement of major rail lands on lake Ontario. The development of the railway along the city’s edge meant greater industrial productivity for the region, but that Toronto’s population was cut off from the lake for recreational use. As roadways became more expansive, industry could rely less on rail, and was located on the city’s periphery. With new technology in rail that made the railyards on the waterfront obsolete as well as the rise of globalization, Toronto’s waterfront became available  for redevelopment. As roadways became more expansive, industry could rely less on rail, and was located on the city’s periphery. With new technology in rail that made the railyards on the waterfront obsolete as well as the rise of globalization, Toronto’s waterfront became available  for redevelopment. The neighbourhood of St. Lawrence was to be the site of a mixed-use housing development that brought low and moderate income families close to Toronto’s core. The neighbourhood is now a successful example of mixed use development in Toronto as a result of the efforts of mayor David Crombie, who encouraged a democratic and multi-disciplinary approach to the design.