Toronto Port Area Land Flood Control Plan（The birth of PLFPP is a profound response to this proposition. It originates from the trauma of history, but points to the wisdom of the future. The Don River is the second largest river in Toronto, with its mouth located atLake OntarioAt the intersection with the port area, the historical industrial transformation led to a right angled turn of the river (the Keating Canal), formingFlood bottleneck, causing downstream problems240 hectares of land are at long-term risk of embankment collapse.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the industrial transformation of the Tanghe River estuary was seen as a symbol of urban progress. However, this“conquer nature”The arrogance of rainstorm finally leads to bitter fruit: hardening the surface, aggravating the waterlogging, polluting the soil, and destroying the ecology. When the rainstorm comes, the city that has lost its buffer can only passively bear the impact.In the second half of the 20th century, the Tang River estuary area became a major flood disaster in Toronto“Achilles' Heel”, inIn three major rainstorm events in 1998, 2005 and 2013, the flood flooded the core area of the port area, resulting in a cumulative direct economic loss of more than $800 million.

The more profound impact is that the river channels bound by concrete have been lost90% of ecological purification capacity,justExcessive content of heavy metals such as lead and mercury in sediments40 times. These shocking data ultimately prompted the Toronto City Government to prioritize the renovation of the Don River estuary as the highest priority in the PLFPP plan in 2015“Critical repair project”.

Toronto Waterfront Port Planning Area

The breakthrough of PLFPP lies in the measures of simulating natural hydrological processes, relocating rivers, and rebuilding wetlands to construct“accept-Counseling - Symbiosis”The Resilience System.itsThe essence is to learn humility from nature and no longer see floods as a necessity“resist”The enemy,But to become humanadaptnaturecapacityThe mentorThis kind of“Accept symbiosis”The shift in ideology has brought about chain effects far beyond expectations.pass throughclean up25000 cubic meters of polluted soil, reconstructed wetland ecosystem with 5000 new trees, 77000 shrubs, and 2 million herbaceous plants，PreviouslyThe transformation of the 'industrial desert' into an oasis for waterbirds has led to the return of wild animals such as foxes and fish, resulting in a significant increase in biodiversity.After ecological restoration, the Tanghe River estuary can absorb wetlands per hectare annually9000 cubic meters of flood, while purifying rainwater, fixing carbon and releasing oxygen, becoming the city's“Ecological kidney”.

In this newly revitalized estuary delta, there is a place called Villiers Island（The artificial island of Villiers Island is rising from the ground, which is not only the crystallization of ecological restoration, but also a testing ground for Toronto's transformation into a resilient city. The mixed development model of Villiers Island provides groundbreaking evidence that flood control land does not have to be idle“Security redundancy”And it can be transformed into a space that combines economic value and community vitalityThe reuse planning and design of its mixed development have created the idea that flood control land does not have to be idle'Security redundancy' can be transformed into a space that combines economic value and community vitality.

Villiers Island Planning Project Map

The spatiotemporal reuse strategy of Villiers Island is achieved through precise terrain engineering designRealizing dynamic functional transformation: overall uplift of residential areasthree～A 5-meter flood control platform is formed, with a honeycomb hollow structure at the bottom. During the rainy season, it is automatically converted into a 500000 cubic meter flood detention space through an intelligent gate system (equipped with water level sensors); During the dry season, these cavities are used as underground parking lots. The ground building adopts pile foundation+suspended bottom plate technology to maintain structural safety during flood immersion, while the raised surface forms a stepped landscape platform, which serves as both a daily community garden and a flood control buffer zone during the flood season.

Conceptual Map of the Villiers Island Residential Living Area Planning Project

such“Vertical elasticity”Design can beComplete the modal switching from living space to flood detention facilities within 24 hours, achieving the spatiotemporal compression benefits of land use. It not only ensures the elastic capacity required for flood control safety, but also through the construction of supporting facilitiesPlanning objectives12500 housing units (of which 30% are affordable housing)，eyefrontstopDeveloped and built2800 sets of waterfront commercial districts and continuous waterfront trail systems have created an average annualthree point twoAn economic output of billions of Canadian dollars, with improved land utilization compared to traditional flood control areasthree hundred and twenty%Vividly interpreted“Safety is value”The modern resilient economic model. This multiple benefit reveals a deep logic: when urban development respects natural laws, safety, ecology, and economy are not the samezero-sum gameBut rather a mutually reinforcing unity.

The story of Toronto begins with a disaster, but writes a new chapter of hope. It reminds us that the ultimate resilience of a city lies not in eliminating all uncertainty, but in cultivating the ability to coexist with uncertainty. When climate change“hazel”Disasters of varying levels are becoming increasingly frequent, and this ability will become the key to the continuation of civilization. Every inch of newly formed wetland in the port area is not only a flood control facility, but also a classroom for humans to learn to communicate with nature again——There, floods are no longer just a threat, but can also be an opportunity to awaken the vitality of the city.