Ice-skating trail transforms unused space beneath Toronto highway
The latest instalment of our Dezeen x MINI Living video series explores an unused space beneath a highway in Toronto, which is being overhauled to create a new park complete with an ice-skating track.
Developed by urban designer Ken Greenberg and Toronto landscape architecture firm Public Work, the Bentway will be a linear park that occupies a mile-long stretch of previously unused land under the Gardiner Expressway.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/video-bentway-skate-trail-toronto-public-works-ken-greenberg-movie_dezeen_2364_col_2-852x479.jpg)
While the park is not yet complete, the ice-skating route opened to the public at the beginning of 2018.
The 220 metre-long ice path weaves in a figure-of-eight around the concrete columns that support the expressway overhead. Once work on the Bentway has been completed, the trail will be flanked by landscaped gardens and public artworks.
![The Bentway will transform the unused space under Toronto's Gardiner Expressway into a linear park with an ice-skating trail.](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/video-bentway-skate-trail-toronto-public-works-ken-greenberg-movie_dezeen_2364_col_7-852x568.jpg)
This year the ice-skating track is expected to remain open until March, after which it will become a path for pedestrians and rollerbladers.
The Bentway project aims to transform an unused urban space into a new public amenity, in an area of the city where there is a shortage of parkland and many residents don't have gardens.
Areas of the park will be watered using a drainage system that channels storm run-off from the expressway above.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/video-bentway-skate-trail-toronto-public-works-ken-greenberg-movie_dezeen_2364_col_4-852x527.jpg)
The park will play host to year-round activities and events, including public markets, exhibitions, festivals, and theatrical performances.
Events will take place at an amphitheatre able to accommodate 500 guests, as well as an open-air theatre that can seat 250.
![The Bentway will transform the unused space under Toronto's Gardiner Expressway into a linear park with an ice-skating trail.](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/02/video-bentway-skate-trail-toronto-public-works-ken-greenberg-movie_dezeen_2364_col_3-852x497.jpg)
The movie is part of Dezeen x MINI Living Initiative, a year-long collaboration with MINI exploring how architecture and design can contribute to a brighter urban future through a series of videos and talks.