The city wants to put a seven-kilometre trail under the Gardiner Expressway

We can all agree on this: the Gardiner Expressway is an ugly, dilapidated, expensive piece of infrastructure that divides the city—literally and figuratively. But, given Toronto’s crippling congestion, there’s no political will to tear it down.

Instead, the city has decided to make something of the highway’s underbelly by expanding the Bentway from Dufferin to the Don Valley Parkway. The proposed seven-kilometre trail would stretch across downtown and along the central waterfront, connecting dozens of neighbourhoods with an uninterrupted buffet of public art, greenery, retail and places to party. It would be a clever and creative use of a derelict urban space—and a big win for civic pride and joy.

Related: An enormous mural below the Gardiner will soon connect the Bentway to Liberty Village