Yonge-Dundas Square (also known as YD Square, Dundas Square or Yonge and Dundas) is a commercial junction and public square, situated at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in Downtown Toronto. The square was first conceived by the City of Toronto in 1998 as part of revitalizing the intersection, and was designed by Brown and Storey Architects. Since its completion in 2002, the square has hosted numerous public events, performances and art displays, establishing itself as a prominent landmark in Toronto and one of the city's prime tourist attractions. Central to the Downtown Yonge business improvement area, the square is owned by the city and is the first public square in Canada to be maintained through a public-private partnership. The intersection is one of the busiest in Canada, serving over 100,000 pedestrians daily.
Surrounding the square are other major landmarks, including the Toronto Eaton Centre, 10 Dundas Street East, 33 Dundas Street East, Ryerson University, Ed Mirvish Theatre, Atrium on Bay and Canada's largest media tower. The intersection is served by the Yonge-University-Spadina line of the Toronto Subway via Dundas station, connected to the PATH, and contains the city's first pedestrian scramble. The square is continuously illuminated by several corporate and brand-name logos in neon and electric signs and large liquid-crystal display (LCD) and light-emitting diode (LED) screens, which often display advertisements. Because of this, critics have referred to the square as "Toronto's Times Square".
Read more about Yonge-Dundas Square: History, Criticism, Accolades
Famous quotes containing the word square:
“The square dance fiddler’s first concern is to carry a tune, but he must carry it loud enough to be heard over the noise of stamping feet, the cries of the “caller,” and the shouts of the dancers. When he fiddles, he “fiddles all over”; feet, hands, knees, head, and eyes are all busy.”
—State of Oklahoma, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)