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Toronto Parks Atlas
Milliken Mills, site photograph
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Athletic / Recreation ParkType:Underperforming / Leftover Space (enclosure-leaning)

Milliken Mills

Athletic / Recreation Park, near the bottom of the city overall (score 23, rank ~8th percentile). Strongest: amenity diversity; weakest: connectivity.

Photo by Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Data updated

Milliken Mills scores 23.4 / 100. Strongest dimensions: natural comfort and enclosure / eyes on park. Weakest: edge activation (0). Border-vacuum risk is elevated (100). This score is a transparent reading of Jane Jacobs-style vitality factors, not a definitive judgment.

Best fororganised sportactive recreation

Area · 30.61 ha

What's here

Recreation
PlaygroundSports fieldPoolIce rink
Facilities
Library

Getting around

Paths

1.8 km of mapped path. Too little surface tagging to say how much is paved.

No steps mapped on the path network.

Seating

No seating mapped in OpenStreetMap.

Arrival

Parking inside the park. 2 of 32 nearby lots reporting 3 accessible spaces.

Path, seating and parking data comes from OpenStreetMap and reflects what volunteers have mapped, not a survey. Absence here means nobody has recorded it. This section does not assess wheelchair access: the relevant OpenStreetMap tag is present on well under 1% of Toronto paths.

Vitality Score
23/100

Weighted across six dimensions · confidence 49%

Data Confidence
23.4 / 100

Data confidence: low

Citywide
8th
of all 3,753 parks
Among Athletic / Recreation Park
2nd
same primary typology
Expected for similar parks
36
median in Athletic / Recreation Park (n=134)
Performance gap
-13
raw − expected · context confidence high
strong underperformer

Scores are not bell-curved. Percentiles and expected scores provide context without changing the underlying model.

Loading map…

The parks map is loading.
Street context. Park polygon highlighted on the citywide map.

Boundary: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Explain this score

Where did the 23 come from? Each weighted contribution against a neutral 50 baseline. Green = pushed up; red = pulled down.

Download JSON
What pushed this score up or down vs a neutral 50weight × score
Edge Activation0 · p58
-12.5
Connectivity17 · p14
-6.6
Border Vacuum Risk100 (risk)
-5.0
Amenity Diversity38 · p89
-2.5
Natural Comfort50 · p59
+0.0
Enclosure / Eyes on Park50 · p18
+0.0

Sum of contributions = the headline score. A negative bar means that dimension dragged the park below the city-wide neutral baseline.

Why this park works

Milliken Mills works because its amenity diversity score (38) is in the top tier.

What limits this park

Milliken Mills is held back by connectivity (17, bottom quartile); border-vacuum risk is also elevated (100).

Most distinctive characteristic

Most distinctive feature: exceptionally high amenity diversity (38, top quartile).

Jacobs reading

Milliken Mills is currently underperforming on both axes: neither integrated into the city nor offering deep natural respite. A candidate for design intervention.

Tradeoffs

  • Natural comfort (50) significantly outpaces connectivity (17): restorative but hard to reach for daily use.

Performance in context

  • Strong underperformer relative to its cohort: raw 23 vs an expected 36 (gap -13).

Typology classification

confidence 75%
Athletic / Recreation Park

Classified as Athletic / Recreation Park: 60% of amenity types are athletic (ice_rink, pool, sports_field)

Edge Activation

25% weightpartial 60%
0.0 / 100

Within 100 m of the park edge: 16 active uses (retail, transit_stop, community, restaurant) and 24 dead/hostile uses (rail, parking_lot). Active edges keep "eyes on the park" through the day; parking lots, blank institutional walls, rail and highway frontages drain street life.

Source: OpenStreetMap: cafes, restaurants, shops, schools, community centres, transit, parking, highways, rail. All data sources.

Connectivity

20% weightpartial 45%
16.8 / 100

Connectivity blends paths, intersections, transit, entrances, and edge density. This park has 0 mapped paths/walkways and 0 sidewalk segments within 50 m; 0 street intersections within 100 m; 17 bus stops within a 400 m walk; 0 estimated access points across ~2,685 m of perimeter. low edge density, significant superblock penalty applied. Source coverage: transit_osm.

Streets within 25 m0
Intersections within 100 m0
Paths/walkways (50 m)0
Sidewalk segments (50 m)0
Transit stops (400 m)17 (0 subway/GO, 0 streetcar/LRT, 17 bus)
Estimated entrances0
Edge connections / 100 m perimeter0.00
Park perimeter2,685 m

Source: Toronto Centreline V2 + Pedestrian Network + OSM transit stops. All data sources.

Amenity Diversity

20% weightmeasured 75%
37.5 / 100

5 distinct amenity types in the park (ice_rink, library, playground, pool, sports_field). Diversity drives the score, so a park with many distinct activity types can outrank a larger park that repeats the same use.

Source: Toronto Parks & Recreation Facilities + OSM amenity tags. All data sources.

Natural Comfort

15% weightinferred 15%
50.0 / 100

Natural Comfort requires inputs not yet loaded for this park (Treed Area / Ravine / Waterbodies / Street Trees). Score is held at a neutral 50 with low confidence. Read with caution.

Canopy coverage0.0%
Canopy area0.00 ha
Inside ravine system0.0%
Water surface inside park0.0%
Nearest water (if outside park)1,500 m
Estimated green100.0%
City-mapped trees inside polygon0
Tree density0.0 / ha
Cover diversity (Shannon, 0 to 100)0.0
Sample points used343

Source: Not loaded yet: Treed Area / Ravine / Waterbodies / Street Trees. All data sources.

Enclosure / Eyes on Park

10% weightinferred 20%
50.0 / 100

No buildings within 50 m of this park edge, typical of ravines, watercourses, and hydro corridors. Enclosure is held at a neutral 50 with low confidence; for natural areas, this metric is essentially not applicable.

Buildings within 25 m0
Buildings within 50 m0
Avg edge height0.0 m (~0 floors)
Tallest edge building0.0 m
Mid-rise (3 to 7 floors)0
Low-rise (< 3 floors)0
Towers (≥ 13 floors)0
Frontage density0.00 per 100 m perimeter
Mid-rise share of edge0%
Tower share of edge0%
Blank-edge share (proxy)100%
Park perimeter2,685 m

Source: Toronto 3D Massing (no nearby buildings detected). All data sources.

Border Vacuum Risk

10% weightpartial 60%
100.0 risk

Border-vacuum factors within 50 m of the park: Uxbridge Subdivision, Uxbridge Subdivision, Uxbridge Subdivision, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot, parking_lot. Jacobs warned that highways, rail, parking lots and blank institutional edges act as "vacuums" that suppress foot traffic and isolate the park from its neighbourhood.

Source: OpenStreetMap: highways, rail, parking. All data sources.

Equity Context

contextinferred 15%
50.0 / 100

Equity Context requires inputs not yet loaded for this park (Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles). Score is held at a neutral 50 with low confidence. Read with caution.

Source: Not loaded yet: Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles. All data sources.

Amenities (5 types · 15 records)

  • ice rink
  • library
  • playground
  • pool
  • sports field

Nearby active-edge features (63)

  • parking lot0 m
  • community: Markham Public Library - Milliken Mills Branch0 m
  • parking lot0 m
  • parking lot0 m
  • restaurant: McDonald's0 m
  • transit stop: Kennedy Road / Lee Avenue0 m
  • parking lot0 m
  • parking lot0 m
  • parking lot0 m
  • transit stop: Kennedy Road / Highglen Avenue3 m
  • rail: Uxbridge Subdivision7 m
  • rail: Uxbridge Subdivision11 m
  • parking lot12 m
  • restaurant: Subway13 m
  • restaurant: Dairy Queen15 m
  • rail: Uxbridge Subdivision21 m
  • parking lot23 m
  • parking lot25 m
  • parking lot26 m
  • transit stop: Kennedy Road / Lee Avenue31 m
  • parking lot32 m
  • parking lot35 m
  • parking lot44 m
  • parking lot45 m
  • parking lot46 m
  • restaurant: Pizza Pizza48 m
  • parking lot50 m
  • parking lot54 m
  • restaurant: Happy BBQ57 m
  • parking lot59 m
  • parking lot59 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue / McDowell Gate64 m
  • transit stop: Kennedy Road / Highglen Avenue65 m
  • restaurant: Fancy Chinese Cuisine66 m
  • retail: Magic Wok76 m
  • retail: Bombay Bazaar Cash & Carry77 m
  • retail: Lucullus Bakery81 m
  • parking lot86 m
  • parking lot86 m
  • restaurant: Chiang Rai Thai Kitchen and Bar99 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue / McDowell Gate104 m
  • parking lot106 m
  • parking lot108 m
  • parking lot110 m
  • parking lot111 m
  • parking lot112 m
  • transit stop: Kennedy Road / 14th Avenue123 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue / Kennedy Road124 m
  • parking lot127 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue Stop #1482131 m
  • parking lot135 m
  • rail: Uxbridge Subdivision140 m
  • rail: Uxbridge Subdivision140 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue / Kennedy Road147 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue Stop #1480154 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue Stop #6786159 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue / Kennedy Road168 m
  • transit stop: Kennedy Road / 14th Avenue173 m
  • parking lot178 m
  • parking lot182 m
  • parking lot187 m
  • parking lot189 m
  • transit stop: 14th Avenue Stop #6787198 m

Park profile

Five-axis radar across the structural dimensions.

Edge ActivationConnectivityAmenity DiversityNatural ComfortEnclosureMilliken Mills
Edge activation, connectivity, amenity diversity, natural comfort, and enclosure, each 0 to 100.

Citywide percentile ranks

Across all Toronto parks in the dataset.

  • Overall vitality
    8th
  • Edge activation
    58th
  • Connectivity
    14th
  • Amenity diversity
    89th
  • Natural comfort
    59th
  • Enclosure
    18th

Most similar parks

Closest in metric space across the five structural dimensions.

Most opposite parks

Furthest in metric space. Useful for recognising what kind of park this isn’t.

Human activity signals: not available

No activity signals have landed for this park yet. The model has scored its physical form but it can’t yet say how often it’s programmed, photographed, or walked through. See /data-ethics for what we will and will not collect.

Does this score feel accurate?

Your read of Milliken Mills matters. We’re testing whether the model lines up with how people actually use the park. Submissions are stored locally; no account needed.

Tell us how this park feels

We measure structure (canopy, edges, connectivity). You measure feeling. Both matter, and disagreement is itself useful civic data.

Rate this park on as many dimensions as you have an opinion about. 1 = not at all, 5 = strongly. Skip the ones you don't feel sure about. Aggregated only, no comments stored at the row level.

feels socially active
feels comfortable
feels safe
feels connected
feels welcoming
feels ecological / natural
feels good for lingering
feels family-friendly
feels culturally important
70%

What would improve this park?

Generated from the weakest measured dimensions: a starting point, not a prescription.

  • Activate the edges: encourage cafés, retail or community uses on the streets that face the park; replace blank or parking-lot edges where possible.
  • Add or open more entrances and improve sidewalk continuity around the park. More permeability means more spontaneous use.
  • Diversify what people can do in the park (playground, washroom, water, shade, performance, sport, garden): even small additions raise this score.
  • Mitigate border vacuums (highways, rail, parking) with active programming on the still-permeable edges and treat the hostile edge as a design challenge.

Data sources

real Toronto data
  • City of Toronto Open Data: Green Spaces
    Polygon boundaries, official names, land classes. Boundaries are reconciled against OpenStreetMap (ODbL) for new and updated parks.
  • Parks & Recreation Facilities
    Inventory of in-park amenities (washrooms, fields, rinks…).
  • Toronto Pedestrian Network
    Sidewalk segments around and through parks; estimated park entrances.
  • Toronto Centreline V2
    Street segments + intersection nodes near park edges; trails and walkways.
  • Toronto 3D Massing
    Building footprints + heights for edge-building counts, frontage density, and tower-in-the-park risk.
  • Toronto Treed Area
    Tree canopy share inside park polygons via stratified-grid sampling.
  • Toronto Waterbodies & Rivers
    Water surface inside parks + nearest-water distance for cooling.
  • Ravine & Natural Feature Protection
    Ravine overlap as a cooling / natural-comfort signal.
  • Toronto Street Tree Inventory
    Tree count + density inside park polygons.
  • OpenStreetMap (Overpass API)
    Cafés, restaurants, retail, transit stops, parking, highways, rail.