Project Overview

Lisgar Park serves a growing community in one of Toronto’s most densely built neighborhoods. Its granular-surfaced plaza, wood decks, seating islands, and art poles create places to gather, rest, and host events. Trees bring greenery and shade into that active public space.

More than 100 trees were planted throughout the park, most in open planting areas. For 13 trees surrounded by hardscape, Silva Cells installed in two phases (2017 and 2019) created room for roots beneath the usable surface — and now the trees are helping shade this hardscape-heavy urban park.

Take a visual tour of the project by watching the video above.

Room to Grow Beneath the Park

The visible tree openings tell only part of the planting story. Beneath the park, 222 Silva Cells support a reported 154 m³ (5,459 ft³) of soil for the 13 trees. The soil extends beyond their individual openings, giving roots access to shared growing space beneath the adjacent hardscapes. The 2017 installation runs along Abell Street and serves six tree openings. In 2019, two more soil areas were added: one with 40 m³ for three trees and another with 60 m³ for four. Each layout puts soil where the trees need it while keeping the space above available for park visitors. 

Silva Cells: Shaped to Fit, Space Between

The Silva Cell areas follow the park’s available underground space. The long 2017 run and the two differently shaped 2019 areas show how independently supported units can be arranged around tree openings and site conditions. Installation photos reveal another part of the design: space between the cells. Once filled with planting soil, those gaps add usable soil volume and connect the growing space between units.

Growing Shade in a Dense City

The 2026 drone footage shows trees bringing a substantial green presence to a park surrounded by buildings and paved streets. Their canopies cast shade across parts of the public space, changing the experience of a place designed for daily use and community activity.

That canopy includes trees growing in open planting areas as well as trees supported by Silva Cells. At the paved openings, shared soil below ground made it possible to give trees growing space while preserving the park above for people. Lisgar Park shows how those two priorities can occupy the same space — and how much that decision matters as trees mature.