[Nutterbug]

...and add it to your own, what would it be?

I would snag the statue of Christ the Redeemer from Rio de Janeiro...

http://justsusan.smugmug.com/photos/55718736-M.jpg

and place it on the top of Grouse Mountain, like this...

http://70.68.154.4/christvancouver.jpg

Not that it has any religious significance to me, but it would still make a nice decor.

[Evergrey]

I would like to steal the provincial capitol from Victoria

[Derek]

Building height from New York...

[StethJeff]

We don't have any landmarks in L.A. so I guess we'd take any one else's leftovers.:shrug:

If I had a choice though, I'd rip out Dodger Stadium and place it next to Staples Center. Where Dodger Stadium used to be (Chavez Ravine), I'd put Yosemite's Half Dome. :tup:

[rockyi]

White collar, high-tech jobs from any city that has a surplus.

[kool maudit]

http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/MID017-A01.jpg


the GE Building from new york.

(i'd put it at the northeastern corner of victoria square, maybe, or somewhere around beaver hall and rene levesque.

[Nutterbug]

Say, how would the Statue of Liberty look atop Grouse?

http://70.68.154.4/libertyvancouver.jpg

The torch she is carrying could hold the Olympic flame for the 2010 games.

[alex1]

for chicago, i'd have placed the Rockies about 15-20 miles from lake Michigan. Would have served 3 purposes:

1. created a natural boundary which would have hampered the god-awful sprawl we're witnessing.
2. beauty
3. recreation.

[PhillyRising]

I'd be happy just to get back everything that was stolen from Philly over the years.....

[ocman]

For Los Angeles:

Renzo Piano's "Shard" from London.

[the94112]

NYC's MTA. (of course a retrofitted version)

[muppet]

http://www.essential-architecture.com/PA/006-Tour_Eiffel_1878.jpg

Eiffel Tower for London. But knowing us we'd probably plonk it next to a square, blocky skyscraper for optimal, optical failure and maximum spend.

In fact London did actually try building an even taller version but ran out of money after the 1st tier, and demolished it decades later:
http://www.southmanchesterreporter.co.uk/ContentResources/979.$plit/C_58_Articles_66967_Body_Web_ArticleBlock_2_Image.jpg

Either that or the Golden Gate bridge.

[mhays]

For Seattle I'd steal the Boston Common.

A group of us tried in the 90s, to build our own I mean.

[BTinSF]

A supertall, almost any supertall from anywhere. Just so people will get used to something being taller than the TransAmerica Building and we can move on.

[Westsidelife]

I'd steal the Louvre museum in Paris.

[F-Misthebest]

Hills from anywhere.

[Marcu]

I'd trade Chicago's weather around Feb and March (just when the cold starts to get annoying) for some dry heat from the west coast.

[muppet]

Hills from anywhere.

I second that

[MonkeyRonin]

I'd steal everyone from Tokyo. Then we'ed have 40 million people! :banana:

[Young Gun]

All the population the suburbs stole over the last50 years

[Strayone]

Any decent lite rail transit system.

[James Bond Agent 007]

I'd steal Mt Hood from Portland and put it somewhere just south of Olympia. That way we'd have 3 volcanoes around here, instead of just two. :cool:

[Xelebes]

An actual decent building from somewhere.

[nomarandlee]

for chicago, i'd have placed the Rockies about 15-20 miles from lake Michigan. Would have served 3 purposes:

1. created a natural boundary which would have hampered the god-awful sprawl we're witnessing.
2. beauty
3. recreation.


I agree, Chicago with mountains nearby would be awesome. However the smog would piss me off if we got even more that many more days one couldn't witness the beauty of the skyline.:yuck:

Also if there had been big mountains it may have thwarted Chicago's status as a rail and transportation hub which is part of what made Chicago able to be Chicago.

[nomarandlee]

For Chicago I may take Londons parks or Paris low rise resdential density.

[foxmtbr]

A (good) new arena.

[edluva]

Los Angeles -
educated masses eg. white-collar industry to offset the banality that is hollywood (la is braindead, and we need more inner-city yuppies so people will pay attn to our downtown. all of our "smart" average folk moved to coto de caza)
a mass trans network adequate for a city of its size
quality urbanism
tasteful urban design/architecture
the raiders - j/k :D

[niwell]

rail transit from any city that has it.

[fflint]

Brooklyn.

[HurricaneHugo]

I would steal the Staples center from LA, Wembley stadium from London, and the JHC from Chicago. :)

[ChrisLA]

I'd trade Chicago's weather around Feb and March (just when the cold starts to get annoying) for some dry heat from the west coast.


Perhaps you can get it in July and September, but February and March isn't exactly warm here in the west. Granted its warmer than Chicago, but its not exactly beach weather either. More like fog and rain, especially thick fog in the central valley of California, and probably more snow in the sierra's than Chicago could ever imagine.

[WesternGulf]

A greenbelt.

[skylife]

I love cities with canals, so I'll take those from mostly from Amsterdam and we'll need a wide one like Venice's Grand Canal.

We do have a small and somewhat charming canal in Georgetown, but I want more.

[DecoJim]

All the population the suburbs stole over the last50 years

I 2nd that! It probably applies to several midwestern cities. For Detroit that figure is about 1 million people.

[VivaLFuego]

I'd make the Chicago river alot wider (ok, so stealing the East River) so we could get some cool major bridge/tunnel infrastructure, a natural boundary to further prop up densities bounded by water, and even more water vistas.

[ardecila]

Hmm... that would put the western shore of the river at around Halsted in the downtown area -south branch, or Grand on the main branch. I like it.

[MistyMountainHop]

We stole Roberto Luongo from Florida last year - and we've been laughing at them ever since.

[Cirrus]

Boston's Back Bay:

http://beyonddc.com/nonweb/_citypics/CommAve.jpg
(photo not mine; from someone on the forum)

[Nowhereman1280]

I agree, lets steal the Rockies for 15 miles west of Lake Michigan, that way Milwaukee and Chicago could joint steal them from Denver. It would probably be much less work if they worked together!

I agree, Chicago with mountains nearby would be awesome. However the smog would piss me off if we got even more that many more days one couldn't witness the beauty of the skyline.:yuck:

Also if there had been big mountains it may have thwarted Chicago's status as a rail and transportation hub which is part of what made Chicago able to be Chicago.

Well the smog wouldn't really be that bad if the mountains were to the west because the wind comes from the west. The reason the smog in LA and other west coast cities gets so bad is because the mountains and water are switched from what they would be if they were in Chicago.

Anyhow, it wouldn't hurt Chicago's status as a trade hub because there would be a gigantic pass conveniently located only at Chicago. That and, being the rockies, it would go from the gulf and up into Canada, thus enhancing Chicago's status for Transport because it would be the only passable point!

MUHAHAHA!

Now lets just get Carmen Sandiego to do our dirty work and Chicago will rule the world...

[Visiteur]

Austin's economy. We'll take care of everything else, and we'll unload some politicians if we have to.

[Front_Range_Guy]

I can think of more things I'd like to get rid of than things I'd like to steal.

[StethJeff]

I love cities with canals, so I'll take those from mostly from Amsterdam and we'll need a wide one like Venice's Grand Canal.

We do have a small and somewhat charming canal in Georgetown, but I want more.

The sad thing is that here in LA, we wouldn't have to steal anything to make a nice riverfront - we have the LA River, and its even right next to Downtown! It's always had the potential to be picturesque and functional but instead it's nothing but an eyesore.:koko:

It'll be years until the LA River Revitalization Plan improves the river in any way :(

[kevN_wk]

All the people from all the ugly, tiny, surrounding towns so Victoria would be a bigger city.

[brickell]

Brooklyn.

Since he stole Brooklyn I'll take some of Philly's rowhome neighborhoods to replace the swatch of single family homes between Miami and Coral Gables.

[dave8721]

Since he stole Brooklyn I'll take some of Philly's rowhome neighborhoods to replace the swatch of single family homes between Miami and Coral Gables.

Or how about NYC's subway system?

[keninhalifax]

rail transit from any city that has it.

Heh, this appears to be a recurrent issue for Ottawan forumers. I was going to say that I would steal Strasbourg's lovely new LRT system, which has achieved unprecedented popularity since its 2004 implementation and has served as a catalyst for urban regeneration, economic uplift, pedestrianization, and public art projects. In short, the transit system has acted as a civic booster shot.

http://omotetsu.web.infoseek.co.jp/wallpic/img/strasbourg0765s.jpg

[Marcu]

I'd make the Chicago river alot wider (ok, so stealing the East River) so we could get some cool major bridge/tunnel infrastructure, a natural boundary to further prop up densities bounded by water, and even more water vistas.

That would be nice for the north branch around Chicago or North. But i'd keep the part along Wacker as-is to preserve that famous canyon view:

(image a little old but will do)
http://www.gapersblock.com/detour/photo/12102004/Michigan_River_TODAY.jpg

As for another thing I'd steal for Chicago. How about the suburbs of Paris. (the good ones without the riots). So we can replace our generic suburbia with some suburbs with character.

[Buckeye Native 001]

I'd steal Metro's rail system from LA and plunk it down in Orange County. Red Line from the OC Courthouse to Disney Land! Blue Line from the Artist's Village to John Wayne Airport! Green Line from South Coast Plaza to Newport Beach! :hyper:

[Stephenapolis]

Too many things. I have a great city, but it could use more. I would love to have Seattles Space Needle and have it across the river from dt Minneapolis. I would even like to have the "Bean" from Chicago. In exchange I would give Chicago the "Spoonbridge" sculpture. I hate that tacky thing.

[StethJeff]

Too many things. I have a great city, but it could use more. I would love to have Seattles Space Needle and have it across the river from dt Minneapolis. I would even like to have the "Bean" from Chicago. In exchange I would give Chicago the "Spoonbridge" sculpture. I hate that tacky thing.

I was just waiting for someone to mention that thing :koko:

[UglymanCometh]

I'd trade Sydney's population for about 80% of Detroit's.

[Stephenapolis]

I was just waiting for someone to mention that thing :koko:

I would rather have the bean over that mural with changing faces. I really do not like that thing.

[Scruffy]

I love canals too. I'd steal the Chicago river and place it mid island stretching from the Hudson river to the east river straight through midtown. water taxis would double, it would be beautiful. the possibilities are endless.

i'd also steal the stratosphere tower and place it in downtown Brooklyn

[boden]

I'd take Pittsburgh's Tower of Learning and plant it firmly in downtown Belleville. :tup:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1237/535472871_2ea5dd280f_o.jpg

[volguus zildrohar]

All of New England's first round picks since 2002. And Boston's subway.

[phillyskyline]

I would take Amsterdam's red light district canals & place it on Philadelphia's Washinghton Ave from Del River to the Schuykill River

[hauntedheadnc]

If I just get to take one thing, then I'll plop the Bass Performance Hall from Fort Worth down on the south side of Pack Square.

http://www.allthingsgirl.com/aw/as/downtownftworth2.jpg

(from google)

However, if I get to steal as much as I want, then I get the Bass Hall, and downtown Greenville, SC with its natural 60-ft waterfall and downtown Winston-Salem, complete with colonial Old Salem. Put them together with our kick-ass downtown and you'd have one of the coolest cities in the country.

[DBR96A]

For Pittsburgh, I'd steal the highway system from any other metro area its size.

Pittsburgh: An architect's wet dream and a civil engineer's worst nightmare.

[Evergrey]

For Pittsburgh, I'd steal the highway system from any other metro area its size.

Pittsburgh: An architect's wet dream and a civil engineer's worst nightmare.

I wouldn't mind stealing another city's highway network as well... considering we rank near the top amongst the Top 25 metros for limited-access highway miles per capita. It would be nice to get rid of some of these interstates that slice through the urban neighborhoods (like the Berlin Wall of the North Side) and exacerbate sprawl (we had the worst sprawl in the country from 1982-1997 in terms of acres developed per net household gained). I'd rather have the mass transit network of... oh... i dont know... Munich (but of course in typically Pennsylvanian fashion... we are actually radically downsizing our mass transit network)...

*btw, DBR... did you know that Metro Pittsburgh has one of the shortest average commute times of any major metro despite our supposedly inadequate highway network? But I suppose it seems like you're moving around quicker in Atlanta on a 16-lane highway when speeding along from nowhere to no place.

[alleystreetindustry]

for atlanta..san francisco's density.

[DBR96A]

I wouldn't mind stealing another city's highway network as well... considering we rank near the top amongst the Top 25 metros for limited-access highway miles per capita. It would be nice to get rid of some of these interstates that slice through the urban neighborhoods (like the Berlin Wall of the North Side) and exacerbate sprawl (we had the worst sprawl in the country from 1982-1997 in terms of acres developed per net household gained). I'd rather have the mass transit network of... oh... i dont know... Munich (but of course in typically Pennsylvanian fashion... we are actually radically downsizing our mass transit network)...

*btw, DBR... did you know that Metro Pittsburgh has one of the shortest average commute times of any major metro despite our supposedly inadequate highway network? But I suppose it seems like you're moving around quicker in Atlanta on a 16-lane highway when speeding along from nowhere to no place.

I'm not proposing 12- to 16-lane highways in Pittsburgh, but 6- to 8-lane highways sounds perfectly reasonable. The average commute time in Pittsburgh may be small, but thanks to the relative lack of lanes, it takes a lot less to set off a traffic jam, and the pinch is felt more severely too. I remember in August 2001, there was a concert at Starlake Amphitheater that created a traffic jam on the inbound Parkway EAST about an hour to an hour and a half before the start of the concert (the traffic jam started west of the Squirrel Hill/Homestead clusterfu...err, exit). Traffic was coming to a complete stop at times. With three or four lanes heading inbound, the traffic could've at least kept moving, if rather slowly, but since the Parkway East only has two lanes inbound (just like RURAL Interstates do), traffic was stopping periodically.

I'll give PennDOT some credit, though: At least now they appear to be ready to lengthen some of the on- and off-ramps on the Parkway East. That should help at least a little bit. (What they ought to do next is get rid of that stupid eastbound on-ramp at the Squirrel Hill/Homestead clusterf...err, exit, sorry, and re-sign the exit with an additional sign that reads, "NO REENTRY EASTBOUND FROM THIS EXIT." Nothing says "dumb" like dumping entering traffic into an EXIT ONLY lane that ends in 500 feet! :hell:

[Young Gun]

I'm not proposing 12- to 16-lane highways in Pittsburgh, but 6- to 8-lane highways sounds perfectly reasonable. The average commute time in Pittsburgh may be small, but thanks to the relative lack of lanes, it takes a lot less to set off a traffic jam, and the pinch is felt more severely too. I remember in August 2001, there was a concert at Starlake Amphitheater that created a traffic jam on the inbound Parkway EAST about an hour to an hour and a half before the start of the concert (the traffic jam started west of the Squirrel Hill/Homestead clusterfu...err, exit). Traffic was coming to a complete stop at times. With three or four lanes heading inbound, the traffic could've at least kept moving, if rather slowly, but since the Parkway East only has two lanes inbound (just like RURAL Interstates do), traffic was stopping periodically.

I'll give PennDOT some credit, though: At least now they appear to be ready to lengthen some of the on- and off-ramps on the Parkway East. That should help at least a little bit. (What they ought to do next is get rid of that stupid eastbound on-ramp at the Squirrel Hill/Homestead clusterf...err, exit, sorry, and re-sign the exit with an additional sign that reads, "NO REENTRY EASTBOUND FROM THIS EXIT." Nothing says "dumb" like dumping entering traffic into an EXIT ONLY lane that ends in 500 feet! :hell:


That's PennDot. They have suffered many years from lack of funding. It has only been recent years that they have had enough money to repair the roads they have. That is why I support any effort Rendell proposes to help with the rehabilitation of the states infastructure

[Cirrus]

You can have all DC's highways, Pittsburgh. And you can keep your existing ones too.

Good riddance.

[brickell]

Just for fun, I stole some parks and put them in Miami: Central Park, Prospect Park, Boston Common, Rittenhouse Square and Lake Eola.

http://www.miamiprogress.com/etcetera/miami-cp2.jpg

[pdxstreetcar]

for portland i would steal just one art deco tower (35-60 story range) and have it tower over our relatively bland and short skyline.

[beanhead4529]

that miami parks montage is hilarious.

[BnaBreaker]

I'd steal these from Minneapolis:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Riverside_Plaza.jpg/250px-Riverside_Plaza.jpg

[Rufus]

I'm not proposing 12- to 16-lane highways in Pittsburgh, but 6- to 8-lane highways sounds perfectly reasonable. The average commute time in Pittsburgh may be small, but thanks to the relative lack of lanes, it takes a lot less to set off a traffic jam, and the pinch is felt more severely too. I remember in August 2001, there was a concert at Starlake Amphitheater that created a traffic jam on the inbound Parkway EAST about an hour to an hour and a half before the start of the concert (the traffic jam started west of the Squirrel Hill/Homestead clusterfu...err, exit). Traffic was coming to a complete stop at times. With three or four lanes heading inbound, the traffic could've at least kept moving, if rather slowly, but since the Parkway East only has two lanes inbound (just like RURAL Interstates do), traffic was stopping periodically.

I'll give PennDOT some credit, though: At least now they appear to be ready to lengthen some of the on- and off-ramps on the Parkway East. That should help at least a little bit. (What they ought to do next is get rid of that stupid eastbound on-ramp at the Squirrel Hill/Homestead clusterf...err, exit, sorry, and re-sign the exit with an additional sign that reads, "NO REENTRY EASTBOUND FROM THIS EXIT." Nothing says "dumb" like dumping entering traffic into an EXIT ONLY lane that ends in 500 feet! :hell:

I use that Squirrel Hill exit often. I wouldn't like it to be closed. Here's an idea, set the speed limit to 45 mph in that area. People go slow there, anyway, since it's right before the tunnel. (I hate when people slow down before entering a tunnel).

I wouldn't mind stealing another city's highway network as well... considering we rank near the top amongst the Top 25 metros for limited-access highway miles per capita. It would be nice to get rid of some of these interstates that slice through the urban neighborhoods (like the Berlin Wall of the North Side) and exacerbate sprawl (we had the worst sprawl in the country from 1982-1997 in terms of acres developed per net household gained). I'd rather have the mass transit network of... oh... i dont know... Munich (but of course in typically Pennsylvanian fashion... we are actually radically downsizing our mass transit network)...

*btw, DBR... did you know that Metro Pittsburgh has one of the shortest average commute times of any major metro despite our supposedly inadequate highway network? But I suppose it seems like you're moving around quicker in Atlanta on a 16-lane highway when speeding along from nowhere to no place.

I agree, I'd like Pgh to have less expressways. It'd be nice for Downtown not to be completely encircled by them. I don't get why people complain about Pittsburgh traffic; when I drive around there it's a breeze. The system is clearly overbuilt. Compare Pgh's expressways with Philly's expressways-- home to the dreaded Schuylkill. You guys have it easy.

[SuburbanNation]

just give back saint louis everything that was taken from it during the last century.

[Wild Onion Mike]

for chicago, i'd have placed the Rockies about 15-20 miles from lake Michigan. Would have served 3 purposes:

1. created a natural boundary which would have hampered the god-awful sprawl we're witnessing.
2. beauty
3. recreation.

I've imagined this for years. This area of America is starving for inspirational geographic relief. If we're going to dream we should dream big. Let's take the Grand Teton range and place it near I-355. Now that's a backdrop, 13,777 feet of granite and basalt lava staight up without foothills.

[MidtownMike]

I'd turn our riverfront area into San Antonio's Riverwalk (although our Susquehanna River looks a little bigger than the San Antonio River):

http://i9.tinypic.com/4rbh10j.jpg
Harrisburg


http://i15.tinypic.com/53j49p2.jpg
San Antonio

[ColDayMan]

I don't want anything from any city. I just want my old Queensgate back...:(

http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/zdalton3.jpg

Oh, and put some cars and track on the old subway tunnels and I'll be happy.

[Buckeye Native 001]

We seriously need to stop posting that aerial of Queensgate from before I-75. It makes me sick to think of what that area could've been, and what it is today.

Damn you, ColDay.

[Nunavuter]

For Toronto, I'd steal the Sydney Opera House. It would look great on a pier at the foot of York Street.

For everybody here who lives in North America, I'd steal European road signage to replace the stuff we're using now. Just looking at the picture of the tram above, think of what the scene would look like with the aesthetically challenged signage we use on this continent.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1023323/2/istockphoto_1023323_road_signs_1.jpg

[Wheelingman04]

I wouldn't mind stealing another city's highway network as well... considering we rank near the top amongst the Top 25 metros for limited-access highway miles per capita. It would be nice to get rid of some of these interstates that slice through the urban neighborhoods (like the Berlin Wall of the North Side) and exacerbate sprawl (we had the worst sprawl in the country from 1982-1997 in terms of acres developed per net household gained). I'd rather have the mass transit network of... oh... i dont know... Munich (but of course in typically Pennsylvanian fashion... we are actually radically downsizing our mass transit network)...

*btw, DBR... did you know that Metro Pittsburgh has one of the shortest average commute times of any major metro despite our supposedly inadequate highway network? But I suppose it seems like you're moving around quicker in Atlanta on a 16-lane highway when speeding along from nowhere to no place.

Well said. I just hope we can get a dedicated mass transit funding source soon. This seems to be a pretty big push, but I don't know if it is enough.:(

[ArchMadness]

I would just switch a few things from the cities I know the best, Twin Cities and St. Louis

For the Twin Cities I would take St. Louis' parks paired with our lakes, the large oak trees, brick housing stock and an occasional 60 degree day in January.

For St. Louis I would take the Mpls skyline paired with the arch, some more snow, less summer humidity, and the community activism which is so strong around here.

The Grand Tetons would be nice as well.

[Capsule F]

L.A's walkability

Houstons foot traffic

[svs]

For Chicago I may take Londons parks or Paris low rise resdential density.

Actually as a group, I think Chicago's parks are nicer than London's. You might prefer to steal some of London's castles.