[Stephen Ave]

You're the benevolent dictator of Calgary: What would you do?

[Tarsus]

I'd get rid of the CP tracks.

[Wooster]

How much money do I have? Do we become like an Emirates?

[Boris2k7]

There's a lot of things I could do with an infinate supply of power and money.

But It'll take me a while to draw up a wish list. ;)

[Policy Wonk]

Carpet bomb the Southeast between MacLeod and Blackfoot Trail and replace the leadership of Calgary Transit with the guys who run the shuttle buses at Disneyland.

[Bassic Lab]

I'd deal with two major areas, then do some upzoning, and that would be about it.


Education

1) Independent ACAD campus

Purchase old Molson Brewery in Inglewood and convert it into a campus for ACAD. This would involve the construction of some new buildings on the site but existing structures would be utilized to the greatest extent possible. Student housing would be built on the empty lots along 9th Ave in four story structures, the ground floors would be used as gallery space for the students. The school would then have sufficient investment to ensure that it becomes a world class institute for fine arts.

2) Second major university

Reclamation of industrial lands in Manchester-Highfield-Bonnybrook for the campus space. Focus on Liberal Arts, especially for post-graduate programs, UofC would still be primary center for the sciences, engineering, and maintain the city's only medical school. Location along the south bypass LRT line (see transportation heading). The schools capacity would quickly be built up to the 30,000 student mark.

3) Major expansion at UofC

To increase capacity of the institution to the neighbourhood of 50,000 students.


Transportation

1) Completion of primary C-Train network

Construction of WLRT, followed by SELRT in conjunction with 8th Ave subway, then the NLRT as a Centre Street Subway and continuation of the SELRT.

2) Construction of east-west inner city bypass LRT lines

North Bypass line following 16th Ave for most of its length. Subway between Deerfoot and Crowchild, while primarily running elevated or in the median for the rest of 16th Ave. The ROW would leave 16th Ave to head north, allowing for stations in the heart of Montgomery and Bowness, then dip back for a station at COP.

South Bypass line beginning on 17th Ave East, heading west as an elevated line over Deerfoot and continuing over the Blackfoot ROW. From Blackfoot it will head west along 34th Ave, diving underground at Macleod and remaining under 34th Ave until 20th Street West, where it would head south until 50th Ave, where it would turn west and head to a station at Mount Royal College before taking the Glenmore ROW to Westhills.

3) At least Initial Work on 2 circle lines

Inner circle line roughly following McKnight-Deerfoot-Glenmore-Crowchild routing. The line would leave this rough routing in a number of places, dipping south of Glenmore for a station at Rockyview Hospital, west of Crowchild first for a station at MRC, then again for a station at Foothills Hospital followed by a station at the UofC before crossing the NWLRT at Brentwood Station and making its way to McKnight. From there the route would follow Deerfoot until heading west along the 58th Ave ROW until Blackfoot, where it would dip south until the 61st Ave ROW (which doesn't completely exist right now but there is a gap in the buildings where it should and that blocks there would be broken in half anyway) which it would take until crossing the SLRT at Chinook Station.

Outer circle would consist of only portions of a circle that may or may not ever be connected. The first portion would be a link between the NELRT and NLRT, including an Airport station, mostly along the Airport Trail ROW, which would be extended west to Harvest Hills Boulevard. The next phase would expand this line west of the NLRT over the Golf course to Country Hills Boulevard. It would then follow Country Hills Boulevard until Sarcee where it would head south. After a slight detour to hit a NW LRT station, it would continue south, some how work its way through Bowness (linking to the 16th Ave line), then cross the river and follow Sarcee once more, linking to the West LRT at 17th and the South bypass at Westhills. Another portion would follow Anderson Road, Deerfoot and 114th Ave to link the SLRT to the SELRT, the wastern terminus would be 37th Street. Future links to the two portions would possibly follow at later dates.


Extensive Rezoning

To take advantage of the extensive rail network a great deal of the city would be rezoned. Where lines meet, mini downtowns would be zoned for, meaning extensive upzoning.

The majority of inner city arterials would be zoned for six story buildings with retail on the bottom, including Elbow Drive, Centre Street, 4th Street, 14th Street, Heritage Drive, Fairmont Drive, Acadia Drive, 17th Ave West, 17th Ave East, etcetera.

[Alberta Bound]

Tear down the Calgary tower and replace it with a 400m oil derrick.

[wild wild west]

1. Bury the LRT downtown.
2. Build the SE and north central LRT.
3. Get the East Village moving FASTER!
4. Establish a regional commuter rail network.
5. Build new cultural facilities including a new library, art gallery, new 'dome and stadium.
6. Have the management team of Poine of View brought before a tribunal for crimes against humanity.

[Kevin_foster]

Move it to Edmonton :tup:

[Thinner6]

Just to say something different, I'd rip out any dead/dying pine trees and replace them with normal trees.

[sync]

i would abolish the shadowing laws forthwith!!

[mersar]

Pass a bylaw against developers building their man made lakes that really are just a waste of space. I was down in Auburn Bay last night, and sure a 43 acre lake in the middle of what was flat prairie looks nice on in an ad, but its a huge waste of space and the reason that the subdivision is so sprawly. Checking on GE I see at least 14 lakes that likely weren't there in various south communities, which is absurd.

[Bigtime]

Institute a gag order on Corndogger? I'm joking buddy, I don't put anyone on my ignore list!

I would have to say fastracking the SE LRT line would be a priority, and burying the 7th avenue stretch.

I would also decree that we build a 1000 footer, and top it off with a solid gold statue of Ralph Klein for the spire! :D

[Boris2k7]

Okay, let's have a go at it...


Rail Checklist

- Remove all at-grade crossings for all lines
- Move all the CPR train yards to the Transportation Utility Corridor, allowing for a single line through downtown
- Build regional commuter system with limited stops and central hub station
- Move all downtown lines underground, upgrade all station, upgrade all transit cars, institute GPS system that can link to all stops
- Upgrade all transit vehicles, must be at highest emissions standards
- Start ad campaigns for rail awareness, promotional material
- Build, equip, and staff new maintenance facilities in every quadrant
- Redo all suburban feeder routes so that they work properly
- Build out all LRT lines, new circle routes, new streetcar lines
- Institute new, intelligent fare system


Roads checklist

- Institute a toll system for all city expressways
- Reroute TCH to divert traffic away from 16th before it ever hits the ring road
- Institute a congestion charge system with other congestion management methods such as timed lights


Other transportation

- Make sure that every street has sidewalks of appropriate width and quality on both sides of the road
- Bring in more bike lines, bike facilities, and a seperate regulatory system that sets them apart from motorized vehicles
- Awareness campaign for the bikes as well


Land Use System

- Move to a more flexible discretionary model with less red tape
- Codify all the major tenets of the Centre City Plan
- Make intelligent land use maps that are useful for demographers, geographers, and topographers (and other people with that suffix)


Development Process

- Make sure that in any major land use decision, a community can opt to be a single vote at the planning commission meeting dealing with the issue
- Put all public information online, with a downloading system (possible based off Bitorrent)
- Streamline the development permit process for desirable development by instituting a queue system and a ranking system for development types and locations


Tax System

- Base taxes off of a model that is based more upon service use and partially on income as well.
- Tie tax increases to a certain allowable percentage over the rate of inflation (like 2%)


General Development/Construction

- New art galleries, museums, college facilities, second university, new rec facilities, etc.


Environment

- Mandatory water meters, everywhere, yesterday
- Stricter environmental regulations for water and energy usage
- Insitute a minimum LEED standard for all developments of a certain size, comparable to what San Francisco just did


Social Delivery

- low-income employment system based on an integrative model; the idea is to get people trained, get them rehabilitated or otherwise treated if necessary, get them into stable jobs, and get them into some form of property ownership
- increase the role of cooperatives and reduce as many barriers as possible for their entry into the market


Other types of odds and ends

- Most visceral opponents including he-who-must-not-be-named be put forth before the firing squad. The biggest mistake of all film tyrants is that they don't immediately dispose of their foes
- The less problematic but still problematic political opponsents get to work in the diamon mines of Nunavut, making me a nice, hefty profit
- Churches lose their tax-sheltered status, thus forcing them to sell their worldly properties (else they face bankruptcy), which I will reclaim and turn into general purpose community facilities in which these same churches will be able to continue their practices solely on my whim


ZOMG

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[Grendel]

Mandatory jail time for trying to turn left on 17th Ave off southbound 14 St SW

[Jimby]

Grendel for benevolent dictator!

[Surrealplaces]

Extensive Rezoning

To take advantage of the extensive rail network a great deal of the city would be rezoned. Where lines meet, mini downtowns would be zoned for, meaning extensive upzoning.

The majority of inner city arterials would be zoned for six story buildings with retail on the bottom, including Elbow Drive, Centre Street, 4th Street, 14th Street, Heritage Drive, Fairmont Drive, Acadia Drive, 17th Ave West, 17th Ave East, etcetera.

That would be something I'd do as well. It wouldn't cost much money to do it either.

The CP tracks removal would be nice. I'm not sure there would ever be enough money for that.

[Jay in Cowtown]

Have lots of nasty filthy sex with my interns, while my wife speaks at special interest group's luncheons... oh, and abolish the shadowing thing!

[freeweed]

Pass a bylaw against developers building their man made lakes that really are just a waste of space. I was down in Auburn Bay last night, and sure a 43 acre lake in the middle of what was flat prairie looks nice on in an ad, but its a huge waste of space and the reason that the subdivision is so sprawly. Checking on GE I see at least 14 lakes that likely weren't there in various south communities, which is absurd.

Keep in mind that many of these are stormwater control ponds. I can't speak to your specific example but the one in Royal Oak takes a huge load off the city's sewage system during those lovely June downpours. The settling pond action alone saves quite a lot of hassle for our water treatment plants - or if stormwater is entirely untreated here (I can't remember), keeps the Bow running a heck of a lot cleaner.

[Tobyoby]

Mandatory jail time for trying to turn left on 17th Ave off southbound 14 St SW

You've got my vote as the new Mayor!

[Tobyoby]

What would I do?

- I would do some rezoning, make for higher densities along inner city arteries, like Edmonton Trial, Elbow Drive, Centre Street, etc... nothing groundbreaking there.

- Plant more trees in and around the city, especially along some of our main roadways (Deerfoot, Glenmore, 16th ave, etc..)

- Nuke Edmonton and take their football Stadium.

[Blue 24]

put Ric McIver in jail, if he can stop blinking so much during interviews.

[reflexzero]

Hmm so much to do...

Destroy the Calgary Health Region bureaucracy. The reason it costs so much and takes so long has very little to do with staff and bed shortages, it's the layers upon layers of management and red tape. My wife works there.

Destroy the University of Calgary bureaucracy. There is no reason it should take 4 years to get people a bachelor's degree. Universities and Hospitals have been doing things their own way for far too long and with far too much tradition.

Elevated East-West freeways. One elevated over 16th Ave NW. One Elevated through downtown, and one elevated over Glenmore trail. The purpose: people get get from east to west get to go east to west, while midpoint drivers take the lower road to varied destinations.

Bow Trail / Crowchild and Bow Trail / Memorial interchange rebuilt.

Elevated LRT along 36 Street NE, getting rid of street level crossings.

Ring Road 110 KMPH, Complete Interchanges, Full Circle.

John Laurie Blvd Westbound left turn exit ramps to tunnels under John Laurie.

Public transit security and noise patrol. High definition surveillance.

Public transit smart-card credit and pass system. End of free-fare zone downtown, but discounted downtown rates. Also tracks citizens using the smart-card system in case of trouble.

Downtown LRT system becomes subway, or elevated.

Clean Yard bylaw enforcement.

Mandatory Rainwater use

Mandatory Recycling

Anti-Terrorism military trained special forces units for use against terrorism and gangs. I consider gangs to be a terrorist threat to the security of all citizens.

Cops that do things other than write radar tickets.

Leisure centre upgrades and refits.

Abolish stupid social experiments like the Memorial Drive lane reversal. Where required, remove meridians and add electronically controlled center lanes for extra lane / lane reversal purposes.

Cement bus bays.

Electronic tolls for gravel trucks and other heavy vehicles using residential networks to drive on.

No one is allowed to have the same guy at the movie theatre who takes your cash for the popcorn also fill your order. All theatres will have runners who fill orders so you aren't standing in line forever.

Also, no whining.

Young offenders who don't wind up in jail will have to take and pass an art or drama class, and do difficult public service.

ESL classes required with employment.

Telemarketers will be charged by the city for each call made to a residence or business within city limits.

East village and Victoria park, blown to dust and rebuilt as something useful.

Industrial and commercial properties must be kept clean. This means, no garbage, no decrepit looking buildings (paint and fix please) as well as no rusty old chain link fence.

More mountain biking, biking, roller blade and walking provisions throughout the city.

Land for the Shepard Firearms Range to be relocated and modernized.

Race City Speedway to be modernized.

Oh yeah, South, West, North and Ring LRT. :)

[MichaelS]

Keep in mind that many of these are stormwater control ponds. I can't speak to your specific example but the one in Royal Oak takes a huge load off the city's sewage system during those lovely June downpours. The settling pond action alone saves quite a lot of hassle for our water treatment plants - or if stormwater is entirely untreated here (I can't remember), keeps the Bow running a heck of a lot cleaner.

Stormwater is not treated in the treatment plants, as the volume of water would be far to much for the plants to handle. Much of it does go untreated, however the use of storm settling ponds and a few in line devices like vortechnic units are doing some cleaning. I am not aware of any municipality that fully treats its storm water in a plant, simply due to the huge cost.

[freeweed]

Stormwater is not treated in the treatment plants, as the volume of water would be far to much for the plants to handle. Much of it does go untreated, however the use of storm settling ponds and a few in line devices like vortechnic units are doing some cleaning. I am not aware of any municipality that fully treats its storm water in a plant, simply due to the huge cost.

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that it's treated to anywhere near the same level residential sewage is, but it's not always just dumped raw into the river.

This of course excludes cities that still have some combined residential/stormwater lines. That gets treated for sure. I don't believe Calgary has much if any of this left.

[Aylmer]

I would order ice cream and eat it.

:)

[bigcanuck]

$10,000 fine for littering - including cigarette butts. Double if from a moving car.

[KrisYYC]

I like Bigtime's idea of a tower with a statue of Klein as the spire :D His ass would have to be facing East though.

I agree with Reflexzero about the CHR and UofC.

Many more people would attend univerisity if it wasn't stuck in the industrial age and was more flexible.

What I would do as dictator:

Transportation:

Put the LRT underground downtown ASAP and abolish the free fare zone and the naive honour system and replace it with some kind of turnstile system and electronic card system on busses as well. This will probably save lost fare money in the long run and will also help with public perception about LRT safety. It'll probably keep a good number of the dirtbags from getting on LRT platforms in the first place.

Build the WLRT, and SELRT as soon as possible and start plans to build a circle LRT line that intersects the existing lines and also serves the airport.

Overhaul the bus schedule entirely so that it's way more efficient and increase frequencies. Get rid of the cutaway busses and replace them with Eldarado EZ riders and merge shuttle drivers in with regular drivers making them one in the same, the ones who want PT can have it with reduced benefits. This way frequencies can be increased with smaller busses driven by both FT and PT drivers.

Fire the head of Road planning or whoever was responsible for our "interchanges" that have freaking traffic lights on top of them.

Every interchange with lights will be rebuilt as a proper interchange with cloverleafs or some kind of roundabout system.

Widen Deerfoot so it's at least consistent. Right now it goes from 4 lanes, down to 3, down to 2 then back up to 3, to 4 back down to 3.

Redesign the merge lanes on Deerfoot so that they actually work, especially merging from Memorial to NB Deerfoot (WTF is that??).

Make Glenmore a proper expressway by eliminating all traffic lights and widening it to 3 lanes all the way and speed limit of at least 90km/h

Together with the Premeir lobby the shit out of the Feds to open up bilaterals with carriers who want to serve YYC or YEG.

Housing:

Major re-zoning of several areas to make seconday suites legal, as well as multi-plex buildings to be infilled when an old house is torn down.

Other than that I think supply and demand does a pretty good job, though incentives might be in order to limit the amount of McMansion neighborhoods built.

[jeffwhit]

Legalize shooting people who drive and talk on cellphones...

More details to follow.

[IntotheWest]

Okay, let's have a go at it...


Rail Checklist

- Remove all at-grade crossings for all lines
- Move all the CPR train yards to the Transportation Utility Corridor, allowing for a single line through downtown
- Build regional commuter system with limited stops and central hub station
- Move all downtown lines underground, upgrade all station, upgrade all transit cars, institute GPS system that can link to all stops
- Upgrade all transit vehicles, must be at highest emissions standards
- Start ad campaigns for rail awareness, promotional material
- Build, equip, and staff new maintenance facilities in every quadrant
- Redo all suburban feeder routes so that they work properly
- Build out all LRT lines, new circle routes, new streetcar lines
- Institute new, intelligent fare system


Roads checklist

- Institute a toll system for all city expressways
- Reroute TCH to divert traffic away from 16th before it ever hits the ring road
- Institute a congestion charge system with other congestion management methods such as timed lights


Other transportation

- Make sure that every street has sidewalks of appropriate width and quality on both sides of the road
- Bring in more bike lines, bike facilities, and a seperate regulatory system that sets them apart from motorized vehicles
- Awareness campaign for the bikes as well


Land Use System

- Move to a more flexible discretionary model with less red tape
- Codify all the major tenets of the Centre City Plan
- Make intelligent land use maps that are useful for demographers, geographers, and topographers (and other people with that suffix)


Development Process

- Make sure that in any major land use decision, a community can opt to be a single vote at the planning commission meeting dealing with the issue
- Put all public information online, with a downloading system (possible based off Bitorrent)
- Streamline the development permit process for desirable development by instituting a queue system and a ranking system for development types and locations


Tax System

- Base taxes off of a model that is based more upon service use and partially on income as well.
- Tie tax increases to a certain allowable percentage over the rate of inflation (like 2%)


General Development/Construction

- New art galleries, museums, college facilities, second university, new rec facilities, etc.


Environment

- Mandatory water meters, everywhere, yesterday
- Stricter environmental regulations for water and energy usage
- Insitute a minimum LEED standard for all developments of a certain size, comparable to what San Francisco just did


Social Delivery

- low-income employment system based on an integrative model; the idea is to get people trained, get them rehabilitated or otherwise treated if necessary, get them into stable jobs, and get them into some form of property ownership
- increase the role of cooperatives and reduce as many barriers as possible for their entry into the market


Other types of odds and ends

- Most visceral opponents including he-who-must-not-be-named be put forth before the firing squad. The biggest mistake of all film tyrants is that they don't immediately dispose of their foes
- The less problematic but still problematic political opponsents get to work in the diamon mines of Nunavut, making me a nice, hefty profit
- Churches lose their tax-sheltered status, thus forcing them to sell their worldly properties (else they face bankruptcy), which I will reclaim and turn into general purpose community facilities in which these same churches will be able to continue their practices solely on my whim


ZOMG

:apple: :tomato: :lockd: :banana: :cucumber: :pepper: !!! Happy 7000 Posts!!! :pepper: :cucumber: :banana: :lockd: :tomato: :apple:

Well thought out list!

In the push to get public transit usage up, would you also consider imposing a gas-guzzler tax like what London has for driving certain vehicles in the city?

I'd also add to the list for the city to stop adding more interchanges! Now talk of one going at Heritage and McLeod - doesn't make any sense to me.

I've read that traffic circles may be better as well at reducing congestion - they seem to work (though, limited) in Edmonton.

As for your "Stricter environmental regulations for water and energy usage", I'd add incentives for NOT laying grass in yards, and actually restrictions on watering lawns at certain times (like guys who wastefully water lawns midday), or heck, altogether...and the city can lead by example by replacing unnecessary grass with low maitanence (and far better looking) landscaping.


Oh - and I actually sit on the fence with the shadow guideline...downtown is kind of a cold place in a lot of place because of shadowing, I think there should be areas where shadows should be minimal - despite how much I enjoy looking at these buildings.

[You Need A Thneed]

Institute a gag order on Corndogger? I'm joking buddy, I don't put anyone on my ignore list!

I would have to say fastracking the SE LRT line would be a priority, and burying the 7th avenue stretch.

I would also decree that we build a 1000 footer, and top it off with a solid gold statue of Ralph Klein for the spire! :D

Nah, the statue of Ralphy can be the 1000'er itself.

[Corndogger]

What I would do as dictator:

Transportation:

Put the LRT underground downtown ASAP and abolish the free fare zone and the naive honour system and replace it with some kind of turnstile system and electronic card system on busses as well. This will probably save lost fare money in the long run and will also help with public perception about LRT safety. It'll probably keep a good number of the dirtbags from getting on LRT platforms in the first place.

Build the WLRT, and SELRT as soon as possible and start plans to build a circle LRT line that intersects the existing lines and also serves the airport.

Overhaul the bus schedule entirely so that it's way more efficient and increase frequencies. Get rid of the cutaway busses and replace them with Eldarado EZ riders and merge shuttle drivers in with regular drivers making them one in the same, the ones who want PT can have it with reduced benefits. This way frequencies can be increased with smaller busses driven by both FT and PT drivers.

Fire the head of Road planning or whoever was responsible for our "interchanges" that have freaking traffic lights on top of them.

Every interchange with lights will be rebuilt as a proper interchange with cloverleafs or some kind of roundabout system.

Widen Deerfoot so it's at least consistent. Right now it goes from 4 lanes, down to 3, down to 2 then back up to 3, to 4 back down to 3.

Redesign the merge lanes on Deerfoot so that they actually work, especially merging from Memorial to NB Deerfoot (WTF is that??).

Make Glenmore a proper expressway by eliminating all traffic lights and widening it to 3 lanes all the way and speed limit of at least 90km/h

Together with the Premeir lobby the shit out of the Feds to open up bilaterals with carriers who want to serve YYC or YEG.

Housing:

Major re-zoning of several areas to make seconday suites legal, as well as multi-plex buildings to be infilled when an old house is torn down.

Other than that I think supply and demand does a pretty good job, though incentives might be in order to limit the amount of McMansion neighborhoods built.

Total agreement from me. Except for the very last point about mansions. If people have the money let them build whatever they want.

I'd also throw in mandatory plebiscites on all projects estimated to cost $100 million or more.

The income level for reduced transit and recreation passes would also be increased. I would also provide these people with taxi vouchers if they can get to their jobs via transit but can't get home by it. Basically I'm saying public transit should not screw people who do shift work.

[KrisYYC]

Total agreement from me. Except for the very last point about mansions. If people have the money let them build whatever they want.

Maybe I should have worded it differently. I'm not against McMansions, but if that's the only type of property that a developer can make money on, then I'd throw incentives at them so they can mix it up.

[jeffwhit]

Sadly, this is the kind of thing I think about before I fall asleep, or while I'm walking to work, so this has been completely thought out ahead of time.

1. General City Building Stuff and Transit
-Re-route the TCH to a freeflow Stoney Trail or a freeflow Glenmore.
-Aggresively promote TOD on all existing LRT corridors
-Agressively intensify major corridors like 16th ave, 14th Street, International Ave, 36th Street NE, 52 Ave NE etc etc.
-Try to reintroduce a grid-like pattern to whereever possible, increase road connectivity.
-Reroute the NW line up University Ave, and under the campus.
-Build out the SW line, SE line and run the NC line as a subway up Centre Street instead of alone the comprimises route. Bury the NW-S line udner 8th ave.
-Run a Cross town route from Bowness all the way to 52nd street NE along (under) 16th Ave
-Run a Cross town route roughly along Glenmore or Heritage Dr.
-Build Commutor Rail to outlaying bedroom communities.
-Streetcars along corridors like 14th Street, 52nd Ave, International Ave etc as well as two inner city loops.
-Burry the LRT as it run beside the Stampede ground, reconenct 17th Ave to the grounds.
-Build the Transbay Tower that SOM designed for San Fran (http://cmaincsf.com/services/transbay.html)on the Imperial Lot as the headquarters of my empire.
-Build a "Grand Central Station" which would serve regional rail, the HSR to Edmonton, LRT, Streetcars and be the new Bus Station at the Base of the Calgary Tower, with the Tower growing out of it.
-Trench the CP line build a park around it and over it, with some new development of office and residential.
-De-shittify the area downtown east of Centre.
-Demolish City Hall, rebuilding so 8th Ave Flows through it, reconencting the east Village to Downtown.

Arts, Culture and Education:
-After I let Policy Wonk Carpet bomb the Manchester Industrial Area (gotta share the love,) bounded by Mcloed, 25th ave, Blackfoot and Glenmore, I would build a major medium density (with one or two signiture towers new neighbourhood, like the Pearl District on Portland. Within this area I would establish a new Lib-Arts University with about 6000 students, as well as build a "University of the Arts", which would be a shared campus for ACAD, The School of Alberta Ballet, a new Conservatory of Music (combining the U of C music School and the MRC Conservatory) and a Drama school.
-a new Dome on the stampede Grounds, and a new Football stadium, something like Reebok stadium (http://www.stadiumguide.com/reebok.htm)in Bolton, GB, maybe out where the Rail Yard is east of Inglewood. The McMahon site would be redeveloped as a TOD student neighbourghood.
-A new Jean Nouvel designed Concert Hall on the City Centre Lot. (and I'd build the cool "shard of glass" city centre complex along 9th Ave so no one feels like the lost a cool skyscraper)
-An opera house, similar to Copenhagen's (http://www.operaen.dk/360/website.html) on the current CBE site.
-Masively renovate (and fix) the Epcore Centre.
-Spend a lot more money on the Central Library.
-Build a ballroom style music hall in the Beltline so we can see some rock shows outside of the depressing Mac Hall Hanger.
-Create a system of Youth Arts Centres where there can be All-Ages shows without fear of Nimbys shutting them down, and provide space for music lessons, art classes etc.
-New Glenbow
-Major Public Art Mueum and Park on Harry Hays site.

Parks and Rec.
-Burry and Reroute Bow Trail and build a really beautiful 14th street bridge, turn all the land between 11th street and Edworthy, north of the tracks into a Olmsted style Park which flows naturally into Edworthy Park to the west and Millenuim Park, as well as right around into the Eau Claire/Prince's Island area to the east. The would create a contigeous series of parks from Edworthy all the Way to Inglewood and the Zoo. I would call this park Dynamic Urban Park. ;)
-Rebuild Olympic Plaza so in connects with the streets around it, instead of being a pit surrounded by berms.

Um, that's about it I think.

[cdnklc]

You're the benevolent dictator of Calgary: What would you do?
abdicate and hand the keys over to stephen mandel... :)

[KrisYYC]

abdicate and hand the keys over to stephen mandel... :)

And watch Calgary go down the toilet ;)


Another one I forgot to mention:

I'd bust most if not all of the City employee unions. That way we can get rid of the lazy employees who get paid $30/hr to do 3 hours worth of work in an 8 hour day. This alone would probably save taxpayers a lot and would kill the need to raise property taxes for all Calgarians.

[cdnklc]

And watch Calgary go down the toilet ;)
...
hopefully not, regardless of who our respective mayors are. :)

it would do much for both cities - and for the province - to recognize at the end of the day that we are complementary much more than we are competitive and that what is good for calgary (or edmonton) is probably also good for edmonton (or calgary).

all joking aside, our cities are equals.

even if edmonton is much nicer. :)

[Kevin_foster]

^ AND think, we'd be in the playoffs :(

[Calgarian]

I would move Calgary to the Caribbean.:banana:

[Strongbow]

Aside from the storm water mgmt uses of the man made lakes in communities is the ability to use these substantial bodies of water in the future for geothermal heating/cooling needs. I work for a large Calgary development company (which will probably make me immediate enemies) and we are currently exploring this technology to move away from the gas grid. It also creates areas of refuge for migratory birds. Please don't assume these lakes are built for purely asthetic reasons only.

[Boris2k7]

To be fair, I think (Mersar?) was referring to little ponds like Lake Bonavista as well...

[Strongbow]

To be equally fair, Mersar specifically mentioned Auburn Bay, which has a completely different reason for existing than the narcissistic pond called Lake Bonavista. LB is a rich man's watery playground, but recent lakes exist for more than just sales brochure fodder.

[93JC]

Aside from the storm water mgmt uses of the man made lakes in communities is the ability to use these substantial bodies of water in the future for geothermal heating/cooling needs. I work for a large Calgary development company (which will probably make me immediate enemies) and we are currently exploring this technology to move away from the gas grid. It also creates areas of refuge for migratory birds. Please don't assume these lakes are built for purely asthetic reasons only.

That may be what developers are exploring now, but not a single one of the current sloughs in the south was built at the time for anything other than cheeseball marketing angle.

[Strongbow]

I'll assume you missed the stormwater mgmt issue 93JC and ignore your incorrect assumption.

[93JC]

:rolleyes:

I understood what you wrote earlier quite clearly. Thanks for patronizing me though, I really appreciate it.

[Strongbow]

Not patronizing at all, you clearly said that 'not a single one of the current sloughs in the south was built at the time for anything other than cheeseball marketing angle' which is incorrect. The man made lake in Chapparal has a huge storm water mgmt component.

I'm not saying the lakes are not a big time sales tools, that is a major spin off of them being there, but there are other reasons for their existence whether you believe it or not.

[vid]

Annex Thunder Bay and provide daily free bus service between it and downtown.

[cdnklc]

Not patronizing at all, you clearly said that 'not a single one of the current sloughs in the south was built at the time for anything other than cheeseball marketing angle' which is incorrect. The man made lake in Chapparal has a huge storm water mgmt component.

I'm not saying the lakes are not a big time sales tools, that is a major spin off of them being there, but there are other reasons for their existence whether you believe it or not.
geeez guys, and here i thought the edmonton/calgary relationship needed a little less animosity in it. and as for some of the man-made lakes/large sloughs, it's interesting in some jurisdictions (i.e. neither edmonton or calgary) how much some of them are starting to be hated by their neighbors who have to live with the migratory and not so migratory geese and the souvenirs of their visits...

[Strongbow]

Well, seeing the rabbits and deer in my neighbourhood get that freedom why should the geese be treated any differently.

Anyway, I don't wish to cause a heated argument, I respect the opinion of those opposed to man-made lakes, I only wanted to note that in recent cases their existense goes beyond purely marketing reasons, that's all.

[freeweed]

it's interesting in some jurisdictions (i.e. neither edmonton or calgary) how much some of them are starting to be hated by their neighbors who have to live with the migratory and not so migratory geese and the souvenirs of their visits...

Abso-freaking-lutely. My folks live close to some back in Manitoba, and in the fall the skies get black with geese. Their leavings get everywhere.

Although these were man-made lakes constructed over 20 years ago for the express purpose of stormwater (and in MB, flood) control, so I'm not sure how that fits into the whole "all man made lakes were for rich jerks only until very recently" part of the argument above.

[artvandelay]

Why all the lake-hatin' guys?
Forget migratory birds, lakes provide a cool place for neighbourhood kids to hang-out in the winter(and summer). Growing up in Midnapore, I must have gone to the lake to play hockey every day after school. Definitely the best thing about the community. All of the lakes in the south except for Bonaventure are accessible to each person who lives in the community, and I would hardly call them 'a rich man's watery playground' (Midnapore has a good mix of wealth levels). Each lake acts a community park that is paid for by the homeowners so I wouldn't say they are a waste of space. I guess you could call Fish Creek Park a waste of space too.
I do dislike the storm-water ponds that are appearing in the newer subdivisions however. My friend moved to Cranston recently, and you can't swim in them or even skate because of the changing water levels.

[tarapoto]

As benevolent dictator of Calgary, assuming I have complete control and that federal and provincial laws do not apply to any citizens, I would:

1. Outlaw FM radio stations
2. Impose mandatory 24 hours a day 7 days a week happy hour at every licensed establishment (which also means every establishment must actually remain OPEN 24/7 so you can get party all night if you want without having to go home)
3. Censor the following stupid clichés from all forms of media, printed, broadcasted or otherwise: "It is what it is", "that's the nature of the beast"
4. Impose the death penalty for any of the following traffic offenses if said offense occurs on Deerfoot trail: merging at less than the speed limit, merging at a yield sign, driving with anything that is not part of the vehicle protruding more than 1 foot from the vehicle, having an uncovered load, or driving a vehicle with a Saskatchewan license plate. Also lifetime imprisonment for holding up traffic at a green light on any road, and road ragers and rubberneckers will be fed to lions at the zoo for public viewing
5. Deport any citizen caught sporting any apparel of the Vancouver Canucks or the Edmonton Oilers to Syria
6. Buy the Burj Dubai and have it dismantled piece by piece, shipped to Calgary, reassembled by the Bow river, and then toppled into the river for my own amusement
7. Outlaw karaoke and open mic
9. Send anyone who pronounces Calgary "CAL-GARE-EE" rather than "CAL-GREE" to the firing squad
10. Force men wearing women's jeans or any other women's clothing, or fur, or pink, to have a sex change
11. Drop a h-bomb on Edmonton
12. Rename every street 1st street just for shits and giggles

[Champion3]

6. Buy the Burj Dubai and have it dismantled piece by piece, shipped to Calgary, reassembled by the Bow river, and then toppled into the river for my own amusement
Does this mean that The Herald would start calling the Burj the tallest building west of Toronto?

You might need to do something about that too...

[freeweed]

Does this mean that The Herald would start calling the Burj the tallest building west of Toronto?

You might need to do something about that too...

Joking aside, you just made me realize - the Bow is also the tallest building in Canada EAST of Toronto.

Think about it.

[shreddog]

Joking aside, you just made me realize - the Bow is also the tallest building in Canada EAST of Toronto.

Think about it.
North and south too. :haha:

[Wooster]

$10,000 fine for littering - including cigarette butts. Double if from a moving car.

Totally. I HATE littering. :hell:

[The Kid]

Totally. I HATE littering. :hell:

Reminds me of a story that happened to me in Grand Prairie last year that totally blew me away.

I was making calls from my car at a park just north of GPs downtown when a carload of 4 teenagers pulled in, parked a few spots from me and started scarfing down a couple of bags of Mcdonalds. I watched as they threw out every burger wrapper/box and fry container from all four windows as they pigged out. The last items to fly from the windows were their half finished jumbo cokes. There was a garbage container not fifteen feet from their vehicle.

I yelled from my car that they should pick up their garbage and throw it in the container and I was promptly told to go f**k myself and they sped away. What's wrong with people?

[Gregoric]

Definately a few changes:
Education:
- Majorly expand the U of C, increase capacity, decrease bureacracy (why do i have to take 8 electives, out of a 20 course degree?, eliminating that alone should decrease capacity constraints), eliminate those stupid waiting lists etc.
-Give St Mary's the certification right now, expand to meet demand, encourage out-of-town students to set up shop
-oil won't last forever, so if Calgary wants to, education funding and growth is the way to go

Transit and Roads
-Change funding scheme, i heard it was something like 55% roads, 45 transit ?(i havent looked it up), go for something like a 75-25 split
-actually build the WLRT, instead of complaining about it (20 years wait seems like long enough to me, lol)
-Build SE line, 7th Ave underground, (again , stop talking and just do it )
-Finish Ring road , the whole deal, especially the SW leg. In particular, get Stoney Trail up on to the hill on its way to Hwy. 8 ( if youve even tried for the Bow Trail hill by Sarcee when its snowing out, youll understand the benefits of another way down)
- Flip the airport terminal from the NE corner of the airport to the SW, to give the airport quicker access to downtown, connect with a spur-line from a North leg LRT or NE ( if that doesnt work then just the LRT to the current terminal)
-Go to 24 hour c-train/ BRT routes

Development and Growth
- Densify along all main roads in the inner city, multi-story, transit friendly
- throw up a couple more of those Garrison Woods neighbourhoods throughout the interior of the city
- TOD along all c-train lines
- Ban all stripmalls, destroy all the larger ones ( you know who you are West Hills and Crowfoot), and build an indoor dense mall centred around a transit stop
- Allow for continued growth along outskirts, but only promote growth to where future LRT action will be
- Plan out some sort of regional rail network, Chestemere to Cochrane, Okotoks to Airdrie
- Annex those towns and force them to build dense, centred around the regional train network stations in their cores

Recreation
- Get a new arena for the Flames online, a good 25,000 seats ( hopefully that excess supply will lower the prices, and then maybe i could afford a seat)
- Use existing bike pathways as a frmaework to create a sort of bike expressway throughout the city, above or below grade at all main roads, install heating pipes or some sort of method to have bike paths clear all year, maybe add some heaters so that you can bike without a jacket at 40 below ( i can dream, right?)

[Rise_of_the_West]

Mandate global warming. I'm done with winter.

[freeweed]

Mandate global warming. I'm done with winter.

The globe is warmer. Not your fault you chose to live in the one spot that isn't. :haha:

Wait - we had a 10x better winter than the rest of the country. What are we complaining about again?

[93JC]

Definately a few changes:
Education:
- Majorly expand the U of C, increase capacity, decrease bureacracy (why do i have to take 8 electives, out of a 20 course degree?, eliminating that alone should decrease capacity constraints), eliminate those stupid waiting lists etc.

I'd outright ban cockamamie degrees that only need a measly 20 courses. :notacrook:

[mersar]

20 full courses is what he meant. At 5 full courses a year its still 4 years, and 8 half courses of electives (same as my degree, though my 'electives' are a bit more structured)

[93JC]

FCEs :koko: