[worldlyhaligonian]

Hello all, I know we have discussed the idea of a pro-development group in the past, however NOW is the time for action. Although Fusion is expressing themselves, we need a more targeted group and solution.

This weekend I attended a conference in Toronto that changed my outlook significantly. We do need a balance in the voice on development in Halifax and I had a wakeup call. Aside from what I heard from those at the conference, I also noticed how vibrant Toronto had become since my last trip to the city. Dundas Square had been completed and seeing a more coherent downtown made me realize the potential for the relatively smaller Halifax.

-BarringtonSouth, please PM me so we can discuss a potential meeting with eachother regarding the gathering you suggested at your business.

-Bedford Dj, I think that you should definitely take a role in this. Age is nothing but a number and your passion for development will be a significant asset to the team. Please PM me so we can get in touch via MSN/Facebook.

I will be using this thread as a launching point for future ideas... that being said, who is interested in being involved? Now is the time to act and taking the first step in this process will be crucial to it ballooning.

I am interested in hearing from all of you.

[Bedford_DJ]

I PM'ed you worldly_haligonian :)

I think its time for one too. Fusion is too pro-development for my likings and the HT is too anti-development. We need a middle voice that says what its people say or vote for not just one the blindly says yah or nah everytime.

[Jonovision]

I don't think we need any other groups. I'm a core member of Fusions Urban Design Action Team and you all know I don't blindly support every development. Our team is all about educating ourselves and the public on what is going on with the city. We meet with developers and stake holders. I can understand that some people might see Fusion as an exact opposite of the HT but the HT as we all know is crazy and blind to whats really going on.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Yeah, but we aren't going to be "Fusion" and I want to do more than you are doing. I'm talking community projects, school visits to see what the youth want for their city, etc. I don't want to be limiting in membership, as you set age requirements.

I don't want to polarize Halifax, and my vision is to create a diverse Executive Committee for this organization built up of young/old, layman/professional, environmentalists/realists.

The problem is nobody in halifax can see the bigger picture and it would be good to see a group with balance. I see this as an extention of SSP Halifax.

[Bedford_DJ]

Yeah, but we aren't going to be "Fusion" and I want to do more than you are doing. I'm talking community projects, school visits to see what the youth want for their city, etc. I don't want to be limiting in membership, as you set age requirements.

I don't want to polarize Halifax, and my vision is to create a diverse Executive Committee for this organization built up of young/old, layman/professional, environmentalists/realists.

The problem is nobody in halifax can see the bigger picture and it would be good to see a group with balance. I see this as an extention of SSP Halifax.

I 100% agree with you Worldly_Haligonian :)

I failed to mention this before but another reason I don't like Fusion too much is I am too young to join according to their age requirements (I'm 16). And well to expand on "WH"'s point about age I know quite a few people my age who know what is happening in the city and some are quite interested in it.

I won't name names but from other threads I've realized that there is another Halifax forumer who is my age and I have a hunch that some people are also older on this site as well. It doesn't matter to me how old someone is as long as they are educated about what they are talking about. And unfortunately Fusion doesn't think that way so I think its time Halifax has a proper group that anybody can have their input at.

[Bedford_DJ]

Here's just a small update on the group;

"Worldly_Haligonian" and I met over the weekend to discuss some matters relating to the group and to get the ball rolling on the idea. We still don't have an official plan or a name for the group but both of us are working on that. At least one other member of this forum is interested in helping out and according to WH there are a few more interested from outside the forum.

The group is still very much open and anybody who is interested should contact either me or "Worldly_Haligonian". :)

"Worldly_Haligonian" has more experience with groups and associations so I'll let him add any details I might of left out.

[Barrington south]

as worldly knows from my PM's, I'm a very strong supporter of this group, I just thought I would state that on this tread, to show my dedication to wordly's idea and to hopefully encourage others to speak up and help worldy's vision become a reality...this tread is filled with people (including me) who love to share with others the way they think this city should progress...well now is our opportunity...our opportunity to take this passion we all posses and do something with it...at times we have been called development or skyscraper geeks...F*** that...if we follow through with worldy's vision, we won't be "geeks" anymore, we'll be the movers and shakers that get things done. We will be the ones who help transform this nice little city into something great ...now is the time to strike...


well that's my piece...hope I did not offend you Wordly by speaking up for your idea...just wanted to show my support...thanks everyone

[gm_scott]

hey guys, I'll show my support too.
Bedford: Not sure if the guy your talking about is me, but I'm seventeen, I follow these forums everyday, read the papers, and search the net for development news in Halifax. I know more then lots of older people. Anyways, I'm not sure how I could help out, but I'm here if you need it. I would love to see something like this get underway, and I'll do my share to see it happen.
-scott from fall river

[Bedford_DJ]

hey guys, I'll show my support too.
Bedford: Not sure if the guy your talking about is me, but I'm seventeen, I follow these forums everyday, read the papers, and search the net for development news in Halifax. I know more then lots of older people. Anyways, I'm not sure how I could help out, but I'm here if you need it. I would love to see something like this get underway, and I'll do my share to see it happen.
-scott from fall river

Actually it was Barrington_South I knew was interested.

Thats interesting. I'm also seventeen from Bedford, and do a lot of research.

I'd have to talk to "Worldly_Haligonian" to see what what exactly everybody could do to help but we were just talking and we are now hoping to get a person from each district to keep tabs on their councillors and hopefully the more spreadout we are the more influencial we can be on council.

I'm sure we could find a task for you :tup:

[worldlyhaligonian]

This project is the the works. Please PM me for the details.

We will be having our logo design outsourced to a start up company whose young entrepreneur owner is joining.

The organization is going to have a fairly flat structure and be more of a forum that produces analysis and reports on any particular development. I want the organization to be everything that Fusion and the HT are not: well-rounded. The pillars of the organization's mandate will be:

1. Pro high-quality development
2. Pro heritage conservation and restoration
3. Pro environmental design (in terms of both human and natural)

It will be about consensus building. We don't believe that empty lots are generating their economic potential. The group will be a voice in council meetings to bring balance and actual insight into the debate.

A development like International Place would rank high on our scale and we want to possibly help facilitate business via promotion of Halifax.

[Nilan8888]

Hey guys,

I'm a year-or more long lurker on these boards, and they've jsut recently allowed gmail emails to register, so here I am.

Glad to know there's a Halifax pero-development group starting to take shape. Too bad it's a bit too late for me since I just left Halifax for TO 8 months ago. But what can you do?

I don't know that Halifax is really any more "backward" in its thinking than anywhere else, but it's at a key point in its development and if ever it needed citizens that didn't assume development was an evil thing to be opposed, now's the time.

If you ever need any general TO stuff the man on the street here can get, just let me know. Just to let any HT people know or they'll call you out as traitors to the Maritimes or something.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Good points for sure, this group will be all about building consensus. The plan is to produce reports on developments that use actual qualitative and quantitative analysis and not merely judge a development from arbitrary and subjective perspectives. (Unlike council and the HT)

Lol, good luck on calling me a traitor Heritage Trust... my family has been in Nova Scotia for a longgg time and we invented the Cape Islander boat... so I am about as NS as it gets. I challenge any one of them to even open that can of worms!

Anybody interested in the group, add me on Facebook: Craig Anthony Atkinson.

[Nilan8888]

Having lived and been in TO for a while maybe think of it like this:

Fusion: Wants to turn Halifax into Toronto.

HT: Wants to turn Halifax into a parking lot

Council: Wants to let HT get thier parking lot

This group: Wants to develop a GOOD city. You know, like New York is a GOOD city.


TO isn't so bad until you realize the transit system is screwed up. 3 subway lines + 1 RT line, two of which with only 4/5 stops? Takes forever to get anywhere around here. I miss Halifax with its 45 minute max walk to be anywhere I needed to be.

[Haliguy]

Having lived and been in TO for a while maybe think of it like this:

Fusion: Wants to turn Halifax into Toronto.

HT: Wants to turn Halifax into a parking lot

Council: Wants to let HT get thier parking lot

This group: Wants to develop a GOOD city. You know, like New York is a GOOD city.


TO isn't so bad until you realize the transit system is screwed up. 3 subway lines + 1 RT line, two of which with only 4/5 stops? Takes forever to get anywhere around here. I miss Halifax with its 45 minute max walk to be anywhere I needed to be.

"Fusion: Wants to turn Halifax into Toronto." what a dumb statement to make. Just because Fusion wants to move Halifax forward doesn't mean it wants to become a Toronto and what in the world does that mean anyway because it wants Halifax to grow and develop it is going to be like Toronto..give me a break.

[someone123]

With Halifax the problem is not so much that it's particularly backward, it's that the city could be much better than it is.

People say that about everywhere of course but not all other cities are attractive and overflowing with talent. Most are not in fact.

[Barrington south]

Having lived and been in TO for a while maybe think of it like this:

Fusion: Wants to turn Halifax into Toronto.

HT: Wants to turn Halifax into a parking lot

Council: Wants to let HT get thier parking lot

This group: Wants to develop a GOOD city. You know, like New York is a GOOD city.


TO isn't so bad until you realize the transit system is screwed up. 3 subway lines + 1 RT line, two of which with only 4/5 stops? Takes forever to get anywhere around here. I miss Halifax with its 45 minute max walk to be anywhere I needed to be.


compared to many other cities around the world, that are the same size as Toronto, TO is years ahead in many regards, with the exception of public transportation...big deal... downtown is where the action is at, and the transportation is adequate there, if you live in boonies than buy a damn car...sounds like you have been served a healthy dose of ANTI-upper CANADA growing up

[Nilan8888]

You know Haliguy, for someone posting on a thread for a new development group that is looking for new members, the only statement more potentially stupid than my attempt at humor is your own.

"Welcome to our new development group! You're an idiot!"

Whatever, chill out dude.

And now Barrington South... cripes.

Y'know, forget it. If that's what a new development group has to look forward to, count me out. And trust me -- public transportation is a BIG deal. how many times have I read about people on here saying "oh well we shouldn't be trying to get people to own cars and it's all about desnity" now it's the other way around?

It has nothing to do with anti-upper Canada sentiment: LOVE Niagara falls... I think this response has more to do with a bit of backlash against it.

[hfx_chris]

"Fusion: Wants to turn Halifax into Toronto." what a dumb statement to make.
Yeah, and the Heritage Trust doesn't actually want to turn Halifax into a parking lot, and council doesn't actually bend to every whim of the Trust, what's your point? You apparently missed the humor. You should look up the word hyperbole sometime...

[Barrington south]

You know Haliguy, for someone posting on a thread for a new development group that is looking for new members, the only statement more potentially stupid than my attempt at humor is your own.

"Welcome to our new development group! You're an idiot!"

Whatever, chill out dude.

And now Barrington South... cripes.

Y'know, forget it. If that's what a new development group has to look forward to, count me out. And trust me -- public transportation is a BIG deal. how many times have I read about people on here saying "oh well we shouldn't be trying to get people to own cars and it's all about desnity" now it's the other way around?

It has nothing to do with anti-upper Canada sentiment: LOVE Niagara falls... I think this response has more to do with a bit of backlash against it.


relax, no need to throw your toys out of your crib. if you can't respond to criticism of your cheap shot without a threat, well than, I guess that is your prerogative...but let me ask you... why did you move to Toronto in the first place, a job opportunity perhaps? so is this a case of biting the hand that feeds you?...you stated that TO isn't "so bad"... does that surprise you?...not as bad as you where led to believe perhaps?...


however, i ask you to not turn your back on the potential to transform Halifax...please do not let my hypersensitive defensive nature.....of my hometown...turn you off from this opportunity. I was speaking for myself and my thoughts are not a reflection of this group or any others who might be potentially involved...I sincerely hope you do participate

[Nilan8888]

relax, no need to throw your toys out of your crib.

Oh, very well... stupid toys...

If you can't respond to criticism of your cheap shot without a threat, well than, I guess that is your prerogative...but let me ask you... why did you move to Toronto in the first place, a job opportunity perhaps? so is this a case of biting the hand that feeds you?

No, my girlfriend is from TO. I met her visting my best friend some years ago who moved out here for a job oppertunity. So maybe it's the hand that feeds him.

I had a development job in Halifax. I told them I was leaving for TO to be with her. They said "wait, wait, how would you like to keep working for us in Toronto?" I said "Fab, let's do it". I'm still paid from Halifax. Which means it's a Halifax salary in TO which isn't great -- but at least it was a pretty good one. I do work on the side from TO that compensates, so maybe I'm biting that?


...you stated that TO isn't "so bad"... does that surprise you?...not as bad as you where led to believe perhaps?...

No, if anything it was a letdown after the 1.5-2 years worth of visting where I got sold on the place. Then I remembered it's a whole lot more fun to visit anywhere than live there. I never got why people don't like TO for it's people: they've been nice enough to me. The only TO snobs I ever met had moved to Halifax and seemed to be bitter about it for some reason. Maybe TO has gotten ahead by exporting them to other cities.

It's a place like anywhere else and the people here aren't any dumber or more enlightened than anywhere else. There's just more of them; which is fine. What isn't so fine is the semi-managed sprawl that Halifax should definately avoid. I mean just look at the transit map... sure, it does fine for downtown: most people don't live downtown. Me, I live uptown on Shepphard at the moment (I'm moving soon): that's not the suburbs unless your suburbs start at North York and not Markham/Richmond Hill. And it's irrelevant on that point anyway because I live right across the street from Bayview Station.

But I've experienced a few different commutes. I dunno, maybe it's pretty ordinary, but you have to pay an extra fare leaving the GTA?


however, i ask you to not turn your back on the potential to transform Halifax...please do not let my hypersensitive defensive nature.....of my hometown...turn you off from this opportunity. I was speaking for myself and my thoughts are not a reflection of this group or any others who might be potentially involved...I sincerely hope you do participate

Maybe it's because I'm from Halifax but I look at the things people post here about the buildings, and I get excited. Where I live, there's this BIG condo going up of the ARC... really nice lots of glass... looks great:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=743272

And yet looking at it it's beautiful... but comparatively I could care less. Here it's just another building in a city that has nothing to prove (except its transit system) and is in all probability shrinking or close to with the economy in the dumps. Yet I'm far more interested in the Trillium, which many would say is smaller, less impressive and less desirable.

But the Arc won't do much one way or another for Toronto. The Trillium will do a lot for Halifax.

[worldlyhaligonian]

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I stopped reading most of the above posts about halfway through. I think we need to be a little more light hearted here, otherwise we're lose focus and become distracted from what this thread is about. Everybody has the right to an opinion and attacks on people aren't cool.

Yet, I said this was all about consensus, I think that making jokes is fine like Barrington did.. he has his right to laugh about various matters... I think its a valid point for what he's trying to express about each group, and quite funny. I like alot of aspects of Toronto, however unlike alot of upstart Haligonians I have lived a number of other places. Some aspects of Toronto I would love Halifax to have, but others not so much (i.e. alot of the GTA urban sprawl, which I don't personally count as "Toronto"). I think this is healthy discussion. I'm not worried about Halifax becoming Toronto, we are on the ocean out here and have too much soul.

I know alot of people from here are well travelled, but until you live somewhere its really hard to judge what its really like. Honestly, I would like Halifax to be more like Rotterdam, but thats doubtful. (Which is sad considering their consensus model: see Dutch Polder Model)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Erasmusbrug.jpg/800px-Erasmusbrug.jpg

Furthermore, which of you has actually lived in Toronto for any extended period of time? it sounds like you're talking about a different city than the one I know. I've lived there several times and in different areas, I'm talking from one end of the city to the other. I think Toronto has amazing public transit and most don't live far fom the TTC. (which is almost impossible with the great bus and streetcar network)

[Nilan8888]

Toronto's great for a lot of things: you don't notice it by what you hear, but crime seems to be all right. you read about this or that but it seems there's worse going on with Montreal's biker wars and even worse with the problems in Vancouver. Everything here seems to be teenage related for some reason.

It's definately more diverse... although it seems it just sort of ended up that way. There's way more of an Italian community here, but Halifax does has a significant Greek and Lebanese presence.

The main gripe is really the transit system. If anything it's the necessity being the mother of invention. Toronto's had geography and simple layout maybe a bit TOO much in it's favor. This city is dense but not as much as it could be. And it's currently being underfunded -- ride the Bloor line and you start to sense some of that. That and the fact there's only 3 real subway lines, the third of which is extrenious. And there's turf conflicts between York region and TO transit that mean that if you're busing out of the GTA, you pay a second time getting off the bus. Going into the GTA they stop the bus and have everyone pay again (that didn't already). And once you get beyond the main streets these buses are about as reliable as in Halifax.

Halifax is smaller so yes, it doesn't have these problems and there's time to, hopefully, plan. Learn from Toronto's successes... but also it's mistakes.

[spaustin]

Toronto had a great transit system once and it still does in places, but the problem is they never kept it up and now they're dealing with a system that hasn't expanded significantly in decades while the region as a whole has seen explosive growth. There are plans on the books now to hopefully rectify that, but it remains to be seen if the various levels of government have the stomach to fund it.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Toronto had a great transit system once and it still does in places, but the problem is they never kept it up and now they're dealing with a system that hasn't expanded significantly in decades while the region as a whole has seen explosive growth. There are plans on the books now to hopefully rectify that, but it remains to be seen if the various levels of government have the stomach to fund it.

Yeah, but honestly... you can get anywhere on the TTC if you live in Toronto proper... its not that bad, I was there last week and was all over the city.

Halifax should just avoid the sprawl problem to begin with...

Anyway, this thread is more for admin of the group we are creating, lets please get off this topic... we'll have plenty of discussion at our first meeting, coming in early May!!!

[planarchy]

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I stopped reading most of the above posts about halfway through. I think we need to be a little more light hearted here, otherwise we're lose focus and become distracted from what this thread is about. Everybody has the right to an opinion and attacks on people aren't cool.

Yet, I said this was all about consensus, I think that making jokes is fine like Barrington did.. he has his right to laugh about various matters... I think its a valid point for what he's trying to express about each group, and quite funny. I like alot of aspects of Toronto, however unlike alot of upstart Haligonians I have lived a number of other places. Some aspects of Toronto I would love Halifax to have, but others not so much (i.e. alot of the GTA urban sprawl, which I don't personally count as "Toronto"). I think this is healthy discussion. I'm not worried about Halifax becoming Toronto, we are on the ocean out here and have too much soul.

I know alot of people from here are well travelled, but until you live somewhere its really hard to judge what its really like. Honestly, I would like Halifax to be more like Rotterdam, but thats doubtful. (Which is sad considering their consensus model: see Dutch Polder Model)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Erasmusbrug.jpg/800px-Erasmusbrug.jpg

Furthermore, which of you has actually lived in Toronto for any extended period of time? it sounds like you're talking about a different city than the one I know. I've lived there several times and in different areas, I'm talking from one end of the city to the other. I think Toronto has amazing public transit and most don't live far fom the TTC. (which is almost impossible with the great bus and streetcar network)

Ahh...the Dutch. Now this is something worth talking about. Was in Rotterdam last week...fantastic city. I love TO - and they do have a great transit system - but we need to look beyond NA for examples of good urban design/planning. Halifax has more in common - and much more to gain - from cities in western Europe, and there are so many comparable in size (even Rotterdam isn't much more than 500,000 people).

And if you are looking to Europe for inspiration, the Netherlands can't be ignored. Perhaps a focus of your group can be to bring forward exemplary projects and presenting them into current debates in the city. Big city canadian models and examples from the US are not often that appropriate for Halifax and may only serve to restrict ideas. Introducing some new perspectives/processes/etc. outside of the standard examples can help to convey the potential of Halifax and - for those that say it can't be done - some great examples of it being 'done'.

[Bedford_DJ]

Yeah, but honestly... you can get anywhere on the TTC if you live in Toronto proper... its not that bad, I was there last week and was all over the city.

Halifax should just avoid the sprawl problem to begin with...

Anyway, this thread is more for admin of the group we are creating, lets please get off this topic... we'll have plenty of discussion at our first meeting, coming in early May!!!

Well the new massive park just announced will help that. Including the harbour I think Halifax proper is now surrunded on all sides which might mean more build-up in the city (fingers crossed).

BTW Happy Birthday Craig :)

[someone123]

I am not sure why people talk as if Halifax can "avoid" sprawl when it has already been happening for the past 50 years. Most of the city is suburban or exurban and it already has a big effect on the city's ability to provide services. Halifax is in fact much more sprawled than Toronto and, given the way the HRM is set up and how things tend to go in the city, expends a lot more energy promoting sprawl at the expense of the downtown and inner neighbourhoods.

Toronto transit is seriously lacking but Halifax has zero rapid transit to speak of. I've lived in Toronto and I took the subway every day with 2 minute peak frequencies. There is nothing like that in Halifax.

A big strength is that the core parts of Halifax are compact and walkable but again that is a very small part of the overall city and is not necessarily being built upon much these days.

I am currently living in Vancouver. The gang violence thing is seriously overblown, or at least I don't really see it in my part of the city. Overall, I would say that Vancouver is the most similar big city to Halifax (by far) and that it is doing a significantly better job right now, in 2009, of building better infrastructure and focusing development. Right now there's a subway being built, a streetcar line, a bunch of new bridges, new convention centre, Olympic venues, etc. etc., and they are already talking about another transit line to be built across the city. It's all worth billions and in Halifax terms would be equivalent to projects in the hundreds of millions, not a couple of cat bylaws and a $10M transit project once a decade.

[Barrington south]

I definitely agree that looking to western Europe for inspiration and ideas would be a very good idea

[Nilan8888]

I am not sure why people talk as if Halifax can "avoid" sprawl when it has already been happening for the past 50 years. Most of the city is suburban or exurban and it already has a big effect on the city's ability to provide services. Halifax is in fact much more sprawled than Toronto and, given the way the HRM is set up and how things tend to go in the city, expends a lot more energy promoting sprawl at the expense of the downtown and inner neighbourhoods.

Toronto transit is seriously lacking but Halifax has zero rapid transit to speak of. I've lived in Toronto and I took the subway every day with 2 minute peak frequencies. There is nothing like that in Halifax.

I think it's more a matter of "Halifax CAN avoid sprawl" if it starts changing the way things are done as opposed to Toronto where they can't because it's already happened. Even someone that lives on the outskirts can get to work in a reasonable timeframe... for now.

If, theoretically, Halifax were to spend most of its new growth in infill and try to limit moving very far beyond the 102/Dunbrack border, the trend might be reversed. Which isn't likely to happen of course, but you never know.

But there's hope. Halifax itself actually doesn't reach very far in on the mainland and other than Timberlea (that area's been a bit TOO busy) and what I'm guessing was the 60s- mid 80s stretch out into Spryfield; most of the TO-type sprawl seems to me to have happened over in Dartmouth. There hasn't been all that much housing action out in say, Hammonds Plains, has there?

I'm sure we're a long way off from that, though. It's an uphill climb when people are going on and on about how, say, Schmidtville has to be saved when I think it's pretty reasonable to encourage those people to sell thier houses instead when the time comes to make way for some form of downtown expansion.

[Barrington south]

definitely the sprawl of Toronto is unenviable, but at least high density in the core is encouraged...where as Calgary for example, has lots of sprawl but it's core remains underutilised...I think limiting sprawl will be a difficult yet achievable goal ... although some growth on the fringe of hrm will always be necessary, both for the economy and for population growth....some people neither want to ....or can afford to live in a house on the peninsula....however, I am very concerned about the density of the core...with HBD, we now have height restrictions that are virtually written in stone...There are many things I I dearly like about HBD, but it's height limitations i think are a major fault

[someone123]

There hasn't been all that much housing action out in say, Hammonds Plains, has there?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1154/3266985459_0b760eb2cc_b.jpg

[Bedford_DJ]

^To put what Someone123 is trying to say in words ...

Yes, Hammonds Plains is experiencing growth. It was the fastest growing district in HRM during the last census.

[alps]

Euch, and it'll only get worse if the 113 is built

[Nilan8888]

Yep, sure: those are bad signs that I won't deny. And I stand corrected as far as growth there is concerned. I don't think that's at the point of no turning back yet though, which is kinda the case here. I don't think the traffic situation is as bad. Whether or not it's the terms of scale that's saving Halifax's butt at the moment, Halifax isn't there yet. If those neighborhoods slowed down a bit while density started picking up now in downtown I think we'd end up with a managable situation.

At present it's still possible for people with a reasonable level of income to buy within the city proper, so they're not as forced as they would be elsewhere to buy in places like Hammonds. As the city grows without infill that'll be less likely as we move along since less living space will mean higher prices, but I feel we're still at a stage where a difference can be made.

In the situation here, it's done, done and done and it's a game of playing catchup.

[someone123]

The commute times are the big difference. In terms of coping with the sprawl, the means available are more or less proportional to city size. Halifax is less able to do something about its suburbs than Toronto is at the moment.

[Nilan8888]

Sure. Less people means less funds. Halifax isn't able to do nearly as much as TO is directly like, say, build or extend a transit system like a subway or the big 8-laner plus highways.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Well the new massive park just announced will help that. Including the harbour I think Halifax proper is now surrunded on all sides which might mean more build-up in the city (fingers crossed).

BTW Happy Birthday Craig :)

Thanks DJ!

[DigitalNinja]

I'd be seriously interested in joining this and may be able to bring in one or two other people as well. I think that a point the group should make is that limiting the height of buildings and not working on the core of the city is costing more money. The infastructure is already in place for the most part in mainland halifax. Where as the out lying areas need roads, water, sewage, snow removal, street cleaning. Lots of different things that cost a lot more that designating an area of the city for high rise buildings.

Also on the point of low cost low quality buildings, using spice and I think that one on agricola street if I'm correct use low cost products and look cheap giving a bad name to the city. I mean what kind of multi story condo uses siding on the facade?

Development can promote the preservation of heritage buildings. By giving developers tax breaks if they keep the facade of the original building on the lower levels and keep it good. Right now 50% of heritage buildings in halifax are NOT being kept up to standards, with nets over them to catch any bricks that may fall off. That's not something to be proud of! Keeping those nice facades that you see on the ground level while incorperating height and revitilizing the heritage buildings threw the means of developers should be where the cities focus is.

I kinda went off on a rant there, but I just wanted to say. I'm back behind this 100% and I added you on facebook.

[worldlyhaligonian]

I'd be seriously interested in joining this and may be able to bring in one or two other people as well. I think that a point the group should make is that limiting the height of buildings and not working on the core of the city is costing more money. The infastructure is already in place for the most part in mainland halifax. Where as the out lying areas need roads, water, sewage, snow removal, street cleaning. Lots of different things that cost a lot more that designating an area of the city for high rise buildings.

Also on the point of low cost low quality buildings, using spice and I think that one on agricola street if I'm correct use low cost products and look cheap giving a bad name to the city. I mean what kind of multi story condo uses siding on the facade?

Development can promote the preservation of heritage buildings. By giving developers tax breaks if they keep the facade of the original building on the lower levels and keep it good. Right now 50% of heritage buildings in halifax are NOT being kept up to standards, with nets over them to catch any bricks that may fall off. That's not something to be proud of! Keeping those nice facades that you see on the ground level while incorperating height and revitilizing the heritage buildings threw the means of developers should be where the cities focus is.

I kinda went off on a rant there, but I just wanted to say. I'm back behind this 100% and I added you on facebook.


PM me.

[Empire]

I'd be seriously interested in joining this and may be able to bring in one or two other people as well. I think that a point the group should make is that limiting the height of buildings and not working on the core of the city is costing more money. The infastructure is already in place for the most part in mainland halifax. Where as the out lying areas need roads, water, sewage, snow removal, street cleaning. Lots of different things that cost a lot more that designating an area of the city for high rise buildings.

Also on the point of low cost low quality buildings, using spice and I think that one on agricola street if I'm correct use low cost products and look cheap giving a bad name to the city. I mean what kind of multi story condo uses siding on the facade?

Development can promote the preservation of heritage buildings. By giving developers tax breaks if they keep the facade of the original building on the lower levels and keep it good. Right now 50% of heritage buildings in halifax are NOT being kept up to standards, with nets over them to catch any bricks that may fall off. That's not something to be proud of! Keeping those nice facades that you see on the ground level while incorperating height and revitilizing the heritage buildings threw the means of developers should be where the cities focus is.

I kinda went off on a rant there, but I just wanted to say. I'm back behind this 100% and I added you on facebook.

I hope you find the formula for eliminating ugly buildings. The issue is; not many people can identify an ugly building. For those who can, the task is enormous to correct the problem essentially because it already slipped through the giant HRM planning cracks. There is no political will or avenue to address this issue. It is, in my opinion, tied with heritage destruction as a major contributor in destroying this town.

[Empire]

^To put what Someone123 is trying to say in words ...

Yes, Hammonds Plains is experiencing growth. It was the fastest growing district in HRM during the last census.

The growth in Hammonds Plains is very typical for HRM. Growth is unplanned and is left to the devices of developers. The Hammonds Plains road is a disaster. It is a narrow country road. The vertical profile has not been modified to handle high traffic volumes and because haphazard growth has been permitted for 25 years it will cost 5 fold to address 25% of the issue. The remaining 75% will remain chocked. One would think that the corridors of the #103 to exit 5, the #118/102 to the airport and the #101 to Windsor would be strongly promoted for residential and commercial development. On each of these major arteries there is barely a structure.

[Bedford_DJ]

The development group has now come up with a name;

Halifax Development Coalition. :)

[worldlyhaligonian]

:cheers:

Stay tuned for AGM details!

[City_of_Lakes]

It's just awesome to see what a passionate group we have here in Halifax. It's also ironic, as it is likely a result of our city's poor handling of development in the past that we have such a dedicated bunch here.

I'd love to get involved in this any way that I can. I don't know for sure what I will be able to offer, but I want to be a part of this. I'm 20 and will be studying city planning and urban development at SMU this fall.

[worldlyhaligonian]

It's just awesome to see what a passionate group we have here in Halifax. It's also ironic, as it is likely a result of our city's poor handling of development in the past that we have such a dedicated bunch here.

I'd love to get involved in this any way that I can. I don't know for sure what I will be able to offer, but I want to be a part of this. I'm 20 and will be studying city planning and urban development at SMU this fall.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=168931

[Bedford_DJ]

It's just awesome to see what a passionate group we have here in Halifax. It's also ironic, as it is likely a result of our city's poor handling of development in the past that we have such a dedicated bunch here.

I'd love to get involved in this any way that I can. I don't know for sure what I will be able to offer, but I want to be a part of this. I'm 20 and will be studying city planning and urban development at SMU this fall.

Check your inbox.

I sent you some information.

:cheers: