Quote:
Originally Posted by atbw
I'm excited for this and the proposed Governor's Plaza to go in. It'll be a few years, but having Bishop Street without Jersey barriers and that gravel lot filled in will be great for the streetscape.
|
It makes a big difference not to have too many gaps to detract from the visual appeal, interest at eye level for pedestrians, and variety of potential destinations. If Governor's Plaza is built then Bishop will have no significant gaps (as long as we don't count the Bishop's Landing parking lot).
If you look around Halifax it's hard to find commercial areas that have a consistent streetscape for more than a block or two. Prince Street comes fairly close for an impressive 9 (short) blocks. Dresden Row might qualify. Argyle is very close (there's one little empty lot). Barrington only has one but it's a bad one: a big hole right at George Street, the spot that might be considered the central axis of the city.
Aside from looking ugly, the gaps cut down on density a lot. We often hear people complain about the density of new development but for each highrise there is an empty patch of asphalt somewhere with nothing on it. I wouldn't be surprised if the overall FAR for downtown Halifax is something like 2-3 once you include roadways and empty lots.