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Old Posted Oct 18, 2009, 5:42 PM
paradigm4 paradigm4 is offline
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 688
Quote:
Originally Posted by WBC View Post
As a result you have daycares next to liquor stores and clubs, office buildings next to co-ops and so on. That is not planning -that is crap.

As new residents move in (and especially as they age and have kids) they will demand piece and quiet and eventually they will win thus making pressure on businesses to get out of the area.

So what is the point of this? To turn downtown into a new residential area by continuing to erode the business infrastructure downtown? Or was the idea to provide a balanced environment that would encourage people to live/work in close proximity?
No that is planning. And world class planning that is being replicated around the globe.

People who live downtown must understand that they chose to live in a urban environment. I haven't heard of any real NIMBYism come from downtowners. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The office buildings are not being eroded. We have lots of jobs, residential is just picking up to create a balance. There's no doubt that we must continue to ensure that office is being developed and that's what the city is doing. But trends like these, by and large, occur due to the economy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WBC View Post
Another thing is that this idea that everyone is going to live, work and shop in their own little town center is at best Utopian. Do you know how much people change jobs in this country? So every time I get a new contract or change a job am I supposed to move? Or does this mean that I cannot freely travel from one location to another to shop or to be entertained just because some geek city planner had this fantasy about how we should live our lives? The freedom of movement, travel and trade had made the Western world what it is today. That does not mean that I am saying we should build highways and overpasses over the entire city. But as other posters said, I think that we need great public transit and the best road-network we can afford.
It's not utopian, it's the long term goal. And it is succeeding. Travel to other cities in North America and the urban framework, while generally very much the same (town centres connected by rapid transit) are not nearly as well done as Metrotown, Richmond, Coquitlam, and Surrey. In 20 years time, we will be recognized not only for having the world's most livable downtown in Vancouver, but the world's most livable region. We will basically have replicated mini downtowns across the metro and trust me, the world will turn it's head again with praise.

If you don't like the way the region's residents chose to grow 30 years ago, then perhaps you'd fit in better in a different city.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WBC View Post
And to whom City of Copenhagen is a mythical example of how things need to be done. Yes, I bet that everybody is riding a bike because they are all on welfare and can't afford anything else. And yes, in that world you can travel everywhere by a bike and you don't need overpasses as you have all the time in the world. But guess what? Vancouver and its suburbs is a bit bigger than that and are not a welfare state.
It's not mythical, it exists. And it is one of the world's best examples of a sustainable city. We cannot continue to use cars as our main mode of transport. That doesn't mean they don't have a role, because they do. But we should not build our cities around them.

It's something that New York, Paris, London, and many cities round the world have learnt from Copenhagen and they are now quickly adopting many of its best practices. Why Vancouver shouldn't do the same is beyond me.

Cycling is one of the best modes of transport. It's low impact exercise, has zero carbon emissions, and is more efficient than walking.

Of course nobody is going to bike from Burnaby to North Van, but for 1-3k trips, the trips that most in the region take, it does make sense. We just need to modify our infrastructure to make it a safer, and smarter option than driving.

Riding a bike does not mean you are poor.
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