Quote:
Originally Posted by josh white
Very lucky. Calgary escaped a similar fate in its downtown, which is free of freeways. There was an 8 lane highway, with a realigned CPR mainline planned for the banks of the bow river called the "Downtown Penetrator" (of all the names! It was luckily fought off by some people with vision. Now the city has a fantastic riverfront. Similarly, there was an elevated freeway proposed between 11th and 12th avenues called the south downtown bypass. Also nixed. The compromise was converting those two avenues into one way (which the community is fighting to get switched back).
Vancouver's livability in the core is certainly helped by the lack of such infrastructure.  |
Calgary still does need a freeway bypass so that trucks travelling west from ... oh say, Winnipeg through to Vancouver doesn't have to negotiate 16th avenue.
It certainly doesn't need to run through the middle of town though... isn't there a roadway planned, or under construction through the South of town? Or am I confusing that with Edmonton? Sorry... not watching the Alberta construction too much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by clooless
Just trading one eyesore for another. Winnipeg could have one of the most engaging and interesting downtowns of any Canadian city, such is the wealth of character buildings. I don't know what exactly is to blame for the decay; poverty, local government mismanagement, lack of private interest or a combination of these factors, but it is there.
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Once again, I'm off topic, but I totally agree with you. I moved to Winnipeg 1 1/2 years ago for school, and I have to say I was incredibly disappointed with just how devoid of life Winnipeg's Exchange district is. I mean, they seem to be trying here, there are businesses and a few restaurants down there, but there just isn't the presence of many steady downtown residents to really make it a lively place. You basically have to drive in, and park to experience it. I am fortunate to live within about 45-minutes walk, but even so, I've only walked over there a few times.
The city wants private money to come into play, but the private players seem to write off building after building, stating that its not economically feasible to fix these buildings up. And in the end, Winnipeg gets another surface parking lot. A certain city leader seems to think that adding parking is the way to revitalize downtown here...
But I digress... majorly.
I, for one, am very happy that Vancouver did NOT build the "Alaskan Viaduct" structure along English Bay.
(I wonder if they had, it would have wrecked the view so much the city would have never imposed view cones and height restrictions...
