Our Adolescent Downtown Plays Show and Tell with the Big Cities
When the urban scientists came to town last month, they poked and prodded, they strolled and moseyed, they listened and spoke. And some even had nice things to say about the much-maligned heart of our city.
Richard White
Calgary Herald
Friday, October 17, 2008
They came, they saw, they liked. That pretty much sums up the reaction of the 750-plus delegates visiting Calgary for the International Downtown Association (IDA) conference Sept. 11 to 14. This surprised me. I was expecting these urban planners, architects, interior designers, downtown association CEOs, marketing and event professionals, and politicians from around the world to be much more critical of our downtown and city centre. After all, these aren't your average conference delegates. They are "urban scientists" who investigate every street, alley, plaza and park of every downtown they visit, looking for the good, the bad and the ugly.
So where does downtown end and the rest of the city begin? When we urban scientists--as the former executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association and a current member of the Calgary Planning Commission, I consider myself to be one of them--talk about "downtown," we mean the Central Business District (CBD), the area where the office buildings, retail stores and hotels far outnumber private residences. In Calgary, think
9th Avenue S.W. to the Bow River. The city centre, on the other hand, is a term used to define a much broader area--Mission in the south to Hillhurst in the north; Inglewood in the east to Sunalta in the west--that includes mixed-use areas within easy walking distance of the CBD. I was expecting my fellow IDA delegates to give me "the dirt" on our downtown and city centre; instead, they gave it a thumbs-up.
The Good
Armed with 15-percent-off coupons from the Bay (these were found in the "swag bags"), a sea of delegates took over 8th Avenue on the Saturday afternoon of the conference. They liked the patios, the restaurants, the shops and the historic buildings, as well as the landscaping decorating the core. For those of you who haven't been downtown lately, the City's Clean to the Core program, started in 2006, includes wonderful flower baskets and planters and an enhanced banner program on lampposts, gates and bridges to market the wide variety of events taking place in Calgary. I overheard a person from Oklahoma City, blissfully unaware of our freak May and August killing frosts, say, "I wish we could grow flowers like here!" Murrieta's, with its live music, and Divino, with its urban ambience spilling out onto Stephen Avenue Walk, seemed to be the most popular restaurants. The Cellar became a must-visit destination once people figured out that high-end wines and single-malt scotch could be had for significantly less here than in other provinces and states. (Because Alberta taxes liquor by the bottle, higher-priced spirits have the same amount of tax as cheaper hooch, a fact appreciated by the out-of-towners.)
There was one aspect of the Walk that created some controversy: the 10, eight-storey steel installations (I see trees; you might see spatulas or, God help us, "pooper scoopers") outside Bankers Hall. Some liked them, others did not, but delegates agreed the sculptures would be much nicer if what they described as the "ugly green bulky boots" were removed from their bases. Seems like a simple thing to do, but more on that later.
I heard many positive comments about Prince's Island, Century Gardens and the river promenade in Eau Claire. And, yes, they raved about how clean our city is. Everyone was impressed with Devonian Gardens, with its more than 20,000 plants, waterfalls, fountains, bridges and sculptures. The one-hectare indoor park was considered a signature urban-development project when it opened in 1977, and the new vision is to integrate it into the urban streetscape under a three-block-long skylight planned for the Plus-30 level of the Core (the rebranded Calgary Eaton Centre/TD Centre). Somehow, it seemed fitting that the last people to see the gardens before they closed were a group of international urban-development professionals.
When I first saw the conference program, I questioned why two major receptions were to be held outside the downtown core--one at Heritage Park and the other at the Calgary Zoo. Perhaps the zoo makes sense; it is only two LRT stops from downtown and is part our expanding city centre, but why would the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA) take the delegates all the way out of the core to Heritage Drive and 14th Street S.W.? It turned out to be a stroke of genius as the CDA, Calgary Stampede and Tourism Calgary treated white-hatted delegates to a mini-rodeo in a magical setting. I had never been to this area of Heritage Park (northeast of the Gunn Barn and Wainwright Hotel), and it was hard not to be dazzled by the mountains silhouetted by the setting sun to the west, two horses grazing on a nearby hill and not a single modern building in sight. I overheard one IDA board member say, "I doubt anyone can ever beat this."
Our city centre is often compared to Denver's, which is considered to be one of the leading downtowns in North America. Its 16th Street Mall is one of the best pedestrian malls in North America and the LoDo (lower downtown) entertainment district, with its sports arena and stadium, is an example of a successful multi-use revitalization project. Denver, like many major cities in North America, is home to iconic public buildings by star architects--Daniel Libeskind's Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum and Michael Graves's library. (Norman Foster's Bow building for EnCana will be our version of this.)
Denver's downtown association is, like ours, a recognized leader in researching and developing various revitalization programs. So I was surprised when a Denver delegate told me she prefers Calgary's downtown. She loved the residential developments along the Bow River and Prince's Island, which Denver doesn't have, as well as the juxtaposition of the old and new architecture along Stephen Avenue. She praised the connectivity of our convention centre, hotels, shops, restaurants, theatres, museum and public spaces. Denver's core, she says, is fragmented. I remember going to the IDA Conference in Denver in 2004, and we were all gaga over the 16th Street Mall and other aspects of the city's downtown design. Is it just a case of the grass--or perhaps glass and concrete--being greener on the other side?
I have often thought some Calgarians are too critical of our downtown. No, it's not perfect, but for a city of only one million people, a winter city and one that is still young, it is doing very well. It definitely impressed Michael Edwards, president and CEO of Downtown Pittsburgh. He discovered Calgary's City Centre Plan online and was so impressed he showed it to his board and civic politicians, providing the catalyst for them to commit to creating their own downtown plan. He told me, "You have all the elements of a great downtown--a great skyline, parks, public spaces, pedestrian streets, patios, waterfront, retail, restaurants, offices, retail, museums and plazas."
The Bad and The Ugly
Along with these glowing comments came some negative ones, the most common of which was that the 7th Avenue transit corridor was "butt ugly" and desolate. One delegate called it a "blight in your downtown." Our visitors also pointed out the need for better signage or a way-finding program that would indicate the direction and distance from the core to 4th Street, Uptown 17th, the Design District and Kensington. Many delegates said they were literally stopped in their tracks after turning one block north from Stephen Avenue and feeling stymied by the C-Trains and buses, or going one block south and being confronted by the 9th Avenue auto corridor and the series of ugly underpasses.
One intrepid soul who managed to find his way to Hillhurst Sunnyside asked me if the north side of the Bow River was another city. He thought it must be, because it was all low-slung buildings and private homes, while the south side is among the densest urban areas in North America. This reinforces the NoNoDo (No Development North of Downtown) or NoNoBow (No Development North of the Bow River) movements. It's an astute observation; I could never figure out why the north side of the river was left out of the City's recently approved Centre City Plan. It seems to me the plan should have looked at how to enhance the urbanization of both sides of the river, because the current building boom has bypassed Hillhurst Sunnyside. While I am not in favour of high-rise development everywhere, the Bridges project to the east is a good example of thoughtful urban renewal. The St. John's Church site on 10th Street near the Safeway has sat empty for several years, yet would make a great site for a mixed-used development like Trio in Marda Loop. That said, the 16th Avenue improvements (which seem to have taken forever) have yet to attract the new residential and retail developments that were promised.
But back to the core and our big-city status, which is still somewhat in question. The most embarrassing moment of the conference occurred on Saturday, when a group of New Orleans delegates went out at midnight looking for a bite to eat. Returning to Murrieta's, where they had been the night before, they were told bluntly, "We're full--you'll have to leave and, no, you can't even stand around the bar." They then headed to the Auburn Saloon, having heard it was the local art community's gathering spot. There, they found plenty of seats but when one them innocently asked, "Do you have a nice cab?" the waiter responded, "You can get one just across the street." To top it off, he brought five glasses full of wine and the empty wine bottle to the table. So much for Cowtown becoming more cosmopolitan.
The Sessions
Like most of these gatherings, the IDA conference was a show and tell about what works and what doesn't. Everyone shared their experiences managing various issues, from homelessness to hospitality. There was lots of talk of clean-and-safe programs with catchy names like "Clean to the Core" (Calgary), "Crime and Grime" (Cape Town, South Africa) and "Get Your Butt to the Can," an anti-cigarette littering campaign (Des Moines, Iowa).
There were also several sessions on crime reduction in nightclub districts. The one I liked best was Edmonton's "Bandage or Condom: Which would you rather use tonight?" campaign. As part of the "You're a lover, not a fighter" initiative, young men in clubs along Whyte Avenue were given condoms wrapped in bandages, as well as fortune cookies containing messages such as "Don't water the neighbour's lawn tonight!" in an attempt to curb public urination.
Everyone was there to steal ideas--the IDA conference's motto is "If they can do it, so can we!" So much so that Downtown Dallas won a Downtown Achievement Award this year for their "d-spot" marketing campaign. Sound familiar? Indeed, Downtown Calgary has been using the "d-spot" as its marketing campaign for more than three years. We were the innovators, but Dallas got the award.
I first started going to IDA conferences back in 1995, a session held in Winnipeg where the CDA won a Downtown Achievement Award for its work supporting Child and Youth Friendly Calgary. The premise was that if you made your downtown a safe and attractive place to bring children, it would appeal to everyone. While people are still talking about this concept, the new term I heard this year was "grandma-friendly" downtowns. The rationale is that the zoomers are the ones planning day trips to the art gallery, science centre and children's museum, as well as out-of-town family vacations.
One presenter talked about the need for "grandma-friendly" parking--encouraging developers to design parkades so that seniors would be comfortable with the driving lanes, size of parking stalls and signage. Anyone who has seen the paint left along the pillars in the parkades at Palliser Square and the Telus Convention Centre knows that Calgary has a long way to go in this area. He also talked about the importance of "teaser" parking in front of shops. These spots, such as the free parking in the evenings along Stephen Avenue, are critical to successful street retail.
In the exhibition hall, delegates had fun at the booth set up by Milwaukee, the next host city. (The temporary tattoos and the chance to have a photo taken astride a Harley were big hits.) Milwaukee's slogan? "A lot has changed since Laverne & Shirley left town." Amid the suppliers hawking Christmas-light displays, park benches, banners and decorative clocks (the CDA bought a particularly nice one), my favourite booths were Dr. Gum, where workers demonstrated the new DR 1000S gum-removal machine (essentially a super-duper vacuum cleaner), and the "Big Belly" solar compactors (high-tech garbage cans).
Calgary was well represented in the exhibition hall by CBIZ (the collective representing the city's nine business-improvement districts), the City of Calgary's Animal & Bylaw Services, information on our Clean to the Core and crime-prevention programs, the Calgary Parking Authority and its new solar-powered ParkPlus system, and the University of Calgary's Downtown Campus project.
The Big Idea
One of the highlights of the conference was the Super Keynote Panel discussion--yes, that's what it was called--which looked at the impact of iconic architecture and megaprojects on established urban centres. The panel included six representatives from Calgary and one from the United States and, as you can imagine, the discussion was all about Calgary's megaprojects and our lust for the iconic building.
Todd Hirsch, senior economist with ATB Financial, was very articulate with his comments about the importance of iconic architecture as a marketing tool for cities and how it shapes a city's global identity. This strategy does have pitfalls, as Hirsch made clear by using the example of his visit to the Sydney Opera House, which, as a pedestrian, he found cold and sterile. His "Big Idea" for dramatically changing downtown Calgary would be to remove the CPR tracks and replace them with green space from Edworthy Park to Inglewood. He added that when he was a CPR employee, he had asked senior management why the tracks had not been removed from downtown (as has happened in most major cities). The best answer he got was, "It would be very difficult and inconvenient," which led Hirsch to postulate that maybe we are just "too lazy" to make the tough decisions needed to create a great downtown.
Lance Carlson, president of the Alberta College of Art + Design, shared his observations about how our downtown needs to evolve. He stated that we shouldn't be striving for iconic development, but for iconic experiences that reflect a unique sense of place. He also reminded everyone that Calgary can never go back to being what it was 10 or 25 years ago. You can't, nor would you want to, recreate what once was; a city must keep reinventing itself and be creative--the past is merely a context for the future.
Chris Ollenberger, president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, was all about "breaking the rules" and developing principles with flexibility, rather than prescriptive policies. His "Big Idea" was to "listen to lawyers for advice, but not always take it, as they kill many creative ideas." I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard the line that Calgary is a city designed by "lawyers and engineers." Just think of our particular urban blight, the 7th Avenue LRT corridor, which was designed to maximize the functionality of above-ground trains and buses, rather than enhance the experience of people downtown. And I remembered that it was the lawyers and engineers who decreed and designed the "ugly green bulky boots" that were added to the trees on Stephen Avenue to protect the city from liability, without any consideration of the esthetic consequences.
One of the strangest things I overheard came at a coffee break on the first day of the conference when someone said, "Everyone here is young and skinny!" Not a surprising comment given our active, outdoor-oriented population (when Sheryl Crow played the Saddledome recently, she said she'd never seen so many people running on their lunch hour--she added, "You people should all move to the Midwest where everyone is obese and lazy"), but over the weekend the thought that this might be more than a literal observation kept nagging at me.
Then it hit me. Calgary is indeed young and skinny, if you measure it in "city years." I've often thought we should measure urban centres in terms of decades, with 10 human years equalling one city year. This would make Manhattan, purchased by the Dutch in 1626, a relatively mature 38, while Calgary would be 14, just old enough to get its learner's permit.
It was ironic that, at the same time the conference was being held, the City announced it would spend $25 million for the construction of one iconic bridge and the design of another. I couldn't help but see this as another example of how some Calgarians, like many teenagers, think that for something to be good, it has to expensive and come with an impressive brand name.
Our politicians, planners and developers need to look inward, not outward, to understand and create a sense of place that reflects our unique personality. We will all need to celebrate Calgary as a young/winter/western/prairie/mountain/river/corporate/contemporary city. We must be innovative, not imitative, as we find ways to make our city centre even more people-oriented. It is a tremendous challenge, but one that our skinny teenaged city is ready to grow into.
© The Calgary Herald 2008
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...b-d5cd13b6f7a1
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Calgary's Adolescent Downtown Plays Show and Tell with the Big Cities
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