Quote:
Originally Posted by Uhuniau
Even better: a variety of uses at street level, that acknowledge and work with the street, with DOORS and WINDOWS and things.... not just vents or "beautiful" setbacks and "open space".
This town needs to learn how to build urban streetscapes again, not fake suburban crap re-imported downtown.
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Yes!!
I have nothing against height. Fill all the parking lots up with towers as high as you want. BUT unless everyone involved is committed to a better street life, we're just going to end up in a dense urban desert. If towers brought life Laurier west of Kent would be a thriving district instead of a pedestrian dead zone.
I'm very worried that both Centretown development AND "transit-oriented development" will end up being towers dropped from the sky, with no life at street level, which may be fine for getting people walking and taking transit but will not fundamentally improve Ottawa's urban life. (More people living downtown is a necessary but not sufficient pre-condition for improved city dynamism.)
Great cities have great experiences at street level, whatever variety of heights may (New York) or may not (Paris) loom above them.