Canadian Urban Canyons

[dleung]

Originally Posted by Phil McAvity

Good point because for some reason Vancouver has been grossly underrepresented here even though it has some of the best canyons in the country.

Here's one shot of Vancouver:



http://www.flickr.com/photos/colling...27053/sizes/l/

West Georgia Street anyone?

I think most people mean "canyon" as in wall-to-wall high-rises. Vancouver doesn't have that... in fact downtown is designed specifically to avoid the canyon effect. The canyon on Georgia is less than 3 blocks long, and only in the CBD part.

[caltrane74]

For some reason.... Vancouver looks like the city of the future..

or maybe.. like the city is computerized. Very HighTECH looking.

[francely57]

Originally Posted by le calmar

Toronto lacks the uniformity (few continuous wall effect, and we see too many pics showing only one side of the street)
Ottawa and Montreal have nice canyons but lacks the height
Calgary was the closer to show a canyon à la New York, but the pics was not taken at street level so it's hard to say.
I don't remember seeing pics of canyons in Vancouver in this thread, I'll check again.
]

Originally Posted by le calmar

By uniformity I mean fill the holes, replace the 10 stories buildings by 30+, so you can get a true and continuous wall on both sides of the street, just like those pics of New York I posted. Toronto seems to have lots of walls, but most of the canyons kinda look "incomplete". But there's no doubt that T.O is going to have some very decent canyons in the near future.

Hum, I don't think it's realistic to expect fully New Yorkesque canyons in Canada...




We should be proud to have what's been shown in these 14+ pages, instead of all our cities looking like this:

(how many people think of this when they think of Canada?)

http://www.eurekablog.ca/?cat=7





....moooore Montreal canyons coming....

[Some guy]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

For some reason.... Vancouver looks like the city of the future..

or maybe.. like the city is computerized. Very HighTECH looking.

It's all that glass that makes it look that way. I love it!

[kw5150]

anyway.....


Great pics guys!

[caltrane74]

by me

[floobie]

Interesting thread. I know you've all been eagerly awaiting my judgement. So, ranking time, based on the pictures posted in the thread:

1) Montreal
2) Calgary
3) Ottawa
4) Vancouver (IMO, the prettiest street-scapes in the thread)
5) Toronto

Not really what I would've expected...

[caltrane74]

Oh geez, Toronto last again, even though it has the tallest and most monstrous canyons...



We can't win.

I should have beat francely to the punch and started, " Canada's Tallest Canyons"

[floobie]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Oh geez, Toronto last again, even though it has the tallest and most monstrous canyons...



We can't win.

I should have beat francely to the punch and started, " Canada's Tallest Canyons"

Well, you'd certainly win that. Toronto doesn't need to win at EVERYTHING. It still has the best looking, tallest, and biggest skyline in the country. And indeed, the tallest canyons.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Oh geez, Toronto last again, even though it has the tallest and most monstrous canyons...



We can't win.

I should have beat francely to the punch and started, " Canada's Tallest Canyons"

Well, not really last. It still slid in ahead of Halifax if that's of any consolation. Beat the pants off Winnie and Edmonton too.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Oh geez, Toronto last again, even though it has the tallest and most monstrous canyons...



We can't win.

I should have beat francely to the punch and started, " Canada's Tallest Canyons"

Tallest doesn't equate to best. I don't have Toronto in first either and I'm from Toronto,

1. Calgary
2. Montréal
3. Ottawa
4. Toronto
5. Vancouver

[caltrane74]

I like tallest, cause its objective. Itz already determined for you. Where-as best, is all subjective. Itz anyones game when you say it like that. In my mind the tallest and longest canyons should win.... No one then can let their bias interfere with the rankinghere.

[agrant]

That would make the thread entirely yours then if it was only focused on tallest canyon. ;-)

[Nouvellecosse]

If it's all going to be decided to objective rather than subjective metrics, then that doesn't leave much room for discussion. And considering that that's what the forum is for, there wouldn't be much point to the thread.

[caltrane74]

ok ok ok ok, already....

[kool maudit]

i really can't see the justification for placing toronto anywhere other than number 1.

[le calmar]

^ Toronto probably deserves a 1st place in this contest... But the pics in this thread showed another reality: judging by the "quality" of the canyons seen in this thread, my vote goes for Calgary too. It's not complicated, Calgary was the only city able to show a perfect urban and newyorkesque canyon so far.

[caltrane74]

And the photo I took above, doesnt, kinda, even, just a bit, look like New York?

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by le calmar

By uniformity I mean fill the holes, replace the 10 stories buildings by 30+, so you can get a true and continuous wall on both sides of the street, just like those pics of New York I posted. Toronto seems to have lots of walls, but most of the canyons kinda look "incomplete". But there's no doubt that T.O is going to have some very decent canyons in the near future.

If North York could fill those holes, it would probably be a perfect canyon! It reminds me of Dubai or Las Vegas with all the highrises on the same street.

Well one of the holes you mentioned is the inter-regional bus terminal at Finch, which will not be filled with a skyscraper anytime soon if ever. Unless it's done Port Authority Style in New York, with a bus parkade on the lower levels and then skyscraper on top.

[ozonemania]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

And the photo I took above, doesnt, kinda, even, just a bit, look like New York?

Cal, lots of the photos you took look like various parts of Manhatten. The one above reminds me more of mid-town, and I think some of your other pics in Toronto are better examples.

Having walked down streets in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver (sorry Ottawa), the 'walk-feel' can be quite different than what a photo can capture. Maybe you can call it a claustrophobic effect.

In walking Calgary, it does really quite well. Some of the CBD blocks are very short and the streets narrow. With taller building flanking every side, it does feel canyony.

In walking Montreal, it's the uniformity and orderedness of some of the streets that make it feel like a canyon. It's more impressive walking them than in the pics. It's not really always about the height.

In walking Toronto, it has the height and density, and meets the street well, making them interesting and vibrant. (This is what makes Toronto feel more like Manhatten). In contrast to Calgary, TOs streets are wider and larger, which all else being equal makes streets seem less claustrophobic... and therefore less canyony.

In walking Vancouver, it's managed to create canyon effects without the packing of buildings together. I think it's the shorter blocks with anchor buildings on every corner that create that sense of continuity. Least canyony of the group, for sure tho.

So for me, canyon = claustrophobic effect. I know that may not be other ppl's definition. For that reason I put Calgary at the top. I should add tho, that in general I don't like canyons for the simple reason that 9 times out of 10 the street life along a canyon is terrible. Things like building entrances, retail, lobbies, etc do not meet the street well if at all; lack of open spaces for light and for ppl to stop or congregate; and the wind, omg the wind.