Quote:
Originally Posted by caltrane74
Toronto has a mini-New York vibe going on there in that render.
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I don't mind Toronto trying to battle New York in the skyline realm but I sure as hell hope they don't bring that mentality down to it's street level urban form.
NYC is a great place but people often it say, despite it's crowds, that it is impersonal. This is because it is a high-rise city but only a high-rise city like every single Chinese city. In short there are no houses of 1 or 2 story older buildings that help give a city it's warmth. Tall buildings can add urbanity, vibrancy, and density but they can never add intimacy or a human scale. Vancouver also lacks this intimacy and despite being a much smaller city and yet densely populated, the downtown has a distinct sterility.
This is what gives Toronto's downtown a distinct series of communities that ease in their connectivity and intimate in the midst of endless skyscrapers.
New York is a great city but it's the last one Toronto should be looking as a model for it's street level development.