Quote:
Originally Posted by MolsonExport
Parts of downtown Richmond, while lacking height, feel more like a real downtown (density, street frontage, etc.) than one that is merely linear or composed of towers and podiums.
|
Yeah, Richmond is one of the very few examples of building an urban neighbourhood from scratch out of a suburban, car-oriented landscape.
Having a Chinese population really helps, though. All things being equal, Chinese people will partake in activities that are amenable to creating small storefronts which, in turn, animate the street. They also do a lot more of these activities in the evening, which creates a bit of a nightlife (from 7pm-10pm anyway) This would be things like buying buns from a small bakery, rather than the bread section of a large format grocery store, socializing more by going out with friends to a noodle shop rather than inviting friends over to your home.
In Richmond, you can carve up the retail podium of a new condo into much smaller spaces to serve these kinds of activities. In other new-build condos away from a Chinese population and in a suburban environment, you'd be lucky to get a BMO or Shopper's Drug Mart, and the result is a pretty sterile place that doesn't attract people, leading to a vicious cycle where you can't really get a real downtown off the ground.