Great Canadian Suburban Skyline Thread!

[Klazu]

That's what the professionals call Burnaby Effect.

[Rico Rommheim]

Driving around greater Vancouver definitely gives you the impression that it's bigger than Metro Montreal. I don't know why that is, maybe it's because Metro Van is more linearly oriented, like east-west, whereas Metro Montreal sprawls out radially in all directions. Or maybe it's because Metro Van's suburbs really look big and impressive (from a distance).

I think that a metro that is de-centralized to the extent that Vancouver is can easily look bigger than a city twice its size.

[Beedok]

Toronto definitely feels bigger thanks to all the nodes that just go for like an hour.

[The_Architect]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Toronto definitely feels bigger thanks to all the nodes that just go for like an hour.

Ha, I remember driving around a friend of mine from somewhere in the States (middle of Ohio or something), and when I went from downtown Toronto to NYCC I was asked "whoa, what city is this now?".

Toronto definitely has a few nodes that could be their own small downtowns.

[J.OT13]

I look at suburban skylines like Mississauga and Burnaby and find it amazing how massive they seem.

How does Metrotown in Burnaby and Downtown Mississauga compare to the traditional big cities' respective cores in terms of number of jobs, population, size, shopping, entertainment and all around urban feel?

And are there any other suburban cities with this kind of downtown?

For those from Metro Ottawa, downtown Gatineau (aka Hull) doesn't count since it's more of an extension of central OT.

[Pinion]

Burnaby has lots of jobs and shopping but lacks pleasant pedestrian/urban street life outside of the big malls.

My city (City of North Vancouver) has more traditional urban street life - it's actually older than Vancouver itself - but short stubby towers and less population/jobs.

Lonsdale North Vancouver by bcbusinesshub, on Flickr

North Vancouver by Prayitno / Thank you for (4 millions +) views, on Flickr

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Driving around greater Vancouver definitely gives you the impression that it's bigger than Metro Montreal. I don't know why that is, maybe it's because Metro Van is more linearly oriented, like east-west, whereas Metro Montreal sprawls out radially in all directions. Or maybe it's because Metro Van's suburbs really look big and impressive (from a distance).

I think that a metro that is de-centralized to the extent that Vancouver is can easily look bigger than a city twice its size.

from Repentigny to Vaudreuil , +-85km

from McMasterville to Saint-Janvier, +-85km

maybe it feels bigger because of the suburbs with tall towers, but If you look on Google Maps, you'll find that Metro Vancouver is smaller.



http://buzzer.translink.ca/2009/09/h...-service-area/

[VivaPhysicality]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I look at suburban skylines like Mississauga and Burnaby and find it amazing how massive they seem.

How does Metrotown in Burnaby and Downtown Mississauga compare to the traditional big cities' respective cores in terms of number of jobs, population, size, shopping, entertainment and all around urban feel?

And are there any other suburban cities with this kind of downtown?

For those from Metro Ottawa, downtown Gatineau (aka Hull) doesn't count since it's more of an extension of central OT.

I've lived in the Metrotown area for about 5 years now, and it's feeling more urban all the time. Urban canyons are starting to form, and it has a crazy amount of busy stores and restaurants. In some areas, you can still tell that it has a suburban history though. A couple blocks north of Kingsway (the main strip) and you've suddenly gone from high-rises to post-war single family homes. The neighbourhood also surrounds the 2nd biggest mall in Canada, which ruins a lot of the street life, but the streets are getting more vibrant all the time.

Brentwood, Downtown Coquitlam, Downtown Surrey, Lougheed, and Edmonds are other suburban hubs in Metro Vancouver that are following the Metrotown model. Downtown Richmond is also densifying fast, but more in the form of concrete/glass low-rises and mid-rises.

Downtown New Westminster is actually the most urban part of Metro Vancouver outside of the city proper, because it's older than Vancouver itself. It flies under the radar, but it has a walkable, organically urban feel with a ton of heritage buildings and mid-rise density, similar to Downtown Victoria, but more gritty and obviously less touristy.

Unfortunately, Downtown Vancouver (and the surrounding area) is still the only place with a high concentration of office towers and night life though.

Edit: Pinion just reminded me of Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver. It's kind of in the same category as Downtown New Westminster I suppose, but with more modern glass towers and fewer heritage buildings (gentrification due to wealthier residents).

[logan5]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

from Repentigny to Vaudreuil , +-85km

from McMasterville to Saint-Janvier, +-85km

maybe it feels bigger because of the suburbs with tall towers, but If you look on Google Maps, you'll find that Metro Vancouver is smaller.

Gotta be a bit of both the large tower clusters and the very linear set up of the city. If you fly in from the east, you get the impression that Vancouver is huge.

[Prometheus]

Photo by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity: https://www.flickr.com/photos/526920...n/photostream/

[hipster duck]

Montreal feels biggest when you're stuck in traffic on the Met, which is funny, because you're never within sight of downtown. What you are in sight of is endless rowhouses, with their weird electrical contraptions at about roof level.

Similarly, Toronto feels biggest on the parts of 401 that are on a hill and have a clear view over the sprawling, highrise-dotted region. For example, westbound just west of Keele, or eastbound near Leslie. The former gives you a vista as far as Brampton and Mississauga and the latter confronts you with a wall of slab apartment towers along Don Mills.

I never thought of Vancouver feeling particularly big. Maybe the biggest Vancouver feels is when you cross the Granville bridge into downtown, or the view towards Metrotown from the Millennium Line guideway near Brentwood.

[logan5]

Out of the 4 bridge approaches into DT, Burrard St. is my favorite. Especially in the summertime, you get this really cool vibe. Feels very urban to me.

[J.OT13]

Thanks Pinion and VivaPhysicality. Vancouver suburbs are quite impressive in the way they build proper downtowns. I'm hoping the Ottawa suburbs of Orleans (and Kanata if it ever sees rapid transit) develops proper downtown around transit stations.

I like how North Vancouver and New Westminster have more of an organic urban feel thanks to their vintage.

[Delirium]

New Westminster skyline - not bad for a city of 66,000

Photo by Rdpe50 https://www.flickr.com/photos/125925...027460/sizes/l

[J.OT13]

Very nice. Love the Skybridge; modern design yet it looks old and sketchy.

[phesto]

Metrotown:
North Shore Mtns from Crescent Beach by aberdeenloon, on Flickr

[MolsonExport]

staggeringly beautiful.

[MonkeyRonin]

Mississauga Skyline by @416Shots, on Flickr

[dleung]

Originally Posted by phesto

Metrotown:
North Shore Mtns from Crescent Beach by aberdeenloon, on Flickr

Nice photo. The tallest buildings are still yet to come, yet I can't think of another suburb in North America with a taller skyline besides Mississauga.

[Rico Rommheim]

I see a new city motto: Welcome to Burnaby: "home to the North American West Coast's tallest suburban skyline"