What could have been

[vanman]

Check this out. A photo I found of the Alaskan viaduct in Seattle superimposed
on English Bay Beach.


(flickr)

[npinguy]

It really is something that we take for granted in Vancouver and don't realize how lucky we are. We are probably the only major city in North America without a highway in it's core.

Because of this, pretty much every neighborhood is walkable, and we can say things like "I walked from UBC to Downtown" without sounding like we just committed an act of bravery.


Compare and contrast to this story from when I went to Vegas last spring.

Me and my girlfriend were staying at the Luxor (the egyptian pyramid). I spotted an In N' Out Burger from the window of the hotle room. I've heard wonderous things about that place and wanted to take a walk to get some burgers. I talk my gf into it, we leave the hotel room, and walk towards the massive sign. We realize quickly there's a highway between us and the restaurant. We keep walking for a bit hoping to find an overpass, and do find a small cloverleaf, but no pedesterian walkway. I walk up to a parking attendant and say

Me: "Hey man do you know if there's a way to walk to the In N' Out burger from here?
Him: "Yeah. See that little hill (pointing to the hill on which the highway is on). Climb up the hill, hop over the railing, and go across.
Me: (looking back at my gf) "I don't think she's going to go for that."
Him: "No no I see people doing it all the time."



There was simply no way to walk to that joint from the strip. Period. Without a 20 minute detour.

[Nutterbug]

The whole area would probably be a whole lot uglier than that.

Instead of those nice apartment/condo buildings, I figure the development around the viaduct would be more along the lines of dirty and dilapitated factories, warehouses and other old and unkempt buildings. Heck, we might even have ourselves another DTES behind the viaduct there.

[hollywoodnorth]

Wow!

[vanman]

Originally Posted by Nutterbug

The whole area would probably be a whole lot uglier than that.

Instead of those nice apartment/condo buildings, I figure the development around the viaduct would be more along the lines of dirty and dilapitated factories, warehouses and other old and unkempt buildings. Heck, we might even have ourselves another DTES behind the viaduct there.

I agree. All that covered area underneath the viaduct would be prime vagrant habitat.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by vanman

vagrant habitat.

That is both the funniest and most despressing term I've come across in a very long time.

[vid]

Compared to Toronto's "poverty donut"?

I have to agree though you've gotten the better deal terms of urban highways, when looked at the situation with an urbanist's bias.

[vanhattan]

Great post and very true that Vancouver is fortunate not to have a monstrosity highway in such a prime location. The same type of elevated highway was constructed in San Francisco in the 1950s as the Embarcadero Freeway and the only thing that saved the waterfront was an earthquake that brought portions of the elevated down. The rest of the elevated highway was torn down after much debate following the earthquake. Now, the SF waterfront area is once again accessible to the rest of the downtown areas. It is SO MUCH NICER than it was before.
Before;

after;

[vanhattan]

after;

[Stingray2004]

Originally Posted by vanman

(flickr)

Hey... there was an *actual* conceptual plan for an "ocean parkway" (freeway) just off English Bay in that exact same location, in 1960, cutting a swath through Stanely Park towards a newly twinned Lions Gate bridge, believe it or not.

Here it is:

[SpongeG]

yup they say if it had gone through the beaches and parks would not have been there - there were renderings of what it was to be and it looked awful

[cornholio]

Well since i don't live downtown then that would of been wonderful, make my trip to Whistler for skiing, Pemberton for hunting and norther Harisson lake for good old camping that much faster and convenient.
just kidding...kind of.

By the way that plan seems to show tunnels through Stanley park and a bridge or tunnel through English bay sparing most of the beaches.

[1ajs]

holy crap!
winnipeg does not even have a freeway downtown

[paradigm4]

where did you originally find this?

[David]

the ocean parkway plan called for a causeway through English Bay, turning that part of the bay into a lagoon.
I believe the plan is from the 1930s Harland Bartholemew report. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[SpongeG]

i forget where i saw the pics - maybe in that vancouver book?

but it seemed to show that the beaches and park land there would not be anything like we have and basically off limits to residents as it would be very unwelcoming, as it had to run along the ground to go under burrard street bridge

[vanman]

Originally Posted by paradigm4

where did you originally find this?

I found it on flickr by chance.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i forget where i saw the pics - maybe in that vancouver book?

but it seemed to show that the beaches and park land there would not be anything like we have and basically off limits to residents as it would be very unwelcoming, as it had to run along the ground to go under burrard street bridge

I remember seeing an old rendering of coal harbour with a 10 lane plus highway running along the waterfront. At the same time there was a plan for the 'urban renewal' of gastown with what would have been tall hideous 70s concrete towers.

[SFUVancouver]

^ Project 200

[clooless]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

holy crap!
winnipeg does not even have a freeway downtown

In Winnipeg's case, it's nothing to be especially proud of.

Getting back to Vancouver, I am off the opinion that now is the time to get rid off the Georgia and Dunsmuir Street viaducts. I once came across a book in the Vancouver Public Library that had detailed plans for the freeway system Vancouver was expected to build in the 60s, before public opinion derailed those plans. It was a fascinating read with fold out maps and all sorts of information I had never come across before.