Thoughts on Andrew Cohen's article

[danny the dog]

I was just wondering what people think of Andrew Cohen's article in today's Citizen. I'm as self-deprecating as the next Ottawan and there is no doubt a lot that should be improved in this city, but this went a bit far. If not for the accuracy of what was written, then the fact that it's only a list of complaints and not even the slightest effort to suggest any way to improve the situation (which is typical of Cohen).

Here is a link to the article in case you didn't see it.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/...144/story.html

[kwoldtimer]

I'm not sure I could do much more than quibble with Cohen, who has voiced his opinion of Ottawa many times before. IMO, Tyler Brule is a pretentious gasbag, but Ottawa is indeed bleak and grey on those dreary days in March and April. Much of what is best about Ottawa is outside of the downtown. It is unfair to compare Ottawa to major world cities, as Cohen does (it's not at all bad compared to Oslo and Winnipeg, which are fairer comparisons). The diplomat arriving here from Canberra or Brasilia (someone should tell Cohen that Rio hasn't been Brazil's capital city for quite some time) would likely be quite pleased with life in Ottawa. Ottawa offers a pleasant, simple, comfortable life to the vast majority of its residents, but the lack of "verve" or complacency or whatever is a constant. Ottawa is not without its artists, intellectuals, hipsters, etc, but they seem to have less impact on life in the city than one would hope. My sense is that, frustration with municipal and other bureaucracies apart, most people are pretty content.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

IMO, Tyler Brule is a pretentious gasbag, but Ottawa is indeed bleak and grey on those dreary days in March and April. .

True, but this is true of almost any cold winter city that has snow on the ground for several months, once the white stuff melts. So basically any city in Canada except Vancouver and Victoria, and many others around the world as well.

[Acajack]

I read both the Cohen and Brûlé articles. Both make some valid points, although Brûlé's is very mean-spirited and nasty, in addition to being full of inaccuracies. For example, central Ottawa is hardly full of vacant lots (every second one?), empty shops and offices for rent. At least not compared with your average city in the western developed world. I will agree that a lot of central Ottawa retail is unbecoming of the main street(s) - Rideau and Bank -of the capital city of a G8 country, but it is simply not true that a significant portion of commercial space in Ottawa is not occupied.

As for Cohen, he is less nasty and makes some valid points. Although his article is a bit bizarre - he says "Ottawa does this badly and this badly, but it also does this well, and also does this well. But it still sucks."

[flar]

Originally Posted by Acajack

As for Cohen, he is less nasty and makes some valid points. Although his article is a bit bizarre - he says "Ottawa does this badly and this badly, but it also does this well, and also does this well. But it still sucks."

That's what's hard to explain about Ottawa. There are a lot of good things, and a lot of things done well in Ottawa (trust me, coming from Hamilton) but the overall effect is somehow disappointing. It seems like there should be something more.

[Dado]

I both agree and disagree. I think he's seeing a lack of results emanating from citizen action- which I agree with - and concluding a lack of citizen interest - which I disagree with.

There are more "Friends of" groups in Ottawa than I can shake a stick at, and that's just "Friends of" groups. There are plenty of both long-standing and new activist groups of all sorts, and not just the run-of-the-mill local NIMBY but also with city-wide constituencies or interests. Take cycling: there's the long-standing Citizens for Safe Cycling, who back in the 1980s had an impressive record of improving things for cycling (bike parking for new construction, removal of endo grates, getting bike lanes onto major arterials as they were built, painting yellow dots along sensor lines, getting funding for cycling education). That was a high water mark of sorts. More recently there was the Cycling Vision group that pushed for the segregated lane project, but really that took years to push through the bureaucracy. Alex DeVries has set up a site all on location of cycling problems for crying out loud.

What strikes me about Ottawa is both how many such groups there are and simultaneously how ineffective they generally are at the same time. There are far more in Ottawa than in similar-sized Calgary for example, and far more vocal to boot, but it's not like Ottawa is more responsive to its citizens than Calgary. I think both are reflections of the same problem of a bureaucratic mentality ruling the place. There's a proliferation of groups because of the insensitive bureaucratic mentality that runs things, but because the bureaucratic mentality is so insensitive most of these groups are also pretty ineffective since they are just ignored. Given the lack of effectiveness, it's in some sense amazing that so many continue to essentially bang their heads against a brick wall. One would expect to see far more complacency than we actually do.

[Uhuniau]

There's a bureaucratic mentality, because so many of the people who live and work in the city, and populate the "Friends of This" or "Save the That" groups are bureaucrats.

Rather than worry about things that matter — urban design, urban function, spaces that work instead of taking up space — they worry about rules of order.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

There's a bureaucratic mentality, because so many of the people who live and work in the city, and populate the "Friends of This" or "Save the That" groups are bureaucrats.

Oh really? I think you need to get out and actually meet some of the people in these groups because surprisingly few of the ones I've met are bureaucrats. A few are former bureaucrats who got out because they didn't like working in the government. Far more have backgrounds in the tech sector, often in quite small companies or are self employed. That's the case with respect to Citizens for Safe Cycling, for example.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Dado

Oh really? I think you need to get out and actually meet some of the people in these groups because surprisingly few of the ones I've met are bureaucrats. A few are former bureaucrats who got out because they didn't like working in the government. Far more have backgrounds in the tech sector, often in quite small companies or are self employed. That's the case with respect to Citizens for Safe Cycling, for example.

I have found the XXXXXXX Community Associations to generally be heavy on crats or retired crats. (The retired ones bring the crat mindset with them, along with a few pens and a stapler.)

[m0nkyman]

I always get ticked at these kind of articles, and they exist in every city in the world. They ignore what is actually going on, and focus on what hasn't happened.

Look at what is happening in Ottawa right now:

We just finished building a new Convention Centre
We're about to embark on a major new project for the arts: the New Arts court
Landsdowne Live is going to happen, FOL lawsuits notwithstanding
LeBreton Flats is finally getting rebuilt, albeit at a glacial pace
The Museum of Nature just finished a major renovation
We're on the verge of starting the LRT project.
The city archives building has just been built.
Both universities and Algonquin are expanding.

and coming up, we've got a new bridge over the Ottawa to finally get the traffic off King Edward, we've got the air base coming up for a massive redevelopment.

But, yeah, we're not building the city.

For cripes sake, what do we have to do to impress people? Build a glass dome over the city?

[Uhuniau]

The city archives building was a massively wasted opportunity. It could have been something urban, in conformity with the supposedly urban vision for the Baseline area. Instead, it was more suburban Ottawa public building crap. Total fail.

[flar]

Ottawa is the Peter Keating of cities.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by flar

Ottawa is the Peter Keating of cities.

I might have suggested Caspar Milquetoast.

[acottawa]

I think he is generally right - Ottawa loves the mediocre in all things (sports, arts, architecture, food, etc.) and downtown is dismal on the weekend (although there are many vibrant neighbourhoods on Saturday).

I also agree there is some hope on the horizon: light rail, Lansdowne, getting rid of that overpass beside the old train station, etc.

To me the new library fiasco symbolizes the problems of the city. They spent years trying to find a site, set an artificial budget for the land, and then lost interest when one of the landowners didn't want to sell at that price: no alternative site, no expropriation, no attempt to pay a higher price and meanwhile the library, which is really the only public building downtown, remains an embarrassment.

[Harley613]

we're definitely moving in the right direction. this city will be so different in 10 years... there is much impetus for positive growth and renewal. the skyline is finally starting to change dramatically for the first time in 30 years. the LRT. the convention centre. new trans-rideau and trans-ottawa bridges. all the things listed already in this thread...fantastic!

ottawa to me is underrated as it is. take a walk from the museum of civilization over the alexandria bridge, go through majors hill park, walk down the steps to the market, explore eat and drink, then continue up the hill to parliament. if that doesn't float your boat, drive 5 minutes to gatineau park for world class outdoor recreation and wilderness. take a walk at hog's back, rideau falls..drive through rockliffe and look at the glorious houses...walk the boardwalk at mer bleu...enjoy the fact that montreal, the adirondacks, and mt. tremblant are all within two hours drive. take pride in our insular economy and friendly people....GAHHHHHHH it's a great city and only getting greater!!!!

[RTWAP]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

The city archives building was a massively wasted opportunity. It could have been something urban, in conformity with the supposedly urban vision for the Baseline area. Instead, it was more suburban Ottawa public building crap. Total fail.

Actually, I really like the design of that building. For a municipal building in the suburbs of Ottawa it's kind of bold.

[Harley613]

I find the city archives building to be the ugliest new build in my lifetime....my girlfriend agrees! She even hates driving by it haha.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by RTWAP

Actually, I really like the design of that building. For a municipal building in the suburbs of Ottawa it's kind of bold.

For a municipal building in the suburbs of Ottawa, it's a municipal building in the suburbs of Ottawa.

The city wants builders to build differently, then they should damn well lead by example.

[waterloowarrior]

speaking of libraries
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2135999/

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I have found the XXXXXXX Community Associations to generally be heavy on crats or retired crats. (The retired ones bring the crat mindset with them, along with a few pens and a stapler.)

Fair enough, and I would tend to agree, but those are not the same groups as those with a city-wide perspective.

Cohen was complaining about a lack of what amounted to citizen involvement and I don't think that fits the facts of an unusually high number of people engaged in groups that try to improve city life.

We wouldn't have an O-Train without such people. We wouldn't have mandatory bike parking at all new developments without such people. We wouldn't have heritage walking tours without such people (can you imagine the NCC or the City organizing such tours?). The arboretum and other parts of the Experimental Farm would not be cared for in quite the same way without such people.

For all the bureaucracy they have to fight and deal with, it's amazing there actually are as many as there are.