Urban living in Edmonton

[Coldrsx]

Indeed and a great example to borrow/learn from in many regards.

[Coldrsx]

This please and thank you.


@ianoyeg

[s4.audios]

Is the orange supposed to be the gondola?

[Coldrsx]

Perhaps

[Black Star]

Er ummmm...what are we looking at?

[Coldrsx]

High Level Line
Potential wired transport
Bike lanes
LRT
River/top of bank promenades
Funicular

[ExcaliburKid]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Perhaps

Cool...can't wait for the monorail, popsicle stick skyscraper, the giant magnifying glass and the escalator to nowhere...

[Coldrsx]

There is real momentum behind it and a group of heavy hitters looking into it as a private project.

[ExcaliburKid]

That's what I'm worried about

[Albicaulis]

Originally Posted by ExcaliburKid

Cool...can't wait for the monorail, popsicle stick skyscraper, the giant magnifying glass and the escalator to nowhere...

They've sold wired transport to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and, by gum, it put them on the map.

[adam-machiavelli]

David Staples has an op-ed in this morning's Journal criticizing the City's bureaucracy that makes TOD uniquely difficult in Edmonton. Do you agree that TOD in uniquely hard to build in Edmonton due to rigid bureaucrats or do you think every city has its fair share of bureaucratic silliness and this is just how it's manifested in Edmonton?

[Coldrsx]

Part of the maturation of our city as a more urban centre; early days for TOD.

[Coldrsx]

I am just about fed up with this concrete jungle of Downtown.








https://twitter.com/IanOyeg/status/1039348977257213952
@ianoyeg

[Coldrsx]

CHILD FRIENDLY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CIVIC PRECINCT

Why are we doing this survey?

This survey is to gather citizens’ input regarding child-friendly opportunities and elements within the Civic Precinct.

Results of this survey will be used to inform design options for child-friendly elements within the City Hall Plaza, East Gardens and Centennial Plaza.

What is the Civic Precinct?
Edmonton’s Civic Precinct is the area encompassing City Hall and City Hall Plaza, Sir Winston Churchill Square, Stanley A. Milner Library and Centennial Plaza.

Why Child Friendly?
The City of Edmonton has a clear vision to create a vibrant, connected, safe, sustainable and welcoming city for all citizens. Edmonton recognizes that a city that supports children is better for everyone; the Child Friendly Edmonton Initiative works with children, families and community organizations to welcome and involve children and youth to promote their well-being and build a child-friendly city.

Child- friendly elements are features that have been intentionally created and placed for children of all ages to use, play and interact with.

Take the Survey
https://www.edmontoninsightcommunity...aJn9xYOuEfncyd

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

CHILD FRIENDLY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CIVIC PRECINCT

Why are we doing this survey?

This survey is to gather citizens’ input regarding child-friendly opportunities and elements within the Civic Precinct.

Results of this survey will be used to inform design options for child-friendly elements within the City Hall Plaza, East Gardens and Centennial Plaza.

What is the Civic Precinct?
Edmonton’s Civic Precinct is the area encompassing City Hall and City Hall Plaza, Sir Winston Churchill Square, Stanley A. Milner Library and Centennial Plaza.

Why Child Friendly?
The City of Edmonton has a clear vision to create a vibrant, connected, safe, sustainable and welcoming city for all citizens. Edmonton recognizes that a city that supports children is better for everyone; the Child Friendly Edmonton Initiative works with children, families and community organizations to welcome and involve children and youth to promote their well-being and build a child-friendly city.

Child- friendly elements are features that have been intentionally created and placed for children of all ages to use, play and interact with.

Take the Survey
https://www.edmontoninsightcommunity...aJn9xYOuEfncyd

Our intentions were to live downtown after our first child until we had a second and then move into a house. Really thought we could be the couple who raises toddlers downtown. Mrs Shofear thought life would be about cute stuff like pushing strollers to the art gallery and farmers market. then reality hit us.

Days into bringing our first child home we realized it was a stupid idea. 2 bedrooms and 950ish square feet get crammed really quick. You have to squeeze around a car seat and stroller at the front door. The play pen and jumper crammed into the living room...loosing what was once second bedroom storage for baby stuff. We looked like a bunch of mentally ill hoarders after a few weeks...and that is before the toy stage.

Felt like a bunch of assholes with a crying baby all night. seriously, sorry neighbors. You shouldn't have to be exposed to that. and the guy next door who works night shifts and sleeps all day. hopefully your not in some safety sensitive position and ended up killing somebody because you couldn't sleep. really sorry bud.

It was a disaster.

Oh, then the first month or so where one of our moms was around just about every day to help out my wife....really appreciate the help, but it was embarrassing having them have to pay 20ish bucks a day to park for the privilege of spending time with their granddaughter.

Wife goes to the grocery store to buy a bunch of groceries....hmmm. enjoy taking 15 trips up and down the elevator.

We found a beautiful late 70s house in riverbend. two car attached front garage, huge yard. life is good. Stand infront of the kitchen windows and imagine watching our little girl play in the back yard in a few years...compared to dropping whatever you are doing to have to escort her to the local downtown park and watch here like a hawk because of dog shit and needles everywhere.

I really whish we got had somebody smack us with a dose of reality when shared our plan. Moving with a baby is a real pain in the ass...shit, moving is a real pain in the ass anyways. now imagine being down one person on baby duty. oh, and good luck trying to stage a spacious two bedroom condo for prospective purchasers with a 4 month old.

Downtown has a lot of great attributes. Focus on what is reasonable and stop wasting time trying to make it child friendly.

[itom 987]

^ I guess a row-house in Oliver didn't make the cut when you were searching for a better home. My son is 8 years old now, parenting chores related to kids are about reminding the kid to do them, instead of doing it yourself.

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by itom 987

^ I guess a row-house in Oliver didn't make the cut when you were searching for a better home. My son is 8 years old now, parenting chores related to kids are about reminding the kid to do them, instead of doing it yourself.

How do you squeeze a sand box, swing set, play house, in the back yard of a row house and still have enough yard left to play in? It's just not fair to a kid to not have that because mommy and daddy want to be trendy and urban. we were fortunate enough to have huge backyards as kids....no way we aren't going to give our daughter the same experience. I got enough room for all that and a back yard skating rink and a garden. It also cost me less than my 950 sqft condo did in 2008.

[feepa]

^ Thanks for the reality check on this thread shofear. Most without kids don't really get it...

and there's SFA for townhouses in Oliver and downtown.... Something I've long identified as a missing ingredient... but then again, when the downtown clique still believes that a 2 bdrm unit is good enough, and hey, there's a theater room, change will never happen, survey after survey after survey.

[s4.audios]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

Our intentions were to live downtown after our first child until we had a second and then move into a house. Really thought we could be the couple who raises toddlers downtown. Mrs Shofear thought life would be about cute stuff like pushing strollers to the art gallery and farmers market. then reality hit us.

Days into bringing our first child home we realized it was a stupid idea. 2 bedrooms and 950ish square feet get crammed really quick. You have to squeeze around a car seat and stroller at the front door. The play pen and jumper crammed into the living room...loosing what was once second bedroom storage for baby stuff. We looked like a bunch of mentally ill hoarders after a few weeks...and that is before the toy stage.

Felt like a bunch of assholes with a crying baby all night. seriously, sorry neighbors. You shouldn't have to be exposed to that. and the guy next door who works night shifts and sleeps all day. hopefully your not in some safety sensitive position and ended up killing somebody because you couldn't sleep. really sorry bud.

It was a disaster.

Oh, then the first month or so where one of our moms was around just about every day to help out my wife....really appreciate the help, but it was embarrassing having them have to pay 20ish bucks a day to park for the privilege of spending time with their granddaughter.

Wife goes to the grocery store to buy a bunch of groceries....hmmm. enjoy taking 15 trips up and down the elevator.

We found a beautiful late 70s house in riverbend. two car attached front garage, huge yard. life is good. Stand infront of the kitchen windows and imagine watching our little girl play in the back yard in a few years...compared to dropping whatever you are doing to have to escort her to the local downtown park and watch here like a hawk because of dog shit and needles everywhere.

I really whish we got had somebody smack us with a dose of reality when shared our plan. Moving with a baby is a real pain in the ass...shit, moving is a real pain in the ass anyways. now imagine being down one person on baby duty. oh, and good luck trying to stage a spacious two bedroom condo for prospective purchasers with a 4 month old.

Downtown has a lot of great attributes. Focus on what is reasonable and stop wasting time trying to make it child friendly.

Your opinion is a little biased in the sense that you can afford a two car garage with a large backyard. Not all families choose to live in an apartment because of a way of life.

However, I do agree that family-friendly amenities are not necessary in Downtown, because downtown is not affordable for families in the first place. Focus these amenities on the higher density perimeter communities that are affordable and do have families that quite frankly, are there because they can't afford anything else.

In downtwon, you have majority young singles, young couples, and retirees downsizing and wanting to live the downtown life. What amenities do these groups really want???

[Albicaulis]

I'd agree with all those statement with the caveat that even three quarters of new/newer suburban single-detached homes in Edmonton wouldn't allow for the back-yard amenities that SHOFEAR described.

Especially the newer rear-lane homes where you can touch the garage from your back deck. They sell the vision of kids in the back yard but drastically under deliver if you're budget is under 500k.