Quote:
Originally Posted by s211
bbbbbut the West End is denser than NYC!!!!!!!
(one of the stupidest [and probably the most statistically manipulable] urban legends ever perpetuated by this city, I have to say)
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I genuinely feel that the downtown peninsula should have a minimum height of 5 or 6 useable floors. There are stretches along Granville, Robson, Denman, Davie (these streets specifically) and throughout the west end that are only 3 stories tall. Again especially on Granville, Robson, Davie and Denman it is quite pathetic how it doesn't achieve density. Sure it's busy as they're high traffic streets for pedestrians but there are plenty of stretches that are only 1 floor tall.
Ideally on Granville I would like to magically add 1-2 floors of Office/Retail space on the low-rises and maybe 1-2 floors ontop of that of rental apartments (not social housing) while still keeping the first floor as retail. Granville is a noisier street but I think that the addition of office spaces would add a positive shot of life into the area again.
On Robson Street I would again add 1-2 floors ontop of the low rises of Office/Retail, but I would also be more aggressive with adding apartments, and rezone some sections for taller towers. Again keeping to a 5 floor minimum, Robson street is quieter so we can add more rental apartments and maybe some more condo towers (of which, some are already proposed?)
Davie street is already getting a make-over which is nice. But I would like to see that density continue specifically around the Jim Deva plaza. Davie Village has been made Davie Village because of the businesses so I would like to see a stronger push on retail on Davie Street itself with a stronger emphasis on the LGBT sub-culture. Sure Jim Deva plaza has the rainbow intersections; why not the entire street of Davie? For me, Davie street should be colourful with the new additions to the neighbourhood. And for the sections with the nightclubs and the 'louder' parts of Davie, you can always zone for more office space ontop of it.
Denman street is an example of a very busy street with very low density. Most of it is only 1-2 floors tall with the exceptions being around the Denman mall. I say that a combination of boutique hotels, offices, and rental apartments should be added to increase effective use of the street.
Just some thoughts of mine.... Should we make a fantasy re-zoning thread
?