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Originally Posted by Curmudgeon
^ How is using local foliage way beyond idealistic? Is buying local produce way beyond idealistic?
It's not misguided standards that resulted in stagnant growth in Winnipeg from the 70s until after 2000. It was de-industrialization and the re-oreintation of the Canadian economy from an east-west to a north-south basis. In fact, the lack of standards is what has resulted in a rather unattractive and correspondingly unhealthy urban core and the result has been a very negative image that Winnipeggers have of their own city.
Not the right fit for parcel 4 or for the Forks. The west Exchange or south Portage are suitable. No development is preferable to bad development. Something better will come along. I get the impression that you would like Winnipeg to look and feel like Houston.
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It's not a bad thing to have, but the extremity of your focus on the foliage rather than the economic benefit paints an idealogical picture. I'm straw-manning a little, i agree.
That's a broader discussion, and I wouldn't say it was a lack of standards, but simply completely incorrect standards. As far as I remember, Winnipeg tried, but tried the wrong way. You're right about the North-South-East-West thing, but I was referring to an earlier post of mine. Winnipeg has a history, on a microeconomic level, of making it harder for people to prosper here than elsewhere. Yes, the stronger western economy is a huge effect, yet we still sweat the small stuff that puts the talent over the edge before they say "screw it, I'm going to Alberta". if we're suddenly making someone's house or development at 584 Gertrude cost 50-100k more to produce, we're running them out of town. Winnipeg isn't making enough money to be that strict yet.
But again, where you and I disagree is the strength of your resolve on your ideals... no development is better than bad development. This is NOT bad development by any means. It's just not your top choice. Much like the exchange is still good for Skip, but not their top choice.
I don't want Winnipeg to look like Houston, and that's a straw man in and of itself. I want Winnipeg to MOVE, to be ALIVE. Economic prosperity/mobility are the biggest drivers of successful medium/long term development, especially in a downtown, and we've been sitting on our thumbs for 30-50 years. Winnipeg finally is gaining momentum, and we're already arrogant enough to say Skip isn't good enough for Parcel 4. That attitude is another 10-20 years away from being passable, and it makes my "red river foliage" quip seem spot on.