Quote:
Originally Posted by d_jeffrey
If anything, Ottawa's parks helps the boring and bland city moniker.
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I really don't buy your perception.
There is a difference between parks and urban public space. Perhaps, it is the latter that Ottawa needs to improve on.
We cannot get too carried away in comparing Ottawa to Montreal (three times the size of Ottawa) and Toronto (five times the size of Ottawa).
We need to improve what we have rather than try to be the same as the bigger cities. Being the same is not achievable nor desirable.
Instead, we should try to develop our own distinct character. Part of this distinctiveness is our urban green space especially along our waterways.
Sure, Ottawa backs to the waterways instead facing it, but there is history behind that and part also relates to geography. Ottawa does not meet the Ottawa River from downtown and east because of the steep hills facing the river.
Nevertheless, efforts are being made but I don't like ideas that simply commercialise our great assets. As I have said before, Zibi, Lebreton, and Bayview are our great opportunity. If we do this well, our city will much better for it. We should not be spreading our efforts too thin or everything may become underwhelming and a disappointment.
If there is anything that I am going to be critical about the use of our green space is the people who have prevented the windmill project of the 1990s and the National Botanical Gardens of the same era. The people who were behind the opposition to both projects should be ashamed of themselves. They were the opposite of city builders. Both originally slated for the CEF would have been a wonderful addition. But what can I say. The negatives things that a minority can achieve is amazing. Look at what they tried to do with Lansdowne Park. Thankfully they failed.
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