HRM charter changes proposed to speed up housing builds

[Hali87]

Re: Larry Uteck - people think of the area as unwalkable because the distances between uses tends to be high (commercial areas are clustered and the relatively large amounts of open space place the average residential unit further away - a longer walk - from non-residential uses). The terrain also is fairly steep in areas which provides nice views but also makes walking a less attractive option for a lot of people, although pretty much all of Mainland Halifax/Bedford is like this.

Overall the development pattern reminds me a lot of Park West, which is actually a lot more walkable than people tend to realize because there are networks of pedestrian walkways connecting all of the cul-de-sacs and crescents. This means that pedestrians tend to have a shorter, more direct route than drivers. I haven't spent enough time in the Larry Uteck area to know if that's the case there but I would guess that it is. It seems like the alternative would be something like Fairview's layout, which I don't really find any more or less walkable than Park West.

Something that I think would go a long way would be to add small commercial buildings in the larger spaces between the apartment/condo buildings along Uteck as time goes on, or even things like tennis/bball courts, outdoor pools, etc. In reality I think the developers mostly assumed that no one would bother moving there if they didn't drive. It seems mostly geared towards people who want the 905-style suburban lifestyle in a brand-new unit with a nice view.