Vancouver General Discussion Thread

[seamusmcduff]

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[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Having lived west of Denman I clearly recall the endless circling of the blocks to find a parking spot because like mine, many of the small lots in older buildings were already full.

What year was that?

https://globalnews.ca/news/3285275/the-w...talls-enough-parking-for-everyone-study/

[s211]

Originally Posted by seamusmcduff

I always assumed this one on commercial drive would be value engineered, but this is another level

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/800-commercial-dr-2

Edmonton wants its mediocrity back.

[SpongeG]

Seattle's LRT expansion to Federal Way opened Dec 6 (today). They hope to have the east link extension up and running in May 2026, they are aiming for it to open before the world cup.

• Video Link

[gaviscon]

Originally Posted by s211

Edmonton wants its mediocrity back.

If this was Edmonton, the tower portion would have been painted blue.

We still have some ways to go before we catch up to Deadmonton

[Chirpythecougar]

I was looking at the Kelowna forum and there was a link posted that is run by the City of Kelowna that renders all the projects UC/approved/proposed.
https://arcg.is/1LrfHL0

Is there something similar for Vancouver or any of the nearby municipalities?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Chirpythecougar

I was looking at the Kelowna forum and there was a link posted that is run by the City of Kelowna that renders all the projects UC/approved/proposed.
https://arcg.is/1LrfHL0

Is there something similar for Vancouver or any of the nearby municipalities?

Someone has personally created a 3D model of upcoming projects and has shared a few images (they are just rough models of the height/massing)

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144400&page=9

[Klazu]

I am currently in Brisbane and wow, what tower design and architecture they have in here. The variation in tower height, style ang high-quality cladding makes for a very impressive skyline and cityscape. I am also finding much of the new low-rise development varying in style, so it's just not big projects.

How is Brisbane, a city slightly smaller than Vancouver, able to sustain such amount and quality of development? For example, the new Star Casino complex is something out of Singapore and amazingly the lookout is free to visit!

Very impressed by Brisbane.

[gaviscon]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I am currently in Brisbane and wow, what tower design and architecture they have in here. The variation in tower height, style ang high-quality cladding makes for a very impressive skyline and cityscape. I am also finding much of the new low-rise development varying in style, so it's just not big projects.

How is Brisbane, a city slightly smaller than Vancouver, able to sustain such amount and quality of development? For example, the new Star Casino complex is something out of Singapore and amazingly the lookout is free to visit!

Very impressed by Brisbane.

Now visit Sydney. Toronto feels like North Korea in comparison.

The quality in Brisbane alone clears any city in Canada, but Sydney is on another level.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I am currently in Brisbane and wow, what tower design and architecture they have in here. The variation in tower height, style ang high-quality cladding makes for a very impressive skyline and cityscape. I am also finding much of the new low-rise development varying in style, so it's just not big projects.

How is Brisbane, a city slightly smaller than Vancouver, able to sustain such amount and quality of development? For example, the new Star Casino complex is something out of Singapore and amazingly the lookout is free to visit!

Very impressed by Brisbane.

Behind the glitz is a familiar story. The company behind the Star Casino is in trouble. "The troubles of Star started in 2021 after the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the company allowed money laundering and organized crimes in its casinos for years. The following year, regulators ruled that the company was unsuitable to operate its casinos in Sydney and Queensland, placing them under government supervision. Since then, almost A$4 billion in Star’s market capitalization has been wiped out."

About a year ago Star warned they were running out of money, and were looking to sell to their partners in the project, Hong Kong based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (controlled by real estate billionaire Henry Cheng and his family) and Far East Consortium. Star turned down their offer, and are still running on fumes. They have loan waivers to keep the business going for now, but are still operating their business at a loss. They're hoping to get a bail out from a US private credit company to cover the $430m Au debt they currently hold.

[Klazu]

Foreign money and casinos laundering miney, story as old as time. At least they finished off something pretty spectacular with one more tower under construction.

I have to also give it to Brisbane city planners as the riverfront is very well implemented and the new 50c flat fee on all public transportation is a gamechanger. Taking ferries, busses or trains is a no-brainer at any turn.

The famous South Bank area is amazingly well implemented and it's all free public space. Sure, it helps to have tropical climate to make a place year-round destination for tourists and locals alike.

Eat Street Northshore is also something one dreams of Vancouver having. A weekends-only food shack paradise with around 30 unique vendors, several live bands and amazing neon/LED lighting everywhere. The place was so alive last night!

Brisbane is going to show really well during the upcoming Olympics. For me, it has been completely under the radar before visiting, being overshadowed by Sydney and Melbourne, but the city is really cool.

[RedArbutus]

Brisbane's South Bank is peak public space aesthetic. So, so good.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I am currently in Brisbane and wow, what tower design and architecture they have in here. The variation in tower height, style ang high-quality cladding makes for a very impressive skyline and cityscape. I am also finding much of the new low-rise development varying in style, so it's just not big projects.

How is Brisbane, a city slightly smaller than Vancouver, able to sustain such amount and quality of development? For example, the new Star Casino complex is something out of Singapore and amazingly the lookout is free to visit!

Very impressed by Brisbane.

I've always wanted to visit Australia, mainly to see the architecture in Sydney and Melbourne, but now I'll have to add Brisbane to the list!

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by gaviscon

Now visit Sydney. Toronto feels like North Korea in comparison.

The quality in Brisbane alone clears any city in Canada, but Sydney is on another level.

Interesting. I've visited Sydney several time over the past couple decades and it always felt like Toronto to me. Mind you several new developments like Palm Grove in Darling Harbour and Bangaroo may have made it edge ahead. A lot of the positive impression IMHO is due to the incredible setting and weather vs TO.

[gaviscon]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Interesting. I've visited Sydney several time over the past couple decades and it always felt like Toronto to me. Mind you several new developments like Palm Grove in Darling Harbour and Bangaroo may have made it edge ahead. A lot of the positive impression IMHO is due to the incredible setting and weather vs TO.

Have you been to Toronto's waterfront? Cause it looks worse than a suburb town minus the water. Have you paid attention to their broken roads, streets with barely any trees or vegetation, power poles rotting from the 1800s, and fine dust-filled subway stations with broken ceilings? I have because I live here now.

Sydney's whole seawall is walkable and filled with interesting restaurants and tourist attractions, their asphalt is almost flawless like Japan's, streets are full of vegetation and more walkable and more well designed than any street in Vancouver.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by gaviscon

Have you been to Toronto's waterfront? Cause it looks worse than a suburb town minus the water. Have you paid attention to their broken roads, streets with barely any trees or vegetation, power poles rotting from the 1800s, and fine dust-filled subway stations with broken ceilings? I have because I live here now.

Sydney's whole seawall is walkable and filled with interesting restaurants and tourist attractions, their asphalt is almost flawless like Japan's, streets are full of vegetation and more walkable and more well designed than any street in Vancouver.

Again, a lot of that is due to climate. Yes, TO's waterfront is underwhelming but it's hard to compete with the Sydney Opera House which is such a focal point plus the interesting geography of Sydney Harbour vs TO's flat dull lakefront. Architecturally I don't find most of Sydney's CBD any more interesting.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Toronto's downtown pretty much ends at the Gardiner; several parts of Queens Quay are alright, but the rest feels like industrial Richmond?

[teriyaki]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Toronto's downtown pretty much ends at the Gardiner; several parts of Queens Quay are alright, but the rest feels like industrial Richmond?

Agreed, the freeway really cuts up the city in a negative way.

Just like how the freeway in Seattle downtown used to delineate the waterfront from the rest of the city. After they put the freeway underground, a world of difference between the two parts.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Interesting. I've visited Sydney several time over the past couple decades and it always felt like Toronto to me. Mind you several new developments like Palm Grove in Darling Harbour and Bangaroo may have made it edge ahead. A lot of the positive impression IMHO is due to the incredible setting and weather vs TO.

if you were blindfolded and dropped off in the Melbourne CBD you might think you are in Toronto, there are so many similiar vibes and looks, it could easily pass for Toronto, I felt Sydney to be more Vancouver like than Melbourne was, in the way that it feels and all the seawall type walks and gardens etc.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by teriyaki

Agreed, the freeway really cuts up the city in a negative way.

Also Brisbane has a motorway terminating on the CBD peninsula, but everything's designed around it. I am also finding Brissy embrace layers in city design a lot more. Several toll tunnels cut through the city, their commuter rail is tunneled and also being expanded. One can only hope for something like this in Vancouver, where the world seems standing still.

I was checking Wikipedia for when many of their tallest towers have been built and several very modern-looking towers are from the early 2010s. Architecture here looks a lot more modern than in Vancouver, which oozes early 2000s in style. Also the variation in height, tower position and spacing make for so much more interesting cityscape, not to mention nighttime lighting!

Vancouver's Downtown is maybe a little more vibrant over a weekend than Brissy's, but their CBD absolutely bustles during weekdays. Brisbane could easily fool one to be a city of 5M, whereas I have always found Vancouver feeling very small in comparison.