Post some pictures of your city! II

[someone123]

The dead zones aren't necessarily that common in large Asian or European cities, like Paris. In Toronto and Montreal I think they have more to do with history and the scope of projects undertaken during the urban renewal phase of the 50s-70s, projects like the Gardiner Expressway. Victoria doesn't really have anything major from this era. Vancouver has the more modest Georgia Viaduct. Most of those projects were at best semi-successful but they sometimes add an urban heft that you wouldn't get otherwise.

Years ago Toronto and Montreal felt like they were approximately at the same level with Toronto having the bigger corporate stuff and Montreal having more vibrant historic neighbourhoods, but now in my view there are really 3 tiers, Toronto -> Montreal -> Vancouver, maybe even with Montreal -> Vancouver being closer than Toronto -> Montreal. I find Vancouver is qualitatively different from Toronto in having a more limited mix of things like major stores, a wider mix of speciality places, and more big-city infrastructure like commuter rail and full-sized subways with complex underground hub stations. There's also been a widespread subtle growth of fine-grained improvements and shops around smaller streets in Toronto. When I go back I often find that some stretch of previously semi-rundown rowhouses is now a mix of attractive businesses and condos.