Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathan
It's all great to talk about good urban design principles here, but at the moment, drastically reducing downtown parking availability wouldn't help downtown... it would likely do the opposite and crush any possible growth. We can't sit here and dictate to people that they need to leave their cars at home; they'll continue to drive, and they will drive to places where they can get around and park (e.g. The north/east/south commercial areas). We have to try and slowly shift the thinking.
You'd have a much stronger downtown if there were a few more apartment buildings or condo buildings that don't price in a way that young professionals can't come close to affording a unit. Developing every empty lot with 1-2 storey commercial isn't going to help things. The only way it would is if they were destination stores that some segment of the population would go out of their way to visit (something like an H&M or Lululemon). I already know people who avoid downtown like the plague now with the traffic flow problems. But this is probably a discussion for the main Regina thread.
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Disagree that reducing parking would stymie growth. First of all, any new development is likely to include underground parking, which can offer MORE stalls than any surface parking lot.
Secondly, you don't build a great downtown with a plethora of surface parking lots. The two just cannot go hand in hand. This was the thinking 50 years ago, when we demolished buildings to provide parking, and this practice is what crippled so many North American downtowns. Once you start demolishing all the buildings for parking, what's the point in coming anymore? There's nothing left to see or do.
No one is suggesting 1-2 storey buildings (not sure if this is referencing my desire for mid rise buildings). Buildings 1-2 storey are an inefficient use of the land, and likely no developer would even waste their time. Secondly, buildings at this density are not even allowed under the downtown plan.
Don't design the downtown around the car, include the automobile in your plans, but don't plan for the car first and people second. This is the mentality that got North American downtown's into the state they are in. Only now are the beginning to recover in a lot of cities because the focus has changed to making great places for people.
If you want to change the mentality of car culture in this city, the first step is making it not so easy to park downtown. People will still find a way to get downtown and those who want to park will pay the going rate. Not sure a lot of people would be able to just avoid the downtown because a significant proportion of Regina's employment is concentrated there. Large scale employers couldn't just get up and leave because they won't find the same office space elsewhere in the city, and the City won't allow it anywhere else other than downtown.
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Why? Because that building could be standing for well over 200 years! That service blockhouse - alone - is 2-3 storeys high!!! We might as well help to have 'er look as good as possible. 
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