Public Realm in Canadian Cities - Developments

[Chadillaccc]

Well I've noticed that Calgary has a page discussing the public realm of that specific city and the developments therein, but I thought it would be a good idea for a national thread to discuss major improvements going on across the country.



To many, Calgary's downtown railway underpasses may not seem like a big deal, but they are a bit part of our public realm, the First Street and Eighth Street SW underpasses alone see a combined 18 000 pedestrians and 27 000 vehicles per day, as they are integral links between the Beltline and the Central Business District and Riverfront. As such, the city has long planned to redevelop the underpasses to make them more pedestrian friendly. Two of them, First and Eighth, will be starting this year.



First Street SW

Designed by Marc Boutin, this underpass actually received a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence in 2013.


http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/...an-of-letters/
http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/LUPP/Pages...t-Project.aspx



Eighth Street SW

The Eighth Street underpass is as dual underpass which goes under the railway and Ninth Avenue. It is likely to include a bikeway as well.



http://www.calgaryherald.com/touch/s...tml?id=9569969



So yeah, any public realm developments you wanna share, feel free! Bridges, roads, bike lanes, etc.

[Chadillaccc]

A gorgeous new public art piece was just installed in the Beltline, Chinook Arc.

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Chinook Arc looking boss:

• Video Link

[SignalHillHiker]

This proposal was recently approved for St. John's. It will restore, to some degree, Ayre's Lane.

A lovely proposed addition to Scotia Plaza in downtown St. John's.

It replaces our only downtown square, but it's not a very attractive or functional one. And, in truth, St. John's doesn't do squares. We prefer the density, and our heavily-landscaped Victorian parks serve the function squares do in most other cities.

This proposal restores Water Street density along Scotia Plaza, and also rehabilitates Ayres Lane.

[Chadillaccc]

Yeah I like that. You guys have that great park with all the steps and stuff that serves pretty well as a square, what is the name of that one again?

[Calgarian]

I love Chinook Arch, but unfortunately it won't be long before a bunch of shitheads tag it.

[MonkeyRonin]

Berczy Park revitalization - planned







Front St. revitalization (as part of the Union Station redevelopment) - ongoing





Waterfront landscaping (as part of the waterfront redevelopment) - ongoing









John St. revitalization - planned







Fort York pedestrian bridge (as part of the Garrison Point development) - planned

[1overcosc]

Willamsville Reconstruction Project in Kingston. The first phase of the project broke ground last week.

The section of Princess Street (the city's main road, analogous to Yonge Street in Toronto) through the Williamsville neighbourhood is getting what Kingston calls a "joint reconstruction"--entire road dug up, all utilities (water, sewer, gas, electric, cable, phone, wastewater, etc.) replaced, then road filled back up and paved over.

Kingston has been doing lots of these joint reconstructions lately, doing about 10 blocks a year since 2010. The plan is for every single street in the inner city to be reconstructed in this manner by 2030 as part of the city's ambitious plan to completely eliminate its aging infrastructure problems.

The Williamsville neighbourhood (along Princess Street from Division Street to Bath Road) is immediately west of downtown and is currently a fairly run down area with lots of vacant lots, abandoned buildings, used car dealerships, etc. although it is set to gentrify. This rebuild redesigns the street to have bike lanes, wide sidewalks, and street trees.

[shappy]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Front St. revitalization (as part of the Union Station redevelopment) - ongoing

This looks fantastic. Benches or public seating down the middle (NYC style) could work here. The city needs more of that imo.

[rousseau]

Toronto is a work in progress. A work in progress on the path to becoming freaking amazing!

[shappy]

wrong thread!

[WhipperSnapper]

Glass condos bring mega dollars for community improvements. What happens when the bubble bursts?

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Yeah I like that. You guys have that great park with all the steps and stuff that serves pretty well as a square, what is the name of that one again?

That'd be Harbourside Park (between the harbour and Water Street) and the National War Memorial (between Water and Duckworth streets).

It's a popular place in the summer to lounge on the grass. The city also organizes lunch hour musical performances for the surrounding office workers there.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/pfotonut/

[ConundrumNL]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

That'd be Harbourside Park (between the harbour and Water Street) and the National War Memorial (between Water and Duckworth streets).

It's a popular place in the summer to lounge on the grass. The city also organizes lunch hour musical performances for the surrounding office workers there.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/pfotonut/

I do wish that St. John's had a proper town square, similar to Old Montreal, but I don't think the downtown geography allows for it.

[SignalHillHiker]

Cavendish Square used to allow some semblance of that. It was even known as "the Mall". But it just never took off here as a thing to do. Our big celebrations/protests/riots were always on the streets or in a park. Even vendors used to set up shop at "Bank square", which was really just Ayre's Cove.

[Echoes]

The City of Saskatoon has had an urban design program since the late 1980s, with an in-house design staff that undertakes incremental public realm improvements and streetscaping projects. Since its inception, many streets in the Downtown, Broadway, and Riversdale commercial districts have been rebuilt and beautified. The program is chiefly funded by parking meter revenue in these districts. Their work is ongoing.

Third Avenue, a major street dowtown, received streetscaping treatments over the last few years. One notable feature, the planted centre median, includes 100 year old lamp posts original to 3rd Ave, which have been refurbished and retrofitted as LED:


IMG_2632 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_2640 by echoes320, on Flickr

Extending streetscape improvements further down 20th Street West (Riversdale) began last year, with more blocks to receive a makeover this year:


IMG_4100 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_4087 by echoes320, on Flickr


River Landing is a long-term redevelopment of the South Downtown riverfront and adjacent lands. Most of the public realm improvements are complete. Private development is coming along.

Some River Landing scenes:


IMG_2575 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_2620 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_3842 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_2576 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_3826 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_2624 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_2559 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_2878 by echoes320, on Flickr

The redevelopment already includes the year-round home of the Saskatoon Farmer's Market and Market Square, and the Remai Arts Centre (performing arts). They will soon be joined (in 2016) by the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan (currently under construction):


Source

And private development like this (starting construction this spring):


Screen Shot 2013-08-15 at 9.46.56 PM by echoes320, on Flickr

The Meewasin Valley Authority, stewards of the South Saskatchewan River valley in the Saskatoon region, are also responsible for many riverbank improvements:


IMG_3986 by echoes320, on Flickr


IMG_4062 by echoes320, on Flickr

Many more of the public realm improvements in Saskatoon can be seen in my photo threads from last summer: Part I | Part II

[Chadillaccc]

Wow Echoes! Your info and photos of Saskatoon never cease to amaze me!

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Glass condos bring mega dollars for community improvements. What happens when the bubble bursts?

both the Union Station and Queens Quay redevelopments aren't being paid for by section 37 funds. The Fort York pedestrian bridge was funded separately in 2010 before Ford cut it as well, they have since redesigned it to be cheaper and funding is coming from the Garrison Yards project.

[WhipperSnapper]

No but, Grange, Berczy, Barbara Ann Scott and I believe things like the removal of right turn lanes for softer, pedestrian friendly intersections are part of the section 37 package.

[PhilippeMtl]

Place d'Armes 2.0, renovated in 2013.



source:http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/plac...s/2/projet.htm


source:http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/plac...s/2/projet.htm


source:http://blog.photojpl.com/place-armes...teractive-360/

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Wow Echoes! Your info and photos of Saskatoon never cease to amaze me!

Thanks, Chad. It's nice to have a devoted follower.