Spring Garden Streetscape - Page 21

Empire · #**401** Posted **Aug 1, 2022, 11:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atbw

From my conversations with planners around the street trees selected for replacement in the 'South End Complete Streets' areas, they are preferring local species, and trees which don't get so large as to destroy the sidewalk. Once they mature it'll be great, SGR is a big heat island.

Interesting. Most local species, maple, birch, oak will get very large and unruly. They will need constant pruning and yes the roots will disrupt the sidewalk. Walk down any street close by and have a look at the size of the trees and the disruption to the sidewalk. Edward, Henry, Summer, Morris, South Park etc. The disruption is OK on side streets with green space between the sidewalk and the curb but SPG is very different.

Native species are easy to access and economical to purchase.

Native trees on South Park:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.641921,-6...T4vYS_-BIYdyDc0Ww0x-Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

eastcoastal · #**402** Posted **Aug 2, 2022, 2:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empire

Just want to repost this link to the landscaping in front of thr Prudential Center in Boston. It is well designed in terms of anticipated high pedestrain usage. It is aesthetically pleasing, durable and functional. I assume the trees were selected for a dense urban environment.

This is not what we have on SGR!

REf google maps Boston:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.34859,-7...2iHIMcMBVoHi_w6cIQ7Rg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The building stock is higher quality in that part of Boston as well. It's not just the landscaping.

someone123 · #**403** Posted **Aug 2, 2022, 6:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

The building stock is higher quality in that part of Boston as well. It's not just the landscaping.

It seems a bit apples-to-oranges to compare the landscaping of a plaza of a large office building to a municipal project that runs for several blocks. That being said, you do see granite curbs all over the place in Boston and they were common in Halifax.

Drybrain · #**404** Posted **Aug 2, 2022, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

It seems a bit apples-to-oranges to compare the landscaping of a plaza of a large office building to a municipal project that runs for several blocks. That being said, you do see granite curbs all over the place in Boston and they were common in Halifax.

Was in Maine/Mass/NH this spring for the first time in a couple of years, and noticed granite everywhere, even in many small cities and towns. Really ubteresting to compare some of the attention paid to those details not just to Halifax but Canada in general.

Then again, I also noticed that there were situations where infrastructure was in shockingly bad repair, even well within metropolitan Boston (Somerville, Chelsea, etc.): literally collapsing or impassably narrow sidewalks, potholes the size of your car, etc.

Keith P. · #**405** Posted **Aug 2, 2022, 7:10 PM**

Granite curbs seem to be a longstanding tradition in Massachusetts. They have large granite quarries that have been in business since the early 1900s that are still cutting stone for those purposes along with steps for private properties, etc. I don't know if we have anything like that here.

Saul Goode · #**406** Posted **Aug 2, 2022, 11:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Was in Maine/Mass/NH this spring for the first time in a couple of years, and noticed granite everywhere, even in many small cities and towns.

Well, there's a reason New Hampshire's nickname is The Granite State.

atbw · #**407** Posted **Aug 2, 2022, 11:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empire

Interesting. Most local species, maple, birch, oak will get very large and unruly. They will need constant pruning and yes the roots will disrupt the sidewalk. Walk down any street close by and have a look at the size of the trees and the disruption to the sidewalk. Edward, Henry, Summer, Morris, South Park etc. The disruption is OK on side streets with green space between the sidewalk and the curb but SPG is very different.

Native species are easy to access and economical to purchase.

Native trees on South Park:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.641921,-6...T4vYS_-BIYdyDc0Ww0x-Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

One thing to note, as far as I know, is that trees are now planted with structured soil cells which prevent the vertical heaving of sidewalks while allowing tree roots to spread horizontally.

coastalkid · #**408** Posted **Aug 4, 2022, 5:04 PM**

Some progress happening on planters today:

eastcoastal · #**409** Posted **Aug 4, 2022, 6:13 PM**

Interesting... Now I feel like the mobile planters seem odd next to the built-in ones. Probably too much of a critique, and perhaps they don't look as incongruous in person. Also, the mobile planters might have been a temporary attempt to provide some life while the built-in planters were barren and flooded.

Aegon123 · #**410** Posted **Aug 18, 2022, 10:17 PM**

I walked down Spring today and looks like they are pretty much finished and it looks fantastic! The garden beds are done now and, although they could have pick nicer plants/trees, it really warms up the area! This, Brenton Street, Clyde Street and South Park have really improved with new builds and streetscape beautification.

bluenoser · #**411** Posted **Sep 21, 2022, 2:16 PM**

Some perspectives from Park Lane on the streetscaping & recent developments in the area:

Photos by Doug Davis via Urban Halifax Photos

OliverD · #**412** Posted **Sep 21, 2022, 6:08 PM**

So many newer buildings in those shots!

someone123 · #**413** Posted **Sep 21, 2022, 6:12 PM**

Thanks for posting. One thing I find a bit frustrating about SGR is how some of the nicer buildings have been demolished (like the old BMO or Duggers) while some of the not-so-nice lower density buildings remain (like the CIBC row). It does still have a couple of gems, the Sovereign Building and Lord Nelson.

I'm curious to see how Mills turns out. To me it looks so far like the most interesting part of the complex is the courtyard area mid-block while the SGR facade is fairly simple. I hope it doesn't end up covered in salmon coloured precast concrete panels. That is what the rendering looks like.

mleblanc · #**414** Posted **Sep 21, 2022, 6:33 PM**

God the Sister Sites look offensively bad. Otherwise, great shots - thanks for sharing.

Keith P. · #**415** Posted **Sep 22, 2022, 11:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mleblanc

God the Sister Sites look offensively bad.

Just imagine how awful they would have been if HRM hadn't given Andy Fillmore & co. years and many millions of dollars to formulate a plan for them. We might have gotten two faux-Victorian red brick boxes instead!

caveat.doctor · #**416** Posted **Nov 29, 2022, 5:14 PM**

First look at Spring Garden in over 10 years, nice to see the end result of the construction earlier this year:

The architecture building and the new library nicely transition to the commercial area

Storefronts seemed to be well occupied

Planters seemed to have foliage that would last year round or close to it

and were otherwise fairly clean

Chairs and benches are visually interesting and the wood gives some natural contrast with the paving and concrete

The streetlights seem to be at a good height to light the street but not so high to cause too much glare to any offices/hotel rooms/residences above

and traffic lights poles are kept black, with short overhangs and without reflective frames around the lights, to avoid a "speedway" effect and keep the streetscape that much more human scale

Keith P. · #**417** Posted **Jul 20, 2023, 4:37 PM**

So, another million dollars in taxpayer cash and another extended closure for SGR, apparently to finish what they didn’t get done the last time and to fix some bonehead mistakes, like ankle-bending cobblestone walkways:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot...ars-long-streetscaping-project-1.6911599

They should have just left a hole in the bottom of those ugly planters and had someone pour money into them every so often.

Drybrain · #**418** Posted **Jul 20, 2023, 6:01 PM**

I'm not saying those cobblestones have never caused anyone any problems, but I have never, ever, ever had even the slightest problem with them. They're mostly out of the way and fairly flat. I'm not saying no one has ever tripped over one, and I'm not mobility-impaired--which seems to be the main complaint--but they've never seemed like ankle-benders to me.

someone123 · #**419** Posted **Jul 20, 2023, 8:29 PM**

This is another area where Halifax seems a bit out there to me. Years ago there used to be the brick sidewalks that looked kind of charming and people said were a death trap or worked in most places but not Halifax due to weather. They have similar pavers in Quebec City or Portland ME.

It is a lot like the stairs of death leading into the harbour from Queen's Marque or the wave. How humans survived in nature before carefully engineered environments is unclear.

mleblanc · #**420** Posted **Jul 20, 2023, 9:40 PM**

Overall, the improvements to SPG feel great. The extended sidewalks and curbs make a huge difference while walking, and not having power lines above does wonders. I think the cobblestones are a great idea and look decent, but could've been executed a bit better.

This latest work the article references is for completing the last remaining stretch of sidewalk that they couldn't do at the time due to the Mills development.