Ugly Canada 2 (Only architecture, planning and design faux pas) - Page 142

TorontoDrew · #**2821** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 4:57 PM**

It's too bad about the power lines though.

megadude · #**2822** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 6:01 PM**

Power lines, highway, industry and the smell that sometimes blows over, etc. So much wrong with this neighbourhood. The decent sand, shallow and clear water and the view are nice but I think most people would only live in this area if there was a steep discount.

I've never heard of it being desirable.

stevanford1 · #**2823** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 7:40 PM**

I am currently in Windsor and there’s plenty of ugly to go around (amazing view of Detroit though).

In person this buildings base basically blinds you.

Slide · #**2824** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 12:27 AM**

First post here, although I've been lurking for the better part of a decade now. Not trolling or trying to start any wars, but in general, and it pains me to say this because it's where I’m from, from an on the ground perspective, I would nominate downtown Edmonton as the ugliest downtown in Canada among all its major cities.

Discontinuous and austere streetscapes, devoid of greenery or heritage buildings, dirty, dusty and many of the new developments are brutal. It really checks all the boxes of this thread title. I had the chance to visit nearly every major Canadian's city's cores over the past 5 years and it was a real eye opened. I can't think of anything Edmonton's downtown 'outdoes' any other city. In fact, and I am a bit embarrassed to say, I assumed all Canadian downtowns were generally rundown and depressing just because I thought most were like downtown Edmonton.

What downtown Calgary lacks in street interaction it makes up with clean streets, the Stephen Avenue walk of shops, exciting new architecture and street art. Downtown Winnipeg shares Edmonton's gravel lot woes but has a swath of heritage buildings that give it beautiful streetscapes and richness. Downtown Halifax, which I had the pleasure of visiting for the first time, was an absolute delight to walk. Parks, continuous streets, full of shops and people. Downtown Ottawa, same deal, has continuity among its streets and not the bombed out urban form of downtown Edmonton. Heck even downtown Regina's Scarth Street promenade and Victoria park feel leaps ahead of Edmonton. And it wouldn't be fair to compare it against the downtowns of Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal as they are all substantially larger cities.

Some Edmontonians tend to defend it, saying a new era of downtown Edmonton is just around the corner (a tune they've been singing for 15 years now), while most Edmontonians (aka not the ones on this forum) would likely agree that it's ugly.

East of 105 Street is ugly, and west of 105 street is abysmal. Any relatively nice area of downtown Edmonton such as 104 Street is lacklustre. More faux historic than real and peppered with surface lots. Downtown has no real anchor/destination street of restaurants or shops. Its urban fabric is spotty and sporadic. New developments such as the Royal Alberta Museum and Stanley Milner Library add to the drab grey ugly that currently plagues downtown. Even Ice District, while still under construction, offers nothing 'beautiful' or cutting edge in architecture or place making. It did, however, build Canada's only skyscraper with a 'back' side...

I do hope downtown Edmonton can reach its potential, because I think it really has a chance to be beautiful, but I really can't deny that among Canada's major cities, Edmonton has the ugliest downtown.

Acajack · #**2825** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 7:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

For the Château Laurier addition, it's pretty much a done deal. The City approved the addition three designs ago (June 2018) on the condition they brought a few revisions to massing and materials. City Staff are now recommending it be approved and Parks Canada (responsible for the neighboring Rideau Canal) seemed satisfied with the submission earlier this spring.

Looks like that Château Laurier addition people are bitching about has gotten the final green light in Ottawa.

_Citizen_Dane_ · #**2826** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 8:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Looks like that Château Laurier addition people are bitching about has gotten the final green light in Ottawa.

I was just reading about that, apparently it was quite the landslide vote. It seems as though one alderman is trying to force the issue to city council, to reverse the planning committee's decision.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...vote-on-design

SignalHillHiker · #**2827** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 9:10 PM**

Out in the East End with Joanne today. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've been to this end of the city, excluding the airport and Portugal Cove Road (main route from airport to downtown).

Rowhouse colours don't work on bungalows.

Fake Spanish houses and secondary streets.

They tried for trees.

And as some eyebleach, there are dozens of historic old properties in the East End - formerly rural, now generally surrounded by normal suburban streets.

And, this is not my thing but I know a lot of you like it... much of it is well-treed and acceptably designed.

megadude · #**2828** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 9:40 PM**

Damn. St. John’s is an architectural gem with all those colours but not once did I imagine what the colours would look like on spaced out bungalows.

stevanford1 · #**2829** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 10:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Damn. St. John’s is an architectural gem with all those colours but not once did I imagine what the colours would look like on spaced out bungalows.

What about shitty motels???

megadude · #**2830** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 10:40 PM**

They were trying way too hard with that one.

stevanford1 · #**2831** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

They were trying way too hard with that one.

It reminds me of a giant pizza box

SignalHillHiker · #**2832** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 10:57 PM**

That one is in Gros Morne I think, Rocky Harbour. About 9 hours away but it is ugly!

stevanford1 · #**2833** Posted **Jun 13, 2019, 11:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

That one is in Gros Morne I think, Rocky Harbour. About 9 hours away but it is ugly!

Yes it is in Rocky Harbour. Hideous building indeed. According to Tripadvisor it used to be a very meh motel believe it or not.

You know your buildings ugly when you wish that was still a thing

.

stevanford1 · #**2834** Posted **Jun 16, 2019, 1:13 PM**

Let’s be thankful that we don’t have anything this tacky in Canada.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...62723280_zpid/

Proof Sheet · #**2835** Posted **Jun 16, 2019, 9:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevanford1

Let’s be thankful that we don’t have anything this tacky in Canada.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...62723280_zpid/

I'll go out on a limb and suggest this is 'new money'. Or one of Trump's relatives/followers.

stevanford1 · #**2836** Posted **Jun 17, 2019, 12:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I'll go out on a limb and suggest this is 'new money'. Or one of Trump's relatives/followers.

The sad thing is that in Staten Island Trump seems to be a whole school of design.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...32311135_zpid/

ZEBRA PRINT CHAIRS
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...79735604_zpid/

Behold the Leprechaun House!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2.../32294838_zpid

Truly awful
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3.../58577096_zpid

Proof Sheet · #**2837** Posted **Jun 17, 2019, 2:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevanford1

Truly awful
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3.../58577096_zpid

Wow. That pink bathroom would make me queasy

megadude · #**2838** Posted **Jun 17, 2019, 3:01 AM**

Was just north of Yonge and Finch today. Like so many neighbourhoods in TO, I look around and say explain to me again why people are paying over $1 mil for a house here?

It's not even Toronto Toronto. It's North York. It's amalgamated Toronto. Basically missing the charm of Old Toronto.

I wouldn't say this, like so many other neighbourhoods, has charm. What they do have is mature streets with big trees, but mature also means many properties with umkempt lawns from the non-mcmansion houses.

And those mcmansions are going for $2.5 to $3.5 mil.

Yes, you can walk to the subway, but it's not exactly a close walk. For vast majority of people here, it's a god damn trek.

Anyway, you can live in a mature neighbourhood with all those trees, but you drive one minute out to go do your shopping and you're hit with streetscapes like this. Not exactly what I want to see when I'm paying $1 to $4 mil for a house.

Food is probably amazing though. But let's not forget what a disaster traffic is.

Couple of $1.3 mil houses. A $1.4 mil and a $2 mil. Fine looking houses though.

esquire · #**2839** Posted **Jun 17, 2019, 1:18 PM**

^ People are paying 1 to 2 million for THAT?

Yeesh, come to Winnipeg and get the same ugly strip malls, inconvenient transit and tired looking postwar mass-produced subdivision homes for under $300K.

niwell · #**2840** Posted **Jun 17, 2019, 1:35 PM**

It's no Laval, but for only $2M you can actually LIVE in a clocktower!

https://torontolife.com/real-estate/...oulevard-west/