Great Canadian Skyline Thread II

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by mr.John

The major problem with Montreal is not really the height restrictions. (210m is pretty tall)
it's where you can put up a 210m tower, the areas are not very appealing for developers.

There's no height limit in the CBD of Toronto however, the sites that are more appealing for redevelopment tend to cast shadows on an important public amenity.

[G.S MTL]

I love the 120m towers we don't all have to have the same height in every city !

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wpointw/28056656373/

This is one of the best views of the downtown core. It's also by far the best angle to observe the new downtown developments. The future CF projects are going to sore.

[Monolith]

#vancouver from above by Karin Wollina, on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/kwollina/2...JKdbU-KztLLt-JKL137-KG3BSZ-Kgisqh-JKQh73


View of Vancouver by rsaloust, on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/rsaloust/2...Bey9z-JJvs1W-KDg9UH-KB91HQ-Kx4aPz-JE7ZXm

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

You make it sound like you expect us to maintain long term growth. We've managed to grow continually over the last few decades while much of the rest of the Maritimes struggled, mainly by attracting people from the rest of the region and NFLD.

Actually immigration is already a bigger contributor to demographic growth in Halifax than regional migration and because the provincial nomination caps are going up it's expected to continue to increase in importance in the future. One municipal population projection I saw was for 550,000 people in 2030 (~1% annual growth and 2-3% economic growth, which is just a continuation of the pattern that has existed for many years).

In the future I suspect we will see more evenly distributed immigration to many different cities (partly because of cost of living advantages). This has already been playing out.

I doubt Halifax will grow enough that a big office district could be built between the bridges but the North End is definitely filling in with more residential buildings and businesses and there's a trend away from concentrating offices in the old downtown. I could see Halifax looking a lot less centralized in 15 years and being more like a typical European city where there are many neighbourhoods that all have around the same level of development. Of course the Cogswell interchange will soon be demolished as well so that will contribute to a shift northward.

Quebec City is pretty much arranged how the North End suggestion sounds. The upside to that arrangement was that the old town was mostly preserved. The downside is that a lot of development ended up in relatively sterile and car-oriented newer areas.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Sweet Halifax shot! Looks like a boat chase scene from Miami Vice! What is that building behind the boat? Certainly wasn't there when I visited in 2005.

It's interesting to note that in 2005 this would have been a pretty terrible point from which to view the city. Now it's decent, and it will look a lot better when those buildings under construction are complete.

[someone123]

Coincidentally found some more photos of the same spot:





Source

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

You make it sound like you expect us to maintain long term growth. We've managed to grow continually over the last few decades while much of the rest of the Maritimes struggled, mainly by attracting people from the rest of the region and NFLD. However, with the population of all four provinces stagnating or shrinking, eventually this source of population will be tapped out, and unless we find some new source of growth, then the population will level off or even decline. The only other sources for such growth would be increased birth rates (unlikely) or national migration and international immigration.

If the economy is reasonably strong, attracting outsiders may be viable (especially luring back Maritimers who have left) but I suspect the most realistic best case scenario would be to maintain a zero population growth environment, and to work on making the province more sustainable and economically innovative. Some of the most prosperous places with the highest quality of life such as Scandinavia have little to no growth, and the planet doesn't have an infinite carrying capacity, so we're eventually going to have to forget the idea that for a place to be vibrant and healthy its population must be constantly growing.

Over population is a global problem but I'd be careful assuming what's true in Europe/Asia/Africa/latin America, holds true for Canada. The only region of Canada that's built a large enough population base to be globally competitive in multiple industries is that swath from Quebec City to Windsor. Even the Calgary - Edmonton corridor lacks the scale to attract things like manufacturing, for example. There's a reason Halifax is more prosperous than rural NS: bigger population bases are better wealth creators.

Successful cities are ones that continually re-invent themselves. There seems to be a size/scale at which cities in this country develop a critical mass of stuff that they become self sustaining. Universities, museums/galleries, LRT, pro sports, great retail, concerts/festivals, etc. Halifax has some of these things but needs to grow significantly larger before it will attract global talent and capital.

Besides, attracting immigrants attracts more immigrants. Halifax used to get next to none, but that's changing. A lot is at stake. Halifax can either flat line into irrelevance of get significantly bigger and become a national player in industry, sports, culture, etc. There's a reason why lots of young Haligonians still leave for the 'big city' and don't come back.

[ue]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Over population is a global problem but I'd be careful assuming what's true in Europe/Asia/Africa/latin America, holds true for Canada. The only region of Canada that's built a large enough population base to be globally competitive in multiple industries is that swath from Quebec City to Windsor. Even the Calgary - Edmonton corridor lacks the scale to attract things like manufacturing, for example. There's a reason Halifax is more prosperous than rural NS: bigger population bases are better wealth creators.

Successful cities are ones that continually re-invent themselves. There seems to be a size/scale at which cities in this country develop a critical mass of stuff that they become self sustaining. Universities, museums/galleries, LRT, pro sports, great retail, concerts/festivals, etc. Halifax has some of these things but needs to grow significantly larger before it will attract global talent and capital.

Besides, attracting immigrants attracts more immigrants. Halifax used to get next to none, but that's changing. A lot is at stake. Halifax can either flat line into irrelevance of get significantly bigger and become a national player in industry, sports, culture, etc. There's a reason why lots of young Haligonians still leave for the 'big city' and don't come back.

Honestly, one of the things I like about Halifax is that it isn't this big, bustling metropolis. We already have Toronto and Montreal (and Vancouver to a lesser degree) for that. I like that it seemed to have a lot going on and a lot to offer without the chaos and congestion. It felt like a scaled-down version of a big city. I think it'd lose something if it just blossomed into a much bigger place just to stay relevant. Now granted, the 550k being tossed around is pretty reasonable, I think, and seems like a good middle ground. I'd just rather not see it overtaken by the big booms in Alberta and parts of Ontario and BC.

Sidenote, I am amazed there isn't more in terms of pro sports in Halifax. Halifax itself has more people than Regina, which supports the Riders, and has way more people in its vicinity than all of Saskatchewan.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by ue

Honestly, one of the things I like about Halifax is that it isn't this big, bustling metropolis. We already have Toronto and Montreal (and Vancouver to a lesser degree) for that. I like that it seemed to have a lot going on and a lot to offer without the chaos and congestion. It felt like a scaled-down version of a big city. I think it'd lose something if it just blossomed into a much bigger place just to stay relevant. Now granted, the 550k being tossed around is pretty reasonable, I think, and seems like a good middle ground. I'd just rather not see it overtaken by the big booms in Alberta and parts of Ontario and BC.

The Maritimes should have at least 1 big city imo. For those that don't want that there are plenty of other options in the region: Moncton, Saint John, Charlottetown, Sydney, Frederiction. They all have their own character but that familiar Maritime feel at the same time. The point is to give Maritimers options that they don't currently have.

I suppose Halifax has to decide what it wants to be. In the meantime, young Maritimers who'd like to stay but want big city amenities will continue to leave. I left 16 years ago and about 40% of my friends from NS now live in Toronto. None of us are coming back and we're contributing to the rise of Toronto instead.

Originally Posted by ue

Sidenote, I am amazed there isn't more in terms of pro sports in Halifax. Halifax itself has more people than Regina, which supports the Riders, and has way more people in its vicinity than all of Saskatchewan.

Halifax is at that awkward size where it's big enough to support pro sports but a little too small and distant to make a compelling case. The void has allowed collegiate sports to prosper. It's nowhere near as popular as one sees in the US but it's a far bigger deal in NS than it seems to be anywhere else in Canada (Laval football excluded).

Halifax does have an NBL team and a team in the QMJHL. That said, if Halifax had 2 million people I bet they would have landed an NBA team before either Toronto or Vancouver. Nova Scotia has had a strong basketball culture since the early 70s.

Nova Scotia supports no fewer than 5 university basketball teams and will have 2 pro basketball teams this coming season. This photo below is from a university basketball game in 1978. Halifax only had about 275,000 people back then yet managed attendance of 11,000 for this game.

Saint Mary's defeat Acadia 99-91

[Martin Mtl]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BInB3a3ALAm/?tagged=livemontreal

[O-tacular]

From the Brookfield Place thread:

Originally Posted by Acey

Another via Keith Walker on Facebook, this from Saturday morning.

The view from the north is always deceiving because of the valley. It looks like the neighborhoods north of the Bow river literally run right into downtown.

[Ron Jeremy]

People who post city photos without indicating which city we're looking at are worse than hitler

[Martin Mtl]

/\ Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to your contribution. Cheers!

[WhipperSnapper]

Pretty obvious which cities these are and stay away from my daughter!

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Ron Jeremy

People who post city photos without indicating which city we're looking at are worse than hitler

As far as I know there's only one city beside the Rockies with the Bow and the Calgary Tower. If you were referring to the close up harbour front photos from before then I am also unsure which city they are from.

[Martin Mtl]

http://www.fotoimage.ca/services-a-rien---aerial-services


http://www.fotoimage.ca/services-a-rien---aerial-services

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

As far as I know there's only one city beside the Rockies with the Bow and the Calgary Tower. If you were referring to the close up harbour front photos from before then I am also unsure which city they are from.

Halifax

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Halifax

I thought so but wasn't sure because the poster is from Vancouver and I've never seen those towers before in shots of Halifax.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

http://www.fotoimage.ca/services-a-rien---aerial-services

It's crazy how much of a shadow the moutain casts over the city.