Quote:
Originally Posted by isaidso
One could argue that it's also our aesthetic. Canada just never had cities big enough to fill out a canyon like this. Now we do. Most cities in Canada/US were built on a grid and most cities in Canada/US built skyscrapers right from the get go when the elevator was invented. Montreal built Canada's first skyscraper in 1888. Chicago's first was in 1885. New York's first was in 1889.
How tall cities built was dictated by the level of demand and demand was directly related to city size. Judging by G.S. MTL's recent post below, it looks like Montreal will get there too.
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I think the aesthetic Kool was referring to was a street-wall composed of some pre-war buildings and some modern skyscrapers (feel free to correct me if my interpretation is off). Buildings built right up to the sidewalk, no gaps or interruptions, variety in height, texture, age and style.
The thing about Montreal, fairly evident in the picture, is that there are many 'gaps' in the streetwalls. Cathedrals, parks, squares etc. very much by design. Our towers are not as concentrated around key intersections, are often setback from the street, and our zoning, while not forbidding street walls, kind of discourages them. I agree, we'll probably get
near there, but in a less deliberate, more haphazard, 'this kind of just happened while nobody was paying attention,' kind of way.
But hey, I can see my office in that picture!