Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123
I think this is on Develop NS, to the extent it's an issue. I'm sure Southwest wants the public space to be nice too but their prime concern is selling or renting space so they will tend to focus on interiors and private amenities and then curb appeal to some degree...
|
I agree - but it's still disappointing to me that this feels so lacklustre.
[QUOTE=someone123;9047330... If you look at Curve/Pavilion and Maple they don't really offer exceptional public spaces, and people were happy to have the Annandale passageway...[/QUOTE]
I think the Maple responds to its urban setting pretty well - and I don't think the same level of "exceptional" public space needs to be provided everywhere throughout the city. Same goes for Pavilion/Curve: I think the retail presence at street level is good and the wide sidewalks and planters on South Park provide a nice relationship with the Public Gardens. the Annandale passageway is fine - good for what and where it is - but I don't think it needs to be the same standard as what ought to be at the waterfront.
Arguably, the public spaces at Curve/Pavilion appear nicer than what I think is proposed for the Cunard Block, so who pushed for the level of design on South Park St./Annandale?
Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123
... I should also mention I don't think the waterfront actually has a shortage of open outdoor spaces. It has a surplus of dead zones and parking lots. If you look around downtown, much of it is fine with a small park or square every few blocks. I think the waterfront should have some space like that but that it should still be basically proportional to the number of nearby residents and businesses or amount of overall traffic. The boardwalk itself already serves as one large pedestrian-friendly space so it provides a good baseline. If the Cunard lot specifically offered 0 public space I don't think that would be a significant problem. There is a big public space right next door in front of the NSP building. How it relates to Lower Water Street and ties it through to the boardwalk is much more important...
|
I don't think I would have initially shared your opinion that Cunard Block doesn't need to provide any public space at all, but it's something you've made me think more about. I guess I had just assumed we (Haligonians) would want a string of publicly occupiable space along the boardwalk - of varying sizes and uses, and hopefully with some sort of thought given to providing some weather/sun protection and infrastructure for buskers, hot dog stands, and other ephemera that should accompany a well-used public space. I agree with you that the boardwalk itself is a large pedestrian-friendly space, however, my personal opinion is that the harbour is important to the psyche of Halifax (if the IS such a thing) and that we ought to celebrate this and enhance it as much as possible with every single development that happens there. I feel like the boardwalk could be even better if it had a series of small, medium, and large gathering spaces along it with a variety of programmed and unprogrammed uses.
One thing I hadn't considered until I read your response is whether new space here would be overkill. I don't know that I have a good idea whether it WOULD be overkill or just bare minimum (or perhaps somewhere in between).
Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123
Halifax has the same problem with the Commons where there's an abstract principle of this land being public space which somehow has morphed into it in practical terms being a mix of vague sports fields, hospital buildings, and parkades.
|
Ugh - I find the commons underwhelming. There really should be a kick-ass design there that reflects some of the current thinking about parks, recreation, and public life. Mont Royale and Central Park showcase/d what was en vogue at the time, and perhaps we could treat the Commons as more than just leftover space in the core and really be strategic about how it's used and by whom.
Thanks for the thought-starters.
Prev
Linear Mode
