Quote:
Originally Posted by LikesBikes
The Halifax Common and Citadel have tons of unrealized potential. Both are incredibly centrally located greenspaces that are just grass and sports fields right now but with proper landscaping and could be made into a Central Park/Parc LaFontaine of Halifax. As it is now though I feel like our parks system is lacking compared to other cities.
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I often hear the idea that we have lacking park system, but I honestly disagree with it. I also disagree with the idea, which seems mostly taken for granted, that we need to significantly expand green space given population growth. Halifax is already one of the most park-abundant cities in the country, according to
this data. Part of that is no doubt due to the fact that the CMA is so huge and occupies so much undeveloped land, but I still have never remotely felt the city to be lacking in park space.
My list of top five would be a mix of wooded parks and more urban ones:
Point Pleasant Park
Frog Pond Park
Fort Needham
Shubie Park
Dartmouth Common
I'm not including Birch Cove or anything like that because I consider it more a wilderness area. Long Lake is borderline but I'd say the same. Hemlock Ravine is another favourite but it just got squeezed out of the top five.
The Halifax Common is definitely not on my list, though, because as mentioned it just sucks. Despite the big improvements in the past few years, including the Oval and quite-wonderful new pool, it's still a mediocre place to just hang out and lounge, which a central urban park should be. It's mostly a bunch of muddy softball fields and dirt paths that is absolutely not fitting for its role in the city. The new master plan will hopefully be a dramatic transformation, but for now, the Dartmouth Common is 100x better, and a much better example of a well-rounded central park.