Quote:
Originally Posted by IanWatson
That proposed road network in the extreme North End tho...
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Interesting, isn't it?
Looks like they were trying to make the most of the area that was still affected by the devastation of the Halifax Explosion, while taking into account its topography and apparently turning it into functional, almost self-sufficient neighborhood. The shopping centre idea is interesting to say the least:
Photo of the area as it was in the 1940s:
Plate 6: The general plan
Plate 7: Shopping/Park area
It strikes me that regardless of the era, the line of thinking in planning has been similar for a long time. In each case, they seem to want the best outcome for functionality and livability for a particular era, and as expected they are bound by the social norms of the time (see Africville comments below). In many ways the concepts presented in this plan are not unlike HRM By Design or The Centre Plan, but are likewise viewed through the looking glass of social norms and what is considered 'best practice' in the era.
You would have to look further to know what happened between then and now, and I haven't, but if you look at the current road network it looks like the plan was partially followed at least, but then there was also a bridge tossed in there. And it's important to recognize that this was just a suggested guideline so, as such, some aspects of it were followed while others weren't.
Google satellite view
It also strikes me how matter-of-fact they were regarding Africville:
There was no discussion about the community or cultural sensitivities, just a paternalistic attitude that this is bad and we know what's better for the residents and what's better for the neighborhood. So, "just do this"...
I'm glad that we as a society have become a little better in these regards, but IMHO we still have a long way to go.