Public Realm in Canadian Cities - Developments

[Chadillaccc]

Calgary's Bow to Bluffs Park between the Bow River and the McHugh Cliffs in Kensington, north of downtown, is finally under construction after 10 years.

The sixteenth public park in the Calgary inner city to be completely revitalized in the last ten years. The only six left are Prince's Island, Mohkinstis Park, Linday Park, Aberhart Park, Beaulieu Gardens, and Tomkins Square.

Construction schedule is only 8 weeks.



By Urban Outdoorsman on SRC

[Chadillaccc]

Calgary's newly opened Dale Hodges Park just won a national award for its environmental transformation. It went from being a contaminated gravel pit to a passive water treatment facility and public park along the Bow. Stunning It happens to be just downstream from my favourite park in the city, Bowmont Park (as pictured in the current page of the "varied landscapes" thread), so looks like a photo tour is in order!


Canadian Society of Landscape Architects 2021 Award of Excellence: https://www.csla-aapc.ca/awards-atlas/dale-hodges-park






By Calgary's own O2 Design: https://www.o2design.com/dale-hodges-park

[Kilgore Trout]

Gorgeous.

[itom 987]

That's a big breading ground for Mosquitos!

[Chadillaccc]

Yay for ecosystems!


The city just released the preliminary concept for the Green Line tunnel portal in Eau Claire. After departing Eau Claire subway station, the train will climb over the Bow and up the bluffs. The bridge will be approx. 450 meters long and climb approx. 40 meters. The concepts for activating the portal space are actually pretty awesome…





https://engage.calgary.ca/greenline/bowbridge

[Martin Mtl]

The city of Montreal has announced this week its plan for a massive metamorphosis of Jean Drapeau park, which sits on the St-Helen and Notre-Dame islands, accross the river from Old Montreal.

The 209 hectares (520 acres) park is already a gem, one metro station away from downtown, and it includes many landmarks, notably Six Flags, the Biosphere, the Casino, the newly build amphitheater for large gatherings of 65 000 people, the Jean-Doré beach, the Floralies gardens, the aquatic complex, the F1 circuit, etc.

The 10-years plan will cost a whopping one billion dollars, for a 100 millions investment each year.

Here are just a few highlights of the future park.

Construction will launch this summer with the Place des Nations (first two images)

[Chadillaccc]

Very impressive scope! That will be awesome.

[J.OT13]

Some awesome projects. Good to see the re-naturalization area in Calgary. Love Calgary's Green Line portal. Ottawa's are as basic as can be. Jean-Drapeau Park looks amazing.

A much smaller project at the western tip of Chaudière Island, as part of the Zibi development. The space will be called Pangishimo Park – the Algonquin word for sunset.

Construction pics by Pat on the RailFans Discord.





The path that leads to it from the War Museum (LeBreton Flats) and Albert Island.



And an overall view, the future park being at the upper (western) tip of the island in the centre.



Renderings from Zibi:








https://zibi.ca/zibi-to-create-a-sun...udiere-island/

[Chadillaccc]

I'm really impressed by how quickly Zibi is coming together. Always reminded me of the East Village but now it's surpassing it. The setting can't be beat.

I guess the one advantage the East Village has are the architecturally stunning institutions the city has built there, namely the National Music Centre and the Central Library.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

I'm really impressed by how quickly Zibi is coming together. Always reminded me of the East Village but now it's surpassing it. The setting can't be beat.

I guess the one advantage the East Village has are the architecturally stunning institutions the city has built there, namely the National Music Centre and the Central Library.

For sure. Zibi will be a collection of high quality buildings with good, varied architecture, far beyond what's we're used to in Ottawa. It will certainly become a must see destination at a similar level to the National museums, Parliament and the ByWard Market. That said, I don't think the area will have any one obvious landmark anywhere near the level of Calgary's new library.

[Echoes]

The City of Saskatoon is moving forward with a Permanent Outdoor Festival Site to be located downtown along the river and just to the east of the relatively new River Landing riverfront.

The river valley is already home to Saskatoon's many summer festivals and this will provide dedicated infrastructure for outdoor events. Most notably, creation of a large natural amphitheatre and main stage area in a great setting beside the Broadway Bridge.










https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeeting...umentId=129234


The festival site has been coordinated with the design of significant enhancements to the downtown segment of the Meewasin Trail, a project being led by our river valley conservation authority Meewasin Valley Authority.

This includes trail widening (up to 6.0 m in places), new plaza spaces, river viewpoint nodes, a suspended wooden boardwalk, feature lighting, public art, ramp and stair connections and plantings.







https://meewasin.com/faq-downtown-en...21-engagement/

[Coldrsx]

Simple but effective improvements by way of Edmonton's 'Neighbourhood Renewal' program for one of our most coveted, interesting and most walkable neighbourhoods.















https://www.edmonton.ca/transportati...inalDesign.pdf
https://transforming.edmonton.ca/bui...f-your-dreams/

[Pavlov]

That Saskatoon project looks great.

[Razor]

Wow!..Yes those Saskatoon plans look really good!

[J.OT13]

Zibi Zibi all the time. A new park to be established on the Gatineau shoreline as part of the Zibi project. The design is heavily influenced by the 100 year flood plain.








https://twitter.com/NCC_CCN/status/1385248219031117827

Site plan:

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Park plan from the presentation

More on the park: https://ncc-website-2.s3.amazonaws.c...518&focal=none

[Chadillaccc]

Saskatoon really taking from Calgary's playbook this past decade. Love seeing what that city is doing.

[J.OT13]

An existing plaza in Ottawa's CBD getting a make-over. At the World Exchange Plaza office complex.

Originally Posted by SL123

The World Exchange plaza will be going thru a revitalization phase including the exterior plaza. Plans were posted on Dev apps



https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applica...1-0012/details

[J.OT13]

Hydro Ottawa's Chaudière Falls public area. For around 200 years, up until 2017, this area was inaccessible to the general public. As part of a partnership with Zibi, and for Canada's 150th, Hydro Ottawa started on a project to expand their hydro electric facilities and make the falls accessible to all once again.

• Video Link

[Chadillaccc]

Are they leaving that building on the left open and gutted as a public space? If so that'll be a super unique place to chill.

[🌳🌱🌿🌴🍁]

Accessible dock in WPG demonstrated by wheelchair user/kayaker.

• Video Link