SKYLINES and SPRAWL: Toronto, Mississauga, Calgary, Regina

flar · #1 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 6:20 AM**

Toronto, Ontario

Suburban GTA

Mississauga, Ontario

Pearson International Airport, Mississauga, Ontario

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Calgary, Alberta

Calgary International Airport

Regina, Saskatchewan

Ashland, Wisconsin at bottom right

Door Peninsula and Washington Island, separating Green Bay from Lake Michigan

Back in Toronto, just in time for a snowstorm

Bedhead · #2 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 2:17 PM**

Those endless expanses of suburban homes are mesmerising.

That traffic intersection is a great image, too.

Quixote · #3 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flar

Wow.

Sekkle · #4 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 3:51 PM**

awesome aerial shots!

whatsthepoint13 · #5 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 4:49 PM**

Yeah, flar. Awesome set. Thanks!

xzmattzx · #6 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 5:07 PM**

Nice pictures. What did you go to Calgary and Regina for? Any photo threads for those places coming up?

ue · #7 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 5:16 PM**

Aww Edmonton feels left out (kidding). Probably helps YYC is a much bigger facility. This is a fine collection Flar, quite a nice variety. As disgusting as it looks, I think seeing all the sprawl is kinda interesting, for looks, in aerial. And of course the skylines were superb

.

DLLB · #8 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 5:41 PM**

Neat shots.

They sure do show the sprawl in Calgary and Toronto.

ColDayMan · #9 Posted **Feb 27, 2010, 7:03 PM**

Amazing how Canadian sprawl mirrors Denver or Dallas.

Dan Denson · #10 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 2:44 AM**

Really amazing photos. It does look like U.S. sprawl, but in many of the photos, the suburban neighborhoods look surprisingly devoid of trees. Is that typical or just what is shown in these particular photos? Some of the photos towards the end (Regina) show more of what I was expecting to see with regard to trees.

Ayreonaut · #11 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 2:48 AM**

Older suburbs have the trees. It seems to me that a higher percentage of Regina's suburban areas are older. Whereas Calgary and Toronto have grown very quickly so the photos you see are of relatively new developments.

shakman · #12 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 3:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flar

Back in Toronto, just in time for a snowstorm

Is that 407?

ue · #13 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 4:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

Really amazing photos. It does look like U.S. sprawl, but in many of the photos, the suburban neighborhoods look surprisingly devoid of trees. Is that typical or just what is shown in these particular photos? Some of the photos towards the end (Regina) show more of what I was expecting to see with regard to trees.

Well the US and Canada are right up against each other, so of course they're similiar

.

Most Canadian suburbs aren't like the Eastern US ones that I've seen that are surrounded by bushes and feel more in nature (there is one area like that in my Metro, but it's a bunch of fancy huge estates). Like some Western US cities, many of the suburbs are quite densely packed, in fact Calgary has the densest suburbs in North America. Most of the new suburbs have trees (at least from what I have seen) but they are much smaller and younger and because it's winter, not as visible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ayreonaut

Older suburbs have the trees. It seems to me that a higher percentage of Regina's suburban areas are older. Whereas Calgary and Toronto have grown very quickly so the photos you see are of relatively new developments.

This is true about Edmonton also (being akin to Regina, not Tor/Cal). We grew a lot between 1947-1990, so we have lots of matured suburbs. Calgary and I assume Toronto (especially because of it's size, it's got to have a decent amount) have this too, but I don't think as high of a percentage of suburbia as is Edmonton/Regina.

the sage · #14 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 4:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by shakman

Is that 407?

Close, but no way all those people would pay the tolls to drive on the 407... its the 401!

LMich · #15 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 5:02 AM**

The Mississauga industrial sector is mind-numbingly uniform which I find very interesting. I new it was a fairly planned suburb; I didn't know it was that planned. It seems like it's more planned toward divided single-usage than I'd thought, and more than a lot of other suburbs down this way.

Thundertubs · #16 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 5:14 AM**

I could look at aerial photos all day. Fascinating trans-Canadian tour.

stepper77 · #17 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 6:22 AM**

Now that was a fun thread! Beautiful (and cold) shots. Thanks!

flar · #18 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 2:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Nice pictures. What did you go to Calgary and Regina for? Any photo threads for those places coming up?

I was in Regina for work, it's quite a nice city, I plan to post three Regina tours. Calgary was just a stop on my flight. I made sure I got a flight through Calgary just so I could get a few shots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

Really amazing photos. It does look like U.S. sprawl, but in many of the photos, the suburban neighborhoods look surprisingly devoid of trees. Is that typical or just what is shown in these particular photos? Some of the photos towards the end (Regina) show more of what I was expecting to see with regard to trees.

Those are recent subdivisions built on farm fields. Regina's older areas have tons of trees because of a concerted effort to beautify the relatively treeless landscape of the Prairies. Most of Regina's older areas are lined with beautiful mature Elm trees. I'm not sure those newer subdivisions in the GTA and Calgary will ever have large mature trees because the development practices have such a negative impact on soil.

xzmattzx · #19 Posted **Feb 28, 2010, 5:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flar

I was in Regina for work, it's quite a nice city, I plan to post three Regina tours. Calgary was just a stop on my flight. I made sure I got a flight through Calgary just so I could get a few shots.

Those are recent subdivisions built on farm fields. Regina's older areas have tons of trees because of a concerted effort to beautify the relatively treeless landscape of the Prairies. Most of Regina's older areas are lined with beautiful mature Elm trees. I'm not sure those newer subdivisions in the GTA and Calgary will ever have large mature trees because the development practices have such a negative impact on soil.

I see. So you stopped in Calgary just to take pictures? That's the spirit! I would do the same on my travels to see Philadelphia Eagles road trips, but I can't afford to lose more time to make money.

As far as the sprawl goes, Ontario sprawl also seems to be built so compact that there's no room to grow trees later. The density is nice, but the trade-off is that you can't fit much nature in. Even more sprawling subdivisions with acres of land for each house have the benefit that in 50 years, trees will have grown back (to the extent that the owners allow) and increased in size to provide some nice cover.

boden · #20 Posted **Mar 1, 2010, 2:27 PM**

Very interesting set. Amazing at how abruptly Calgary ends. Very different to Southern Ontario.