Suburban Development and Sprawl

[thommyjo]

View attachment 728322

Michael Janz: Let's build rec centres, libraries and pools instead of new roads

The road budget is denying neighbourhoods the swimming pool, library, playgournd, or alleyway repairs they need.

edmontonjournal.com

Op Ed by Janz.

Good article. Tone deaf title. Don’t make it about rec centres instead of roads when traffic is getting worse and Lewis farms is going way over budget.

Make it about the costs of roads and property taxes.

Most people don’t want new rec centres. They want lower taxes.

Well written overall. But I think the title will trigger those already frustrated.

 

[ADob]

Tone deaf title

Well written overall. But I think the title will trigger those already frustrated.

Which was probably the whole point. Rage farming is, pardon the pun, all the rage.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Especially in this day and age of the carcentric population, saying that roads lose out to everything else we'll just get a bunch of drivers up in arms again as usual.

 

[NicolBolas]

I find this to be absolutely the most insane thing.

The city approves a insolvent development model and continues to do so for years but then blames development for being insolvent and has to increase tax?

 

[MacLac]

HUGE shopping plaza under construction in southwest Edmonton | Daily Hive | Urbanized

Residents in southwest Edmonton will soon have more access to shops, and services, with a new commercial plaza currently under construction.

dailyhive.com

 

[archited]

They lost me at Walmart Supercentre

 

[EtoV]

HUGE shopping plaza under construction in southwest Edmonton | Daily Hive | Urbanized

Residents in southwest Edmonton will soon have more access to shops, and services, with a new commercial plaza currently under construction.

dailyhive.com

Just what we need, another "power" centre

 

[Oilers99]

Just what we need, another "power" centre

how about instead of criticizing we recognize a 30 acre development will service ~100k Edmontonians...

 

[Payd1964]

how about instead of criticizing we recognize a 30 acre development will service ~100k Edmontonians...

And provide taxes and jobs. Plus I thought the City wanted 15 minute communities. My daughter and her family can walk to the site. Plus there are two major multi use paths east of Heritage Valley Trail providing direct access to the site, and more being constructed on the west side as well. For instance you can bicycle from Ellerslie Road to 41 Avenue without crossing a major arterial. I know this isn't the type of development that some on this board like, but people in the "burbs" are very active . . . our trail network is extensively used and can be easily accessed. Again, serving thousands of people . . . .unfortunately with the hospital getting shelved there will be a massive doughnut of vacant land in Heritage Valley, so potentially linkages between the eastern and western sides won't be completed for some time to come.

 

[TAS]

And provide taxes and jobs. Plus I thought the City wanted 15 minute communities. My daughter and her family can walk to the site. Plus there are two major multi use paths east of Heritage Valley Trail providing direct access to the site, and more being constructed on the west side as well. For instance you can bicycle from Ellerslie Road to 41 Avenue without crossing a major arterial. I know this isn't the type of development that some on this board like, but people in the "burbs" are very active . . . our trail network is extensively used and can be easily accessed. Again, serving thousands of people . . . .unfortunately with the hospital getting shelved there will be a massive doughnut of vacant land in Heritage Valley, so potentially linkages between the eastern and western sides won't be completed for some time to come.

In terms of design, I would love to see new districts move away from power center design with very large parking lots and lots of concrete to more of a town center/mainstreet design that has some mixed use built in, is a more pleasant pedestrian experience and more of a community hub.

Having the multi-use paths well connected is great. But the quality of experience of power centre versus mixed-use town centre is not as good - but I recognize I'm probably in minority. In terms of comparison below, the key advantages (cost) is obviously a driving factor.

 

[archited]

It's not the plaza shopping centre that I object to it is Walmart and that ilk that destroy more discerning retail.

 

[archited]

Something like https://www.shopcommons.com/visit/ the Commons at Calabasas except in an Edmonton Design Vernacular.

 

[ADob]

And provide taxes and jobs. Plus I thought the City wanted 15 minute communities. My daughter and her family can walk to the site. Plus there are two major multi use paths east of Heritage Valley Trail providing direct access to the site, and more being constructed on the west side as well. For instance you can bicycle from Ellerslie Road to 41 Avenue without crossing a major arterial. I know this isn't the type of development that some on this board like, but people in the "burbs" are very active . . . our trail network is extensively used and can be easily accessed. Again, serving thousands of people . . . .unfortunately with the hospital getting shelved there will be a massive doughnut of vacant land in Heritage Valley, so potentially linkages between the eastern and western sides won't be completed for some time to come.

It's great to have all these services nearby and accessible for local residents, but does it have to be so damn ugly and car-centric? Why not offer the same shops, services, restaurants, etc, but in a park-once format? Everyone seems to hate South Common, which is brutal for drivers and pedestrians alike, yet we keep building more of the same!

 

[thommyjo]

And provide taxes and jobs. Plus I thought the City wanted 15 minute communities. My daughter and her family can walk to the site. Plus there are two major multi use paths east of Heritage Valley Trail providing direct access to the site, and more being constructed on the west side as well. For instance you can bicycle from Ellerslie Road to 41 Avenue without crossing a major arterial. I know this isn't the type of development that some on this board like, but people in the "burbs" are very active . . . our trail network is extensively used and can be easily accessed. Again, serving thousands of people . . . .unfortunately with the hospital getting shelved there will be a massive doughnut of vacant land in Heritage Valley, so potentially linkages between the eastern and western sides won't be completed for some time to come.

With all due respect, accessible by walking vs “walkable” aren’t the same.

95% of shoppers will drive to this. The parking lot and comparables nearby prove that (currents in windemere)

Just because stuff is close, doesn’t mean it’s not car dependent in design.

This is just another car dependent, big box retail strip mall that’ll induce car use further. Nothing to celebrate. It’ll be low revenue per sqft for taxes too.

“People in the burbs are active”. Sure…. That’s why all those neighborhoods have less than 1% walking and biking rates on the census vs 5-15% for mature neighborhoods?

 

[johnnyboy]

... an Edmonton Design Vernacular.

You mean more cladding and less vowels?