Gronk!
Senior Member
Any comments from the peanut gallery before I submit this idea to city council?
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Misc. Transportation Projects
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
Any comments from the peanut gallery before I submit this idea to city council?
The_Cat
Senior Member
I’m not sure if traffic circles could remedy this area. I think small traffic circles could work well for replacing four-way stops, or intersections like the South Edmonton Common entrance (102 St/19 Avenue).
Gronk!
Senior Member
The traffic circle works quite well at 98 Ave/85 St, just need to replicate it 2 or 3 more times and maybe get rid of a couple of roads.
Gronk!
Senior Member
Edmonton earmarks $4M over 2 years to fill sidewalk gaps, expand trails
City aims to fix missing links, create networks near LRT and existing paths
CplKlinger
Senior Member
"The planning money will also look at connecting neighbourhoods of Bonnie Doon, Strathearn, Holyrood and Idylwyld with existing LRT grid as well as bike and river valley paths..."
Are they referring to connecting these neighbourhoods to the multi-use path along the Capital line?
"and do the same analysis for neighbourhoods around the Northlands/Exhibition lands." What does this entail? Adding more multi-use paths in those neighbourhoods too?
Calfaer
New Member
"If we're serious about building a city that stops urban sprawl, that builds up, not out," he said, "We need to make sure that it's easy and safe to move, whether you're eight years old or you're 80 years old."
I have so much more hope in this city council that seems to generally understand these problems better.
But I don't know why I read the comments on these articles.
"I don't recall ever seeing a pedestrian walking on Calgary Trail."
Maybe because there's nowhere to walk? Everything is just huge roads and endless parking lots. Still a ways to go to change this mindset...
Platinum107
Senior Member
Maybe I'm just expecting too much too soon, but one thing that the new city council can do right now to show us that they put their money where their mouth is is crack down on the crime and unsafe activity that is sucker punching ETS at the moment. Putting out and fighting for safe and reliable transit is the only way to "be serious about stopping suburban sprawl" and to "build up, not out", and to make it "easy to move, whether you're eight years old or you're 80 years old!!"
Man these catchphrases are annoying when it feels like there's no weight behind them.
archited
Senior Member
Sorry to say @Platinum107 you can't stop suburban sprawl unless the City you are referring to has geographic restrictions (e.g. Vancouver or San Francisco). If you establish a green belt in a City like Edmonton. suburbs will simply leapfrog the barrier and start anew on the other side. Growth in cities like Leduc, Spruce Grove, and Sherwood Park are examples of growth beyond boundaries. In short, you can't mandate peoples living preferences.
Platinum107
Senior Member
Here you might not be able to actually stop it, but you can make a cultural change through physical change, no? Change the way you build your city and then over time the collective mindset does as well?
Of course don’t force people to do anything, but I believe the status quo already forces people into the single-family-house-car lifestyle in a backhanded way. More choices, not less yknow?
archited
Senior Member
^^^^ excellent forethought. In a democratic society we show by example not by coercion; we follow trends not mandates; we build possibilities not probabilities. Your observations are correct.
Gronk!
Senior Member
Councillors take step toward renewal program that's solely for sidewalks
Existing neighbourhood renewal program isn't responsive to dangerous walkways
thommyjo
Senior Member
Have you read the book Nudge? Its a great illustration of the role of city politics i think.
We can't just show, we also can't coerce, but we can nudge. The premise of the book is that most of us actually can't make the best decisions for ourselves and are best aided by experts creating systems that nudge us towards more ideal outcomes. They give examples in health care, investing and saving, food and diet, etc. I think urban planning is similar. I actually don't believe most people want a detached house, yard and 2 car garage. So designing a better city, paired with nudging then towards better choices is key.
An example, redo property taxes to factor in size, not just value. Incentivize non car modes. Give first time buyer credits to mature and infill homes. Free or cheap transit for TOD. Mileage taxes. Better education to teens and uni students on housing types and urban planning. Etc.
Replacing property taxes with land value taxes would massively contribute to sustainable urbanism. Especially in cities that are horribly under built in comparison the price of land (Vancouver, Toronto, Bay Area)
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archited
Senior Member
@thommyjo if "showing by example", "following trends", and "building possibilities" aren't "nudges" then I need a new dictionary. Zoning for years now has been misguided and wrong-headed -- so "Planning" is good now but wasn't in the past? Planners historically have been as trend-seeking as fashion designers in the clothing industry -- I could give a very long list of examples.
Avenuer
Senior Member
Pedestrian malls! Transit malls! Downtown malls! Festival marketplaces!