Parking Lot Parties on Queen West

This past Saturday in Toronto, Car Free Day was held on Queen Street West. This event was coordinated by Streets are for People, who also spearheaded events such as Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market. Part of the celebration involved parking meter parties, which lined the street intermittently roughly from Bathurst to Trinity-Bellwoods park . These involve the purchase of a parking ticket and the use of the spot for more creative pursuits. As parking is technically paid for, such action is a completely legal way to reclaim the street for people.

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Is Barrhaven a Model for the Future?

Entrance to new subdivision in Barrhaven, Ottawa

I have written previously on the state of suburban expansion in Calgary, a topic I am very familiar with. Despite having lived in Ottawa for six years, however, I cannot say the same for this city. While a lack of interest on my part played a part, this is also due to Ottawa’s built form. Unlike other Canadian cities, Ottawa’s new suburbs are separated from the central city by a large greenbelt. To be specific, there are three primary built-up areas outside of the greenbelt: Kanata to the West, Orleans to the East and Barrhaven to the South. All of these areas are separated from one another, and collectively they receive much of the cities new growth.

Formally adopted in 2003, Ottawa’s “20/20” plan aims to accommodate the growth of the city in a more sustainable manner. A major recommendation of the plan is increased intensification of the areas within the greenbelt, but it conceded that much of Ottawa’s new growth will be at the urban fringe. For these urban fringe areas design features such as higher densities, pedestrian oriented designs, accessible public transit and modified grid street layouts are recommended. In short, new developments are intended to adhere at least loosely to the tenets of new urbanism. In order to see if such depatures from traditional suburban development have in fact taken place, I recently decided to cycle the 15 km to Barrhaven from my apartment.

Neighbourhood focal point with traffic circle and condominiums

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Calgary’s Urban Renaissance?

In January, I wrote about Calgary’s seemingly unstoppable sprawl into the countryside. Although I outlined some positive developments, it was by and large a negative portrayal of what’s happening in this city of just over a million inhabitants.

Thankfully, the story is a bit different in the inner city. Given the age in which Calgary has grown, its inner areas mostly lack the rich urban fabric possessed by older centres. Indeed, there are only a handful of true “urban” neighbourhoods in the city. Recently, though, these areas have seen an unprecedented wave of development, adding new vibrancy to central Calgary. But this boom is not without its downsides: the inner city is becoming increasingly unaffordable.

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The Sprawling City

Most Canadians are aware of Calgary’s status. For those who are not, it is quite simply booming in every sense of the word. Booming may even be an understatement, as very rarely has the city seen expansion at such epic proportions. The population grew by almost 36,000 in the past year, a number only surpassed during the 1980s boom years, and the city has been growing almost as rapidly for over a decade. The boom has brought both many positive and negative changes to the urban and social fabric of the city, including labour shortages, expanded cultural institutions, a growing homeless problem, large reinvestment in the inner city and countless other examples. What is most obvious, however, is the sprawl.

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Ottawa Street Art

Street art like this pops up from time to time in Ottawa’s central areas, but, unfortunately, it is usually promptly removed.

Vanity mirror near Bank Street, now replaced with “For Sale” sign.

Ottawa Votes!

Although not big news outside of Ottawa, the municipal election this year is making daily headlines in the local papers. I’m not sure if this is a regular thing, as I’ve only been here for one previous, but based on my experience in Calgary I’d guess it isn’t. I’ve taken a collection of photos of the numerous election signs all over Ottawa, which seem to be even more extensive then for the last federal election.

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The Other St. Laurent Blvd.

I’m sure most of those interested in urban issues (and many who aren’t) are quite familiar with St. Laurent Blvd. in Montreal. And why not? It’s arguably one of the greatest commercial streets in North America, filled with activity at almost any time of day. Of course what most aren’t aware of is that we have one in Ottawa as well, except that it’s defining traits couldn’t be any more different. A wide, grey expanse cutting across the East End, through some of the most uninspiring industrial and strip commercial districts the city has to offer, along with the largest mall to boot. I had the (mis)fortune to take a friends shift at the East End location of where I work last weekend and had my camera to accompany me on the 25 minute walk from the transitway station.

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