Comments on: An urban planning proposal for a Calgary NE Suburb (Rundle) http://www.lilacwindow.com/2009/04/a-urban-planning-proposal-for-a-calgary-ne-suburb/ paint. kids. more paint. art. kids. paint. Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:31:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: admin http://www.lilacwindow.com/2009/04/a-urban-planning-proposal-for-a-calgary-ne-suburb/comment-page-1/#comment-15404 admin Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:41:36 +0000 http://www.lilacwindow.com/?p=60#comment-15404 oh wow, Karolina. You know so much more about all this than I do! But so exciting to read your thoughts. I totally agree about the density issue. I also think that it can have an impact on walkability. Walking accross a dead parking lot or open field can be so awful in winter, and yet along a covered row of shops, or within our little complex its pleasant. We notice a huge temeperature difference between outside within our little complex (which is really well designed, and a good example of what can be done...) vs. just a block over, where there is little consideration. Leaving trees to grow, topography, arrangements of buildings to capture warm areas, density, and interest. I also think that the new urbanism stuff could use a revamp for contemporary times, and in the prairies. would be so fun to do some design work in this area. I get such a beef out of light rail, the "ring road" and all the sprawl. But lets not get into that! oh wow, Karolina. You know so much more about all this than I do! But so exciting to read your thoughts. I totally agree about the density issue. I also think that it can have an impact on walkability. Walking accross a dead parking lot or open field can be so awful in winter, and yet along a covered row of shops, or within our little complex its pleasant. We notice a huge temeperature difference between outside within our little complex (which is really well designed, and a good example of what can be done…) vs. just a block over, where there is little consideration. Leaving trees to grow, topography, arrangements of buildings to capture warm areas, density, and interest. I also think that the new urbanism stuff could use a revamp for contemporary times, and in the prairies. would be so fun to do some design work in this area. I get such a beef out of light rail, the “ring road” and all the sprawl. But lets not get into that!

]]> By: Karolina http://www.lilacwindow.com/2009/04/a-urban-planning-proposal-for-a-calgary-ne-suburb/comment-page-1/#comment-14722 Karolina Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:46:59 +0000 http://www.lilacwindow.com/?p=60#comment-14722 This might be an interesting little fact about density and walkability. Research done in the 80's through HUD (old US Housing and Urban Development Department) in terms of their experience with urban transit illustrated that the more dense a community is, the more successful public/alternative forms of transportation will be, after they pumped millions of dollars across the country for light rail transit. The only successful one was in Portland, because of higher density along the transportation corridor. One of the biggest problem's that Calgary faces is a lack of density and as you said this needs to be addressed and be more inline with the city's vision. The following fact I mentioned in Bath and I think it was Cam who questioned the validity, and as he always says "need citation". So I found the fact: That Calgary is the same land area as New York but the density is far less: New York City: 8.2 million people / 830 sq. kms = 9,879 ppl per sq. km Calgary: 1 million people / 745 sq. kms = 1,342 ppl per sq. km This has tremendous impacts on the viability of many planning ideals... Any thoughts? Karolina:) This might be an interesting little fact about density and walkability.
Research done in the 80’s through HUD (old US Housing and Urban Development Department) in terms of their experience with urban transit illustrated that the more dense a community is, the more successful public/alternative forms of transportation will be, after they pumped millions of dollars across the country for light rail transit. The only successful one was in Portland, because of higher density along the transportation corridor. One of the biggest problem’s that Calgary faces is a lack of density and as you said this needs to be addressed and be more inline with the city’s vision.

The following fact I mentioned in Bath and I think it was Cam who questioned the validity, and as he always says “need citation”. So I found the fact:
That Calgary is the same land area as New York but the density is far less:
New York City: 8.2 million people / 830 sq. kms = 9,879 ppl per sq. km
Calgary: 1 million people / 745 sq. kms = 1,342 ppl per sq. km
This has tremendous impacts on the viability of many planning ideals…

Any thoughts?
Karolina:)

]]> By: Karolina http://www.lilacwindow.com/2009/04/a-urban-planning-proposal-for-a-calgary-ne-suburb/comment-page-1/#comment-14714 Karolina Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:34:28 +0000 http://www.lilacwindow.com/?p=60#comment-14714 I think your thoughts about improving Rundle are very enlightened and exciting. It is very interesting that you connect the entire process for making urban landscape change to the Land Use Bylaw. Although City Master Plans state visionary statements and very forward thinking ideas, it is in fact the Land Use Bylaw which is the tool to achieve those goals and often it is very out of touch and incoherent with the stated objectives. Nevertheless, in Alberta many Land Use Bylaws have provisions for Special Control Districts which Councils can approve a land use designation that is special to a specified area. An applicant can apply to make a land use amendment and outline in detail what the conditions are of that district. What you are proposing would qualify for making the argument that such a district should be created for this area to achieve the previously stated vision. This is my thought:) Here is a question and/or issue I have always struggled with in terms some of the broad visionary statements often included in Municipal Development Plans, any thoughts/ideas: what does walkable mean? I think that cities need to be walkable and built to the appropriate human scale, but my challenge is that often we take ideas from California or Florida (i.e. new urbanism movements) where the climate is much different and try to implement them in cold climates. How does one walk in -20 C and gusting winds. I believe it can be done and solutions have not been effectively explored meaningfully in Canada, especially in Alberta. How do we create warmer more inviting spaces that are more comfortable in winter, that protect us from harsh elements and capture heat from the sun... any suggestions/thoughts? I have other perplexing issues...but I will pace myself:) Talk to you soon... Karolina I think your thoughts about improving Rundle are very enlightened and exciting. It is very interesting that you connect the entire process for making urban landscape change to the Land Use Bylaw. Although City Master Plans state visionary statements and very forward thinking ideas, it is in fact the Land Use Bylaw which is the tool to achieve those goals and often it is very out of touch and incoherent with the stated objectives. Nevertheless, in Alberta many Land Use Bylaws have provisions for Special Control Districts which Councils can approve a land use designation that is special to a specified area. An applicant can apply to make a land use amendment and outline in detail what the conditions are of that district. What you are proposing would qualify for making the argument that such a district should be created for this area to achieve the previously stated vision. This is my thought:)

Here is a question and/or issue I have always struggled with in terms some of the broad visionary statements often included in Municipal Development Plans, any thoughts/ideas:
what does walkable mean?
I think that cities need to be walkable and built to the appropriate human scale, but my challenge is that often we take ideas from California or Florida (i.e. new urbanism movements) where the climate is much different and try to implement them in cold climates. How does one walk in -20 C and gusting winds. I believe it can be done and solutions have not been effectively explored meaningfully in Canada, especially in Alberta. How do we create warmer more inviting spaces that are more comfortable in winter, that protect us from harsh elements and capture heat from the sun…
any suggestions/thoughts?
I have other perplexing issues…but I will pace myself:)
Talk to you soon…
Karolina

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