Added, the cross streets of traffic make it harder to have a continuous pedestrian experience (plus the constant stream of delivery/service vehicles). Not to say we should give up, but sparks needs a different kind of thinking plus political engagement from feds to relax and engage 3/ - ThreadSky

toondreessen.bsky.social • 7 days ago

Added, the cross streets of traffic make it harder to have a continuous pedestrian experience (plus the constant stream of delivery/service vehicles). Not to say we should give up, but sparks needs a different kind of thinking plus political engagement from feds to relax and engage 3/

Comments

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

Sparks would be quite a nice street to live on. It’s extremely mid as a place to shop.

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

I mean, in a lot of ways I gladly bow to your expertise but one of the MASSIVE problems nobody explicitly talks about with downtown placemaking is that the focus is so firmly on retail and retail, in the form of BIAs, doesn’t think of downtown neighbourhoods as neighbourhoods.

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

The focus is so relentlessly on bringing businesses and commuters/visitors into the area. And then that works but unfotunately businesses want to extract money and visitors want their convenience catered to and that inexorably means you get a parking lot dotted with retail.

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

Then they start running the “undesireable” residents out, because “placemaking” doesn’t have space for people who aren’t spending money or contibuting to the “vibrant scene” and landlords want to charge high rents to well-off singles. I live in Chinatown, ask me about all this.

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

Byward should, indeed, be a #PlaceForPeople. Starting with the people who are already there.

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

Is there a single #BetterByward plan where the Byward Market is safe for the unhoused and semi-housed people who are there now? Actually, is there even one that doesn’t explicitly or implicity rely on “and of course they’ll have to go somewhere else if we want tourists?

toondreessen.bsky.social•7 days ago

The city has been on one hand actively interested and actively hostile to making more homes possible in the DT and market area. Suggested ways to reduce costs, get more housing built have fallen on deaf ears, been actively ignored and voices like mine get blacklisted and marginalized. 1/

toondreessen.bsky.social•7 days ago

Not a single architect was on the DT advisory panel yet we talk about housing and bring ppl together like it’s going to happen without design. We talk ab a need for housing and then bury applicants in 2y long planning apps for a basic building renovation. 2/

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

Also, and I realize I am both preaching to the choir and being utopian, downtown housing needs to be livable for non-drivers who want to leave their houses and go about their lives, which means greenspace, transit, basic shops and services, streets that are reasonably safe for pedestrians.

marnanightingale.bsky.social•7 days ago

Although I do enjoy that the pedestrians of downtown #Ottawa are increasingly instituting our own traffic-calming since the city can't be bothered. We call it the Fuck You I'm Walking Here Plan.

toondreessen.bsky.social•7 days ago

We designed our system to exclude voices and cut out local involvement. 3/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-small-firms-are-being-unfairly-shut-out-of-the-federal-home-building/

toondreessen.bsky.social•7 days ago

We have the tools to make DT and market a vibrant and dynamic place; these are issues predating pandemic but worsened by it; and we have the means to address it but don’t bc we’re stuck in process over outcome; marginalizing the voices that can help; if you’re not a donor city doesn’t want to hear.

toondreessen.bsky.social•7 days ago

Whereas majority of ByWard (other than courtyards) is fully and 100% muni controlled. We could make this exciting, interesting and lead positive changes if we wanted (narrator voice, we don’t) and make this a vibrant place. Check out blog, articles, vids. https://bit.ly/3ScHh3G

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply