Category: streetscaping

pedestrians, Preston street, streetscaping

Think Thin

Westsideaction

Downtown neighborhoods can have a tremendous variety of amenities, depending on the neighborhood history, road allowances, and other oddities that pre-date modern standards that too often result in in a blah uniformity of environment. I particularly like this narrow sidewalk, one block north of Beech, off Preston. This sidewalk is less attractive, mostly because of the close proximinity of the rough stucco wall of the adjacent restaurant, and the presence of the lamppost (pardon… street furniture) plopped down in the centre of the walk along with a stop sign that is about 25′ from the corner. The kitchen staff of … Continue reading Think Thin

pedestrians, Preston street, streetscaping

Think Thin

Westsideaction

Downtown neighborhoods can have a tremendous variety of amenities, depending on the neighborhood history, road allowances, and other oddities that pre-date modern standards that too often result in in a blah uniformity of environment. I particularly like this narrow sidewalk, one block north of Beech, off Preston. This sidewalk is less attractive, mostly because of the close proximinity of the rough stucco wall of the adjacent restaurant, and the presence of the lamppost (pardon… street furniture) plopped down in the centre of the walk along with a stop sign that is about 25′ from the corner. The kitchen staff of … Continue reading Think Thin

Dalhousie, Nature, streetscaping, Uncategorized

Green green grass of Dalhousie

Westsideaction

This little patch of lawn on Balsam caught my eye. It is greener than its neighbours, and obviously recently raked as it is so clean compared to the foreground bit of turf. A closer inspection revealed its secret. It is synthetic. Fake. Manufactured. I wonder how many times I have gone past it and not noticed; it did not look recently laid. It stood out now because it doesn’t change with the seasons. It is an effective bit of private streetscaping along the public boulevard. Continue reading Green green grass of Dalhousie

Dalhousie, Nature, streetscaping

Green green grass of Dalhousie

Westsideaction

This little patch of lawn on Balsam caught my eye. It is greener than its neighbours, and obviously recently raked as it is so clean compared to the foreground bit of turf. A closer inspection revealed its secret. It is synthetic. Fake. Manufactured. I wonder how many times I have gone past it and not noticed; it did not look recently laid. It stood out now because it doesn’t change with the seasons. It is an effective bit of private streetscaping along the public boulevard. Continue reading Green green grass of Dalhousie

chinatown arch, somerset street, streetscaping, Uncategorized

Somerset reconstruction zone expanded

Westsideaction

The City and consultants held a well-attended (approx 125 persons) open house for the Somerset reconstruction project last week. The zone of reconstruction was from Bayswater (in the west)(which is where reconstruction left off last summer) up and over the viaduct over the Otrain, to Preston street.  The above section of street was scheduled for this year, 2010. Then next year, the reconstruction process would move up Somerset, from Preston to Booth. These two long blocks will be finished in a new Chinatown look in 2011. However, the Chinatown Arch (artists impression shown) is being constructed a few blocks further east … Continue reading Somerset reconstruction zone expanded

chinatown arch, somerset street, streetscaping

Somerset reconstruction zone expanded

Westsideaction

The City and consultants held a well-attended (approx 125 persons) open house for the Somerset reconstruction project last week. The zone of reconstruction was from Bayswater (in the west)(which is where reconstruction left off last summer) up and over the viaduct over the Otrain, to Preston street.  The above section of street was scheduled for this year, 2010. Then next year, the reconstruction process would move up Somerset, from Preston to Booth. These two long blocks will be finished in a new Chinatown look in 2011. However, the Chinatown Arch (artists impression shown) is being constructed a few blocks further east … Continue reading Somerset reconstruction zone expanded

Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping, west wellington1 Comment

Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

Westsideaction

After numerous meetings of stakeholders, the City and its consultants (Delcan) have come up with a proposed streetscaping plan for Somerset Street. It is excellent. Readers will recall that the West Wellie reconstruction got as far east as Spadina last year. Starting next month, more of Somerset will be dug up and new sewers and water installed, and then comes the fancy paving, protected parking bays that guarantee on-street parking (instead of rush hour traffic lanes), pedestrian lighting, benches, trees, etc. The section from Spadina east to the start of the viaduct (bridge) at Breezehill will be landscaped like the … Continue reading Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping, west wellington

Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

Westsideaction

After numerous meetings of stakeholders, the City and its consultants (Delcan) have come up with a proposed streetscaping plan for Somerset Street. It is excellent. Readers will recall that the West Wellie reconstruction got as far east as Spadina last year. Starting next month, more of Somerset will be dug up and new sewers and water installed, and then comes the fancy paving, protected parking bays that guarantee on-street parking (instead of rush hour traffic lanes), pedestrian lighting, benches, trees, etc. The section from Spadina east to the start of the viaduct (bridge) at Breezehill will be landscaped like the … Continue reading Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

Preston street, streetscaping1 Comment

Undoing streetscaping

Westsideaction

Millions of your water bill dollars was spent on beautifying Preston street over the last few years. A lot more trees and shrubs will be installed next month to complete the project. Vigilance is required to keep it nice. We have already seen homeowners and property owners eager to pave over landscaped boulevards to make legal or “informal” parking pads. In the case above, the gas company dug up about 6 linear feet of landscaped area along the sidewalk to install a valve. They backfilled with sand but did not replace the mulch. Nor did they bother to replant the … Continue reading Undoing streetscaping

Preston street, streetscaping

Undoing streetscaping

Westsideaction

Millions of your water bill dollars was spent on beautifying Preston street over the last few years. A lot more trees and shrubs will be installed next month to complete the project. Vigilance is required to keep it nice. We have already seen homeowners and property owners eager to pave over landscaped boulevards to make legal or “informal” parking pads. In the case above, the gas company dug up about 6 linear feet of landscaped area along the sidewalk to install a valve. They backfilled with sand but did not replace the mulch. Nor did they bother to replant the … Continue reading Undoing streetscaping

pedestrians, streetscaping

Aloha Crosswalks

Westsideaction

Faithful readers will know how disappointing I find Ottawa crosswalks. At the risk of beating the old drum one more time… examine the above crosswalks in Honalulu. They are as wide as the entire widened sidewalk, ie from building facade to curb line. They are brightly marked with zebra stripes.  While you are at it, notice the decorative lamp posts used throughout the downtown and Wakiki areas, and chinese tiles on the building awning. Now compare those picture of how Honalulu does it right… to these ones of Ottawa. Feel free to come up with your own comparisons: for example, … Continue reading Aloha Crosswalks

pedestrians, streetscaping

Aloha Crosswalks

Westsideaction

Faithful readers will know how disappointing I find Ottawa crosswalks. At the risk of beating the old drum one more time… examine the above crosswalks in Honalulu. They are as wide as the entire widened sidewalk, ie from building facade to curb line. They are brightly marked with zebra stripes.  While you are at it, notice the decorative lamp posts used throughout the downtown and Wakiki areas, and chinese tiles on the building awning. Now compare those picture of how Honalulu does it right… to these ones of Ottawa. Feel free to come up with your own comparisons: for example, … Continue reading Aloha Crosswalks

pedestrians, streetscaping3 Comments

Aloha streetscaping

Westsideaction

Downtown Honalulu and Waikiki have spent many millions improving pedestrian environments ( I heard the number $535 million spent, but cannot confirm that). The main shopping drag along Waikiki beach (a successful example of a main street environment on one side, a recreational facility on the other) goes by buildings rangeing from brand new to one hundred years old. They are all built a slightly different setbacks, elevations, and angles. So the new sidewalk, of brick, varies in width, elevation, slope, and amenity. In many places, “islands” of plantings divert ped flow into multiple chanels and create pockets of space … Continue reading Aloha streetscaping

pedestrians, streetscaping

Aloha streetscaping

Westsideaction

Downtown Honalulu and Waikiki have spent many millions improving pedestrian environments ( I heard the number $535 million spent, but cannot confirm that). The main shopping drag along Waikiki beach (a successful example of a main street environment on one side, a recreational facility on the other) goes by buildings rangeing from brand new to one hundred years old. They are all built a slightly different setbacks, elevations, and angles. So the new sidewalk, of brick, varies in width, elevation, slope, and amenity. In many places, “islands” of plantings divert ped flow into multiple chanels and create pockets of space … Continue reading Aloha streetscaping

cycling in Ottawa, streetscaping3 Comments

Aloha cycling racks

Westsideaction

This bike-shaped bike rack is installed all over downtown Honalulu. I really like it, for a variety of reasons. Its look suggests its purpose. It easily supported four bikes (one on each side of the front and rear of the bike stand). It took up very little pedestrian room, as evidenced from the “end on” shot. It was located close to the curb, with minimal concern for motorists. These were bolted to the concrete sidewalk, but I never saw any crooked or damaged, so sturdiness of its mounting didn’t seem a major problem. When coming around a corner driving a … Continue reading Aloha cycling racks

cycling in Ottawa, streetscaping

Aloha cycling racks

Westsideaction

This bike-shaped bike rack is installed all over downtown Honalulu. I really like it, for a variety of reasons. Its look suggests its purpose. It easily supported four bikes (one on each side of the front and rear of the bike stand). It took up very little pedestrian room, as evidenced from the “end on” shot. It was located close to the curb, with minimal concern for motorists. These were bolted to the concrete sidewalk, but I never saw any crooked or damaged, so sturdiness of its mounting didn’t seem a major problem. When coming around a corner driving a … Continue reading Aloha cycling racks

pedestrians, streetscaping, west wellington3 Comments

Sidewalk Engineering

Westsideaction

I have some tolerance for dilapidated infrastructure in the city. Not everything can be perfect. And I rationalize away some of the puddles at crosswalks as being products of 60 year old roads, old neighborhoods, etc. This makes it doubly disappointing to discover that sometimes newly rebuilt roads and sidewalks are no better. The photo above is at the corner near Billy’s Appliances on Richmond Road, beside Our Lady of the Condos. Yes, it is the final pavement, the catch basins were not unusually blocked (anymore than they are designed to be) … its just that the sidewalk at the corner … Continue reading Sidewalk Engineering

pedestrians, streetscaping, west wellington

Sidewalk Engineering

Westsideaction

I have some tolerance for dilapidated infrastructure in the city. Not everything can be perfect. And I rationalize away some of the puddles at crosswalks as being products of 60 year old roads, old neighborhoods, etc. This makes it doubly disappointing to discover that sometimes newly rebuilt roads and sidewalks are no better. The photo above is at the corner near Billy’s Appliances on Richmond Road, beside Our Lady of the Condos. Yes, it is the final pavement, the catch basins were not unusually blocked (anymore than they are designed to be) … its just that the sidewalk at the corner … Continue reading Sidewalk Engineering

housing policy, infill, intensificatioin, streetscaping

Gentrification

Westsideaction

[note: I’m back from some travels, and blog postings will resume on a near daily basis] The gods of planning wars have unleased their dogs in Little Italy, Chinatown, and West Wellington, key areas in the west side action beat. Lets examine several of the beasts in the pack: Note how the “common, recognizable” names of the former neighborhoods (Dalhousie, Hintonburg, Mechanicsville) are being replaced by the marketing names of the Business Improvement Associations. These groups — funded by city taxes levied on commercial properties on their behalf —  plaster their monikers on lampposts and decorative arches. They ensure the benches, lampposts, … Continue reading Gentrification

1946 Scott, condos, housing policy, infill, intensificatioin, Scott street, streetscaping

1946 Scott Street condo

Westsideaction

For edutainment, I went to the Committee of Adjustment hearing on this condo a few weeks back. The six storey condo is proposed for the corner of Scott at West Village Private (WVP). Also at the intersection is Lanark Avenue. Directly across the street is the Metropole condo, the tallest in the city. The proponent wanted several variances. For example, reduced side yards and building the structure closer to the street. It turns out that the builder was being forced to ask for these by the City, because the zoning requires certain setbacks but the Community Design Plan (CDP) for … Continue reading 1946 Scott Street condo

streetscaping

Improved …

Westsideaction

Until last year, this house dripped water all winter onto the centre of the pedestrian sidewalk. By mid January, a six to ten inch mound of ice, like a long glacier tongue, stretched the length of the building on the centre of the sidewalk. The city sidewalk plows were unable to stay on the walk, so the situation got worse and worse through the winter. In 2009, as part of a streetscaping project, the sidewalk was widened and moved out further into the city right of way. Now this house, and its neighbours up and down the street, drips largely … Continue reading Improved …

Chinatown, little Italy, pedestrians, Plouffe Park, Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping

Somerset Streetscaping – can it get back on the road?

Westsideaction

The first meeting of stakeholders got together on Tuesday evening to discuss the streetscaping project on Somerset Street. The 2010 portion is from Preston to West Wellie. The portion shown above is in the Preston BIA catchment area. The portion beyond the bridge is in Hintonburg (Kitchissipi ward) and the Hintonburg BIA. In 2011 the section from Preston to Booth will be done. That is the area behind the viewer in the above picture. It falls in the Chinatown BIA. Yup, in a territory walkable in barely five minutes, there are two wards, 3 BIAs, 2 community associations, and other stakeholders. A nice streetscaping project might be do-able … Continue reading Somerset Streetscaping – can it get back on the road?

somerset street, streetscaping, Trees

On streetscaping (vi) Trees

Westsideaction

The urban tree problem … Trees in the built-up city face difficult conditions. Among these are tiny porous surfaces around the bases (the city minimum porous surface was 4’x4’ and this became the maximum space, even when room was available); packed earth or paving base as “growing media”; pollution; car damage; snow removal damage from city crews or contractors; hostile property owners who remove street trees; cultural hostility from groups that feel trees are invasive or unlucky; sidewalk repairs that reduce tree wells; overhead wiring and over-zealous “pruning” and trimming by utilities, etc. City standards are sometimes unhelpful. The city may require … Continue reading On streetscaping (vi) Trees

somerset street, streetscaping

On streetscaping (v) a question of style

Westsideaction

Streetscaping usually involves the reconstruction of sidewalks and adjacent spaces with new concrete and other paving materials. Decorative lighting and other elements may be employed. If a single style of paving and lighting is employed along the entire street a sense of cohesiveness and integration results. If overdone, this can become boring. On very long streets, or streets where there are several distinct “zones” (such as a high rise zone, a residential zone, and a commercial zone) it might be appropriate to vary the streetscaping style from zone to zone to best achieve the desired effect. Generally, in Dalhousie ward, … Continue reading On streetscaping (v) a question of style

somerset street, streetscaping

On Streetscaping (iv) Drainage

Westsideaction

The drainage problem … The current geometry of streets has the highest point along the centre line of the street. Water drains to the curb, adjacent the sidewalk. Catch basins are located along the curb. Where vehicles drive adjacent the curb, they trail a cloud of dirty airborne water and splash water and slush onto the sidewalk. Where parking is permitted along the curb, vehicles block the snow from melting and pack it down into ice. Salt creates puddles of slush and ice at every driveway dip in the sidewalk, creating a hazardous and unpleasant pedestrian environment. When bulb outs … Continue reading On Streetscaping (iv) Drainage