Darth Vader, Ottawa style
If Darth Vader lived in Ottawa, he’d have a copper helmet. Continue reading Darth Vader, Ottawa style
Bus shelters vs a station for Bayview
The picture below shows the current Bayview Station. It is simply a bus shelter on a hill in the middle of a field. It’s been that way since 2001, and while not ideal, it does function. The City is currently designing its transit stations for the new LRT network. For the first few years of the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) process, they had very elaborate station design for Bayview. It was a long elevated structure with east-west trains on top, and underneath was a second set of platforms for the successor to the north-south LRT that would someday replace the O-Train. Until that … Continue reading Bus shelters vs a station for Bayview
City-provided sidewalk improvements
From time to time the City actually does spend some money for streetscaping projects. These projects are designed to “recover” the public space from adjacent property owners that have encroached on it over time, too often appropriating it for parking. Those property owners who have landscaped right out the sidewalk may not be affected at all. Adversely affected will be those who snuck in parking spaces on their front gardens. There have been previous blog posts that show condo and apartment properties widening the sidewalk in front of their buildings as part of the landscaping. See for example this: I think the project … Continue reading City-provided sidewalk improvements
Good sidewalk environment
It’s not “all bad” on downtown sidewalks. I love this bit of private landscaping on Gilmore Street, near Kent. The sidewalk grew a tiny bit wider, which is useful. The precast block wall is attractive and understated, not competing with the building or the street. The modest elevation increase gives more room for tree roots, defines the “garden” space, and helps keep litter out. The densely planted row of trees greens the environment and helps shade the adjacent south-facing building façade. The tough decorative grasses planted along the base puts lots of rich greenery at eye level (for those who watch … Continue reading Good sidewalk environment
From mediocre to worse
This post originally appeared in the WalkSpace series at www.SpacingOttawa.ca. The loss of amenity is noticeable when an attractive bit of the pedestrian realm or sidewalk is adversely affected by adjacent developments. The contrast is less sharp when a mediocre space becomes worse. Yet the result is the same: the pedestrian zone gets impinged and impoverished. I always find the C D Howe building in downtown Ottawa to be an underachiever. The building is somehow less than the sum of its parts. Inside there’s a waterfall, winter garden, soaring three storey spaces, pedestrian bridges, Jetson elevators, retail spaces, food court …. And outside offers an extra-wide sidewalk with some … Continue reading From mediocre to worse
Four inches that makes a difference
Four inches more. That’s all it would take. But alas, that shortage of four inches is significant. City planners are today wishing they had four more inches to play with. The significance is on Gloucester Street, shown above, behind the Queen Elizabeth Towers condos. Notice that the city has changed the painted bike lane to a parking zone. As part of the “deal” to install the separated bike lane on Laurier, the city relocated the parking from both sides of Laurier to both sides of Gloucester. The Gloucester bike lane becomes redundant when the Laurier lane is installed this fall. During … Continue reading Four inches that makes a difference
More parking on sidewalks
A few weeks ago I ran a quickie post on motorists that treat sidewalks as their private parking spaces. The front entrance of the Delta Hotel on Queen Street is already a bit tough for pedestrians to get to or to get by. Ever since it was built by Teron & Ian Johns with wide sidewalks, the walks have been chipped away and replaced by more traffic lanes, queueing lanes, stopping lanes, and now the patio at the front entrance has been taken over as a taxi stand, often leaving just inches of space to squeeze out onto the city sidewalk. On Monday I … Continue reading More parking on sidewalks
You could do it. But we won’t help.
I sometimes fancy that I can do things around the house. You know, manly stuff. Hang a storm door. Repair the fence. Oil the bike wheel. Fix the flapper dapper thingy in the toilet. Operate the corkscrew. Living in an auto-free household as I do, but as part of a vehicle-dependent society, I do rent a vehicle several times a year. One of the convenient things about Home Depot at College Square was that I could hop out there right some fast on the #95, buy stuff, and then take it home using their rental van. The van rental is $20 plus gas. … Continue reading You could do it. But we won’t help.
Great Roadway Removal Contest
It seems to me that other cities are galloping ahead of Ottawa, converting freeways and elevated structures to other, more urban-friendly purposes. New York converted an elevated rail line to the High Line linear Park. Seoul, Korea tore down a huge urban freeway in just six months and created a long linear park along the (previously sewerized) river below once it was daylighted. San Francisco also removed freeways and no one noticed any transportation disaster unfolding. Now Vancouver is examining removing some elevated road bits: http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/04/11/ViaductRemoval/ This leads me to wonder what roads in Ottawa might be candidates for removal. Not downsizing, not … Continue reading Great Roadway Removal Contest
Bridgehead flagship store and HQ
Bridgehead has made it official that they will be the third major coffee chain to open on Preston Street. There is a Starbucks at 333 Preston, at the base of the three Sakto office towers; and Tim Horton’s in the government office tower at the south end of Rochester/Booth at Carling (this shop is behind the security cordon, so don’t try to drop in for a jolt unless you have a pass). Bridgehead will take the former Bell building on Preston at Anderson, initially moving into the location of Preston and Leif and all the “back” areas of the building, … Continue reading Bridgehead flagship store and HQ
The Bambinos are coming!
This is the northeast corner of Preston and Gladstone. The little survey sticks on the slope have been there for six months, but something has just changed. There are five fewer trees there now. The pines have been removed to make way for the entranceway feature to Little Italy called the Bambinos. Located on the north and south sides of Gladstone, it will read as a continuous horizontal arch. The decorative sidewalk paving on the west sides of Preston were designed to continue across the road to join the east side, but City engineering requirements were so onerous that it became … Continue reading The Bambinos are coming!
Under the veneer
Aluminum and plastic siding is too often used to hide deteriorating structures. (Trendier materials are sometimes used today, such as corrugated metal panels). Once hidden, are those walls and soffits protected from further weathering, or is the rot ongoing but unseen? On Primrose, opposite St Vincent Hospital, is home somewhat lacking in curb appeal. For as long as I can remember, it was clad in aluminium siding, the wide stuff that was popular in the late 60’s. It is now being removed, revealing to my surprise, a brick façade underneath. A brick façade that is collapsing (foundation problems?): I haven’t a clue … Continue reading Under the veneer
King Edward, meet Mr Bronson
The Transportation Committee meet yesterday morning and I was there to speak on the funding of the Somerset multipurpose path underpass at the O-Train corridor. The motion passed, the tunnel will be installed later this year, although it won’t be opened because the City hasn’t yet funded any paths or access along the route. Presumably that will come later. I rejoice we got as much (as little?) as we did and am confident we will get the actual usable facility in the next few years. The Committee then moved on to discuss King Edward Avenue. Essentially the Community there has been fighting … Continue reading King Edward, meet Mr Bronson
Smart Car Diplomats
This is the Nepalese Embassy on Queen Street. Notice the size of the Diplomatic zone at the front. Is their other car a Smart Car? Do they drive in it or do they carry it up mountains? This grand old house is much diminished by the conversion of the front sidewalk and garden to more parking spaces. This clearly violates city parking rules, but I somehow suspect we won’t see the greenspace again until the snow melts on Everest. All hail the sacred parking space! Continue reading Smart Car Diplomats
New Firefighters memorial
There is a large patch of grass between the first towers by Claridge on LeBreton Flats, and the new Wellington Street. This is the site of the new Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial. Construction is supposed to begin this year to build the memorial. I remain sceptical about how well it will function as a people space. I am concerned it may be a dead spot along the road. In the drawing above, the road at the bottom is Wellington, the block at the top is the first podium part of the LeBreton yellow brick condo, and the curvy road is the new Lett Street which … Continue reading New Firefighters memorial
More views from the Flats
Yesterday’s post had some interior shots and eastward views from the ninth floor of Claridge’s condo tower on LeBreton Flats. Here are some shots in other directions, including the courtyards. The stair and elevator access to the public roof decks is brightly lit all night with flourescent lights. Perhaps the condo board could replace these with a 25 watt nite lite and maybe something brighter on a motion sensor that turns on for a minute then dims. The glare now must impede the view. Continue reading More views from the Flats
Dramatic views from the Flats
Claridge has five furnished model apartments for viewing on the ninth floor of the second condo tower (the yellow brick one) on LeBreton Flats. The views, particularly to the east, are stunning; nothing can be built to block them. In 20 years no doubt I will kick myself for not having bought these NYC-central-park-style views while they were affordable. Better than central park — the views include cliffs, a national kayak course, cycling paths, the gothic parliament buildings … The windows are huge, #903 had views in three directions. (Only $560,000 or so for 1300 sq ft, but if you had to ask … Continue reading Dramatic views from the Flats
Hand in hand, we’re all in this together …
The City has now published a list of who donated to the various candidates in the last municipal election. In my mind, it is appalling that this list comes out months after the election. I think it should be a public list being updated daily. If candidates can have a treasurer that cashes cheques, they can type in the name and amount to an on-line list at the same time. It might be necessary to “cut off” donations in the last three days of the campaign, to prevent a sudden dump of money (and consequently conceal the publicity of donors) in the last moments, in … Continue reading Hand in hand, we’re all in this together …
Sweet smell of … dust
Earlier this week I was delighted to discover the MUP through Centrepointe neighborhood was already swept by the City. It makes for a much more pleasant walk with the grit and salt brushed aside. Over the course of this week I discovered swept sidewalks on Albert Street near Bayview; on Greenbank Road south of Baseline; on Carling Avenue near Lincoln Fields transit station, as well as the aforementioned Centrepointe path. I think this is a truly delightful aspect of Spring in Ottawa: a faint haze of road dust throughout the city as the streets finally dry after months of snow and slush. The … Continue reading Sweet smell of … dust
Somerset dog-and-pony show — new priorities
The City held an open house last evening to explain to the public what is being done on Somerset Street this year. It was a mix of old news — the section west of Preston remains unchanged from last year except for some details — and new news for the section east of Preston up to Booth. The new stuff comes in several formats. The consultants and city staff had all the public consultation team members on hand, with name badges, to explain what is proposed and to tell their neighbours about some of the tradeoffs that were made to get to these results. … Continue reading Somerset dog-and-pony show — new priorities
OC Transpo planner grills audience
I went to City Hall last night to learn some more about the proposed bus route changes. There was a huge, vocal, and annoyed turnout. The questioning for Mercier and Deans and Transpo staff was tough. But half way through something totally dramatic happened. Unfortunately the Main Stream Media reporters had all got enough “angry mob” clips and gone home; leaving only bloggers to cover what really transpired. Read closely now, this has been a closely guarded story until now, when I share it with you alone. Pull your chair up closer to the screen, you’re still too far away. … Continue reading OC Transpo planner grills audience
Should be interesting …
Apparently, some Walter Mitty-type will be presiding: Continue reading Should be interesting …
The effacing Bridge
This story originally appeared as my WalkSpace column at Spacing Ottawa: http://spacingottawa.ca/2011/03/28/walkspace-we-can-do-better-than-a-self-effacing-bridge/ The City is conducting studies for the placement of a ped-cyclist bridge over the Rideau River connecting Somerset E to Donald Street. I think this will be a very useful link. I am also delighted that we are constructing a link based on its own merits and appeal to cyclists and peds and not just as an appendage catering to motorist origin-destination desires. From the newsletter of the study team, I espy the following comment, which is pretty typical for Ottawa: “the design should look to enhance the natural … Continue reading The effacing Bridge
What the melting snow reveals
Every spring the melting snow reveals all sorts of “treasures”, aka garbage. This spring will be worse, with election signs spring-ing up already. While walking on Sunday, I saw this blue one — surely the candidate should have chosen a wider sign shape: He kept his email simple, using his first name only: While there is some show through from the other side of the sign, the ones further west showed too much show through, which is concealed a bit by one side of some signs having a solid red and the other side white with red: I also saw … Continue reading What the melting snow reveals
Infill in training
Fairmont Avenue, just south of the Queensway; a house is gone, a vacant lot is born. And it shall be named Infill. This word from a reader: One home is gone but three will take it’s place. The developer is Tom Gallivan and his company Gallivan construction has built several infill projects and custom homes throughout Wellington village and Westboro. The lot is 70×85 in size which will accommodate a semi to the north and a single to the south side of the lot. I believe the single will have a frontage of 30 feet with the remainder 40 feet … Continue reading Infill in training