![]() While recently in Austin, Texas (population 1,000,000) and wandering its extensive Colorado River pathway system, I was impressed by not only how busy it was, but that it was a simple (no separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians), dirt pathway that follows the contours of the shore. I am not convinced the artwork enhances the space or the river experience. meets the Bow River? When I sit on the benches the artwork actually blocks my view of the river vista and doesn’t allow me to make eye contact with others in the plaza. I hope I am wrong.ĭid we need to spend $1.85 million to create a new plaza for a public artwork in the community of Parkdale where 34A St. It looks nice and there is an area designated as a possible event space, but I really wonder if anyone will want to linger, watch or listen in the park given the traffic noise of three major roads. The new East Victoria Park, on the east side of Macleod Trail between 11th and 12th Avenues SE, looks more like a plaza than a park (to me). ![]() For $31.5 million we could have built two schools (Cranston elementary school cost $15.6M) with a military name and mural. We already have Memorial Drive, Memorial Park and the second largest military museum in Canada. Surely, there was a better way we can pay our respects to those who have served our country than an empty plaza. Yet, I rarely see anyone in the plaza despite having passed it hundreds of times. The City of Calgary invested $31.5 million for Poppy Plaza at the busy corner of Memorial Drive and 10th Street NW. I am also not a big fan of creating plazas next to busy streets. Sure there are some communities that have more and some less park space, but there is hardly a shortage of parks in our city. ![]() Fewer parks mean more people using the same parks, which would increasing social interaction with neighbours and help make our parks safer. Fewer parks mean more money for equipment in the parks, better pathways and more plantings. In fact, less could be more - fewer parks mean more money to spend on maintenance and renovation of existing parks, making them healthier, more beautiful and more attractive. When it comes to parks, more is not always better. At present, Calgary has 5,200 parks totalling 25,000 acres, which for a population of 1,200,000, means we have 20 acres/1,000 citizens or twice the recommended amount (City of Calgary website). One could also question if there really is a need for more parks anywhere in Calgary, the American National Recreation and Parks Association recommend that a city should have 10 acres of parks for every 1,000 people. Along the way you pass through the 40-acre Lawrey Gardens and Douglas Fir Trail. The west end of downtown already has Shaw Millennium Park, as well as Pumphouse Park and the Bow River Pathway that goes all the way to Edworthy Park. I was surprised recently when Calgary Herald columnist and fiscal conservative Mike Milke in his March 19th column recommended the City of Calgary use the $86 million surplus from 2015 as seed money to create a major park along the Bow River west of Shaw Millennium Park in future new downtown community called West Village. It seems everyone I talk to these days, wants another park or an upgrade in their community. Calgary is at a crossroads – do we want more or do we want better public spaces?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |