Here's the defintion from Brookings institute http://www.brookings.edu/topics/walkable-urbanism.aspx : Walkable urbanism is the development approach that creates pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income places. These places can either be regional-serving (anchored by regionally important employment, cultural and civic institutions, retail and urban entertainment as well as residential) or local-serving (residential with local-serving commercial). Both places benefit tremendously by being transit-oriented.
I've said this once... A few blocks of brownstones north of downtown Portage Avenue and even on some of those surface parking lots south of Portage Avenue would look seriously neat. Cool even.
Heh ! weird . I was listening to this about half an hour ago. A podcast from planetizen (an urban planning site) <br> <br> <B><a href="http://www.planetizen.com/node/29625">The Rise of Walkable Urbanism</a></B>
<br> <br> This podcast features a discussion with Christopher Leinberger, author of "The Option of Urbanism: Investing in a New American Dream". Leinberger discusses the two types of development in the country: "drivable suburbanism" and "walkable urbanism".<br> <br> Leinberger talks about how government policies have encouraged drivable suburbanism for the last sixty years, and how the market is now shifting towards the more traditional walkable neighborhoods and developments.<br>
<blockquote><cite>Posted By: buflyer</cite>Walkable urbanism is the development approach that creates pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income places.</blockquote> What does mixed-income mean? Some of the residents have jobs, some are on welfare?
There is a several block area in Toronto (I know, there I go again...), on Bloor street, near High Park, that is one of the most dynamic residential places I've seen. Bloor is loaded with storefronts and peeps from the neighbourhood walk up and down the avenue 4, 5, 6 abreast shopping at the green grocer, stopping for a latte at the Starbucks, picking up a movie at Blockbusters or a book at the bookstore. This goes from 9am to past midnight. That would be so friggen cool downtown.
<blockquote><cite>Posted By: smjpilot</cite>What does mixed-income mean? Some of the residents have jobs, some are on welfare?</blockquote>Maybe some earn $25k, while others earn $50k, $100k while others are on a fixed pension. Diversity!
I found living in West Broadway that I had close to a walkable life. I was able to find a baker, autopac dealer, a barber, a doctor, a pharmacist, places to eat and drink. Even had the bodywork done on my car at McNaught's on Furby and Portage. Other than large grocery shoppings (if I didn't want to go to Safeway in the Village) and some specialty shopping I didn't really have to leave the neighbourhood for much in my everyday life. It was enjoyable not to have to hop in the car when I had an appointment or needed to get something. <br> <br>
The diversity also adds to sustainability. One year you could be making $50K+, but the next few you retire and want to move into a smaller and less expensive place, but remain in the neighbourhood. This allows for such transition and also negates the full-school turning into empty-shut-down-schools.
West Broadway (maybe), Corydon, Osborne Village all have that buzz. I'm saying it would be great to have that right downtown, mixed in with a whack of new brownstones.
Downtown, though,, so many shops and services are either above ground or underground I am not sure if you could get a storefront feel back, unfortunately. Part of the reason that gives the impression that the downtown is dead. Even when there's an event on at MTS Centre you wouldn't really know as so many people park along the walkway or in connected parkades.
I'm not doing a good job 'splaining meself. I don't mean on Portage. I mean behind Portage. I guess this would require greater density. Still though, It would look a far sight more urban friendly then some of the buildings and parking lots there now.
I wonder if the TIF zoning legislation mentioned in the WFP can promote this type of planning? It mentions the Starland/Rex/Jacks block brough in $8,000 in property taxes, the new WRHA building, $530k So what would the $530K are year go back into in this area do, or be developed?
"Legislation tabled Thursday will enable Winnipeg, Brandon and other Manitoba cities to create "tax increment financing zones," which are areas where increased tax revenue from improved properties are shovelled straight back into the same few city blocks.
The province hopes to use TIF zones SEmD which have successfully redeveloped portions of Calgary and several U.S. cities SEmD to stimulate the creation of affordable housing and speed up plans to make Winnipeg an inland port.
City officials, meanwhile, are already licking their lips at the prospect of more private investment in blighted core areas like the west side of Main Street north of Logan Avenue and the north side of Portage Avenue, east of Hargrave Street."
We don't save all the buildings ! If it's for good development: Albert Business block, North Main, Portage and Main, Hydro, MTS Centre etc. I can't think of too many times that a building has stopped a development from going ahead, or even a parking lot for that matter.