Contemporary Calgary | 20m | 4s | Contemporary Calgary | KPMB

CBBarnett said:
With a leading interval, pedestrians would be mostly across and highly visible for turning traffic.
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They do this in UD for pedestrians / cyclists crossing Shaganappi. There is about a 10 second lead before drivers get the light, and pedestrians / cyclists are very much in the intersection and very visible before any motorist gets to go. I have still seen a few close calls though, some drivers are only looking at the light and their phone, everyone else be damned!
 
UrbanWarrior said:
AERIAL_VIEW_OF_SITE_daytime.jpg
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This rendering is tantalizing, but it doesn't fix the problem: Contemporary Calgary is land-locked! Bracketed by Bow Trail on three sides and no-man's land on the fourth (East) side. The two car dealerships nearby are also not exactly pedestrian destinations, nor is the huge clover-leaf interchange for 14th St. I like the idea of a Big Dig, but it took two decades and was enormously expensive. Ultimately worth it for a big city like that (I actually drove through it before and after!) But burying Bow Trail only addresses a local problem. If Calgary needs a Big Dig, it should be similarly major and do something like activate the entire riverfront or move the train line. Spend billions and make the city anew, like Boston, Portland, or Pittsburgh.

I would love to activate Contemporary Calgary. It's on the pleasant side for a quasi-Brutalist structure, but it's unpleasant to get to. The museum doesn't get the visitors and activities it deserves. Look at Paris Pompidou Centre, whose plaza is a gathering city for everybody. There are always people lunching there, busking, reading a book by the fountain. But CC seems almost infeasible. As much as more park would be nice, you still gotta get to it, and how relaxing would it be with Bow Trail streaming by just behind the hedges? The whole "connect to community" sounds nice, but as rendered is just a fantasy.

While we're at it, also need to activate the similarly isolated skate park, which is part of the same problem. The aspiration would be Venice Beach skate park, which is just two bowls and a concrete square. But the bowls look nice, people boogie to music on the square pad, and there are always passersby from the boardwalk. Calgary skatepark has much more variety, but it looks like crap and is perhaps too big for people to gather round. Literally nobody hangs out there but the skaters.

TLDR: I hate to be a downer, but to fix this place takes 10x the budget and 10x the vision. Need foot traffic.
 
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haltcatchfire said:
You guys might be top posters by quantity, but I'm top poster by quality.
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The sarcasm and wit from you and DiscoStu are one of the reasons I come to the site lol.
Also the pretty pics from folks like Alexyyc, UW, 1875, SP and the others.
Also the in depth info from folks like Darwink Bye bye baby and CBarnet.
Also the new proposals that pop up from Michael S, Albertasaurus and bad coffee
Along with the Flames talk from Mountain man and Roariing Flames.
Too many good contributors to mention.
 
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