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Urban Development and Proposals Discussion

Are those the official renderings of Stephen Ave? In the bottom they say that these are conceptual and subject to change. If they are the official renderings, then this is a pathetic effort. No more historical looking lamp posts? I agree the grey and black look sterile and dull. The street was in bad shape and needed major renovations, but I am not digging this effort at all. I was hoping the would install a few European fountains or water features along the way. Sigh….this city just can’t get out of it’s own bland corporate way sometimes….
 
There are over 100 pages of descriptors for the engagement and design if you are angered by the design they might help you.
 
I filled out the survey and participated in engagement and feedback….they didn’t do very much of what I suggested haha.
 
Seems like the design consultant used the Stroget as inspiration for the design for Stephen Ave. Stroget in Copenhagen relies on great architecture of the buildings around it to have a minimalist streetscape design. Stephen Ave requires more landscaping to distract from boring architecture IMO.
 
Stephen Ave requires more landscaping to distract from boring architecture IMO.
Although it is our pedestrian street beyond Olympic Plaza and Glenbow there isn't much else there. The success of the streetscape will come down to how it is activated. The City is giving themselves a generic blank slate and an opportunity, up to them to to do something with the opportunity. Personally I think it is fine that the main thing isn't some elaborate design. I don't mind when design fades into the background and allows the users to create its greatness.
 
Seems like the design consultant used the Stroget as inspiration for the design for Stephen Ave. Stroget in Copenhagen relies on great architecture of the buildings around it to have a minimalist streetscape design. Stephen Ave requires more landscaping to distract from boring architecture IMO.
Boring architecture? All the heritage buildings and facades are boring to you?
 
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I'm pretty sure they're permanent. Also during my run yesterday, I saw the skyride posts are down, are they relocating the route of it or something?View attachment 669913
We assumed this would happen with the incoming hotel but no plans are mentioned in any article.

Edit: I stand corrected, below.
 
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We assumed this would happen with the incoming hotel but no plans are mentioned in any article.
This year also marks the end of an era. A new hotel development is planned for the north end of the midway, right where the WestJet Skyride currently finishes. That means big changes are coming for the attraction.

“This is the last year the Skyride will look like this,” said Monaghan. “If people want to experience it in its classic form one more time, or for the first time, now’s the time.”
 
Boring architecture? All the heritage buildings and facades are boring to you?
Parts of Stephen Avenue have really nice heritage architecture, ~2.5 blocks are very nice.
Obviously subjective, but these frontages in red are really nice architecture:
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Yellow outline is the entire plan area for the E-W extent of the improvements. Over the full 12 blocks that are anticipated to improve, ~2.5 blocks are particularly nice.

These areas have very nice buildings and frontage:
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This much less so:
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I like the Stephen Avenue improvements, and i think a minimalist approach works particularly on the 2.5 really nice blocks. My only concern is the blocks that aren't that nice and have pretty uninteresting architecture and frontages, could end up looking pretty sterile, which a lot of redevelopment projects in Calgary have trended that way with bland, corporate designs (a great example being the before and after of Devonian Gardens).

Having a lot more minimalist design looks really good when it is surrounded by great architecture like:
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Stroget in Copenhagen, mostly every block is nice.
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Or Royal Mile in Edinburgh. all the buildings are nice, so simple public realm looks great.

When you have boring and uninteresting architecture, I just think landscaping and particularly street trees help a lot like they do on 16th Street in Denver:
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Again, I like the Stephen Avenue design and I think it is going in the right direction. All I was saying is that Stroget in Copenhagen probably isn't the best apples to apples comparison for all the blocks on Stephen Ave as not all the blocks have really nice architecture like they do on Stroget. And for the Stephen Avenue blocks with a less nice frontage, which is a lot of them, the street trees and landscaping details are more critical and can help to have a less sterile feel that a lot of Calgary projects have fallen prey to. From the design package I think they have done a good job on it, it'll just come down to execution and not value engineering out the landscaping portion of the budget. My favourite part of the design which was very Copenhagen, is the Catenary Lights, those are a great idea to incorporate.
 

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