Quote:
Originally Posted by Knalus
Having done some traveling, I've noticed that one thing about Calgary that stands out is that it is indeed building upon building stretching as high as the eye can see. Ever notice Vancouver's skyline? They barely have one. When I was in Tampa for the 2004 Finals, I noticed that a city 3 times our size had a downtown 1/2 as large or as vibrant as ours. Most downtowns are more like Winnipeg's, filled with undesirables, no one wants to live there.
Sorry, Calgary isn't a city missing a "big city feel". What it could use is a little beauty.
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You can't evaluate a downtown based the magnitude of its skyline. In the context of this discussion, anyways, what matters is at street level.
Most of the building you see in Calgary are commercial office towers that are empty by six every night. Vancouver's downtown is a nicer place to live than Calgary's in a lot of ways because many of their buildings, although they are shorter, are residential. Population density supports restaurants, parks, shopping, bars and clubs, entertainment etc. World class cities, world class destinations all have great downtowns. To achieve that, Calgary needs population density and beautification downtown.
Calgary will never be a huge tourist destination in itself by virtue of geography and (lack of) history, but it can become a nicer city for the people living here. The condo boom downtown is increasing the inner city population, and this bridge and the new music centre are the sort of things that make a difference at street level. To me at least, that's something to celebrate.