First, it isn't Nose Hill that increases your time in the car, it's the unsustainable growth and endless sprawl; the car culture and entitlement attitude of Calgarians whom don't see anything wrong with living 30km from their workplace. Costcos and Superstores and Wal-Marts and ring roads being built farther and farther all the time. This is what adds to your driving time.
But as a frequent user of Nose Hill, I do think the park could benefit from some changes:
The trails don't bother me at all, and I think they could be expanded. Additional pedestrian overpasses along 14th and John Laurie would make the park more accessible.
The idea of adding trees, preferably along the paths, works for me. I'm not talking about planting a forest over the park, just some shade and shelter and minimal aesthetic changes. I admit, Nose Hill does look a bit bare-ass.
I always thought it would be cool to have an observation platform atop the hill somewhere, with coin-operated telescopes pointed towards the mountains or downtown--like they had on top of the World Trade Centre.
These are all minimal changes for the most part, and I think it's neat that we have a huge park inside city limits, where many different native animal and plant life make a home. It makes me feel good that us parasitic humans can coexist with nature in some way, so close to home.
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