Great post, curves.
I think Calgary has to re-examine its outward strategy. The city can't afford to keep building massive interchanges and huge road expansions. That's just not sustainable, nor does it lend to a city that needs to address cost-cutting. Those things can cost $100's of millions of dollars, all to perpetuate sprawl.
Edmonton just passed the City Plan yesterday, which is a 45-year plan to densift the inner city, grow "upwards", and focus on power centres with strategic arteries that enable citizens to get everywhere they need to go - work, shopping, and play - within 15 minutes of their house, whether it's walking, biking, or car. It seems funny too, given that these very plan basically suggests that you have less reason to take major throughputs like the Henday (ring road). It passed in Council 11-2 (one of the two objecting Councillors was Mike Nickel, AKA Farkas North).
That said, cities are complicated ecosystems of costs. I don't think you can look at one problem without looking at others. A comprehensive "lift and shift" in mentality needs to happen - Edmonton, Calgary and even other Canadian municipalities - for sustainable growth with fair taxes and services.
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