My point though, is that the argument that a single family detached home in the suburbs is necessary so "the kids have a backyard to play in" is a complete red herring.
That's why we bought a house in Strathmore. I can put up with the commute to have a bigger backyard for my boys.
That's hippy talk, you filthy commie. Here in freedom-loving Alberta, we have our 20sqft backyards, and that's the way we likes it.
Okay, enjoy your overstretched infrastructure and drive at your own peril when the sprawling roads keep outrunning the snow clearing and sanding trucks.
Okay, enjoy your overstretched infrastructure and drive at your own peril when the sprawling roads keep outrunning the snow clearing and sanding trucks.
That's actually a good thing, Hack. Otherwise, you and I would be paying for those trucks to extend that far out to clean roads we'll never use.
I hate the CITY... If I never had to go downtown again I'd be happy. I love my burb on the end of the city with it's dark skys and private lake... I accept my patch of grass as all I can get till i move outta the suburbs into some far off hunk of land with the forest as my backyard...
Keep the coffee shops, and art galleries, and whatever else we need to cram into 37 story high rise units...
I pick silence and dark skys over neon signs and vibe.....
I hate the CITY... If I never had to go downtown again I'd be happy. I love my burb on the end of the city with it's dark skys and private lake... I accept my patch of grass as all I can get till i move outta the suburbs into some far off hunk of land with the forest as my backyard...
Keep the coffee shops, and art galleries, and whatever else we need to cram into 37 story high rise units...
I pick silence and dark skys over neon signs and vibe.....
Okay, enjoy your overstretched infrastructure and drive at your own peril when the sprawling roads keep outrunning the snow clearing and sanding trucks.
You know, for a moment I considered putting the text you quoted in green, but I thought that SURELY it must have been completely obvious that I was being sarcastic, especially since I've made other posts in this very thread supporting more sustainable, higher-density urban planning.
I hate the CITY... If I never had to go downtown again I'd be happy. I love my burb on the end of the city with it's dark skys and private lake... I accept my patch of grass as all I can get till i move outta the suburbs into some far off hunk of land with the forest as my backyard...
Keep the coffee shops, and art galleries, and whatever else we need to cram into 37 story high rise units...
I pick silence and dark skys over neon signs and vibe.....
Yup, and it's a rather good look at why suburban planning is a mess right now.
I wouldn't be surprised if in 20 years the cost to live in one of those poorly planned suburban "communities" will be so high that half of them will end up barren.
I hate the CITY... If I never had to go downtown again I'd be happy. I love my burb on the end of the city with it's dark skys and private lake... I accept my patch of grass as all I can get till i move outta the suburbs into some far off hunk of land with the forest as my backyard...
Keep the coffee shops, and art galleries, and whatever else we need to cram into 37 story high rise units...
I pick silence and dark skys over neon signs and vibe.....
Why live in one then? There's plenty of small town rural areas you could choose to live. Calgary is a city, it shouldn't have to not feel like one.
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A few weeks after crashing head-first into the boards (denting his helmet and being unable to move for a little while) following a hit from behind by Bob Errey, the Calgary Flames player explains:
"I was like Christ, lying on my back, with my arms outstretched, crucified"
-- Frank Musil - Early January 1994
For me it's not a matter of Backyard vs. No Yard or whatever, but rather that I think a similarly-sized condo is going to cost us about the same after maintenance fees and everything else as compared to my house - so why wouldn't I buy a house instead? We live in a duplex, it's a small place, I'd live in a townhouse, but I don't see the point in condo fees. Admittedly, I've not done a lot of research into condo living, but that's where our decision was based on.
Suzuki's like Greenpeace or PETA ... why would you listen to him and take him seriously anyway? Just point and laugh. I make my choices, different people make their own choices, so let's just all get off our high horses and let people be.
Suzuki's like Greenpeace or PETA ... why would you listen to him and take him seriously anyway? Just point and laugh. I make my choices, different people make their own choices, so let's just all get off our high horses and let people be.
Yeah but that's the credo of the pro-high density people. Part of their schtick is to point out numerous ways in which their lifestyle is superior and how it's wasteful to allow people those choices. They also like to point out that they are paying higher taxes to afford you that choice. I'd argue that their lifestyles have their own costs which are mostly subsidized by suburbanites, but appearing to be against higher arts funding and albatross pedestrian footbridges would render you open to being called a "rube," and "lacking vision." Not a whole lot of "live and let live" types in that crowd.
Most "pro-high density" people don't want to take away the suburbs. What they want is better designed and more sustainable growth. That doesn't mean taking away people' backyards.
That's a red herring that many opposed to such density throw out there.
What 'smart growth involves is the following principles:
a more integrated and connective road pattern (like a grid or a modified grid) rather than cul-de-sacs and curvilinear patterns.
More housing choices within each community (not just excusively single family homes or owner-occupied so as housing needs change people don't have to leave their community
Yes higher densities (like Garrison Woods kind of densities - about 12 Upa) and compact built form to slow down outward growth to take up less land and to create a critical mass of local people to support viable transit, and local retail.
walkability to amenities such as grocery stores (so you don't HAVE to get into a car to get anywhere or to meet your daily needs. Why can't every community have a nice little main street like Kensington???
Better public spaces and gathering places
A greater mix of uses
Basically how Garrison Woods is designed - why can more subdivisions look like this? It's beautiful, compact, walkable - people still have their yards.
Meanwhile urbanize downtown and surrounding inner city and build up corridors like Centre Street, 16th ave, 17th SE etc as medium-scale urban boulevards and denise transit-oriented hubs around selected LRT stations like Brentwood, Anderson, Chinook etc. Focusing infrastructure investments more on making transit truly conevient and desirable, promoting active transportation like walking and cycling etc.
Does this sound like such a horrible place to be to you?
THAT is what smart growth advocates are truly talking about. This is a structure for a city that is truly sustainable. Luckily Calgary, through its PLAN IT initiative is moving towards this.
He's probably right. Or at least as a model it's probably worse than many. But his delivery is certainly antagonistic. It's not the inhabitants fault that planners/developers have limited their options to this format.
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Canuck insulter and proud of it.
Reason:
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Insulted Other Member(s)
Don't insult other members; even if they are Canuck fans.
