Ongoing Calgarians complaining about pedestrian bridges thread

[Bunk]

I like this particular letter to the editor!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion...042/story.html

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by Bunk

I like this particular letter to the editor!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion...042/story.html

Josh White always expresses himself well. His commentary is always insightful and intelligent.

[Table 5]

That letter is pure bunk!

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by fotze

Wasn't there a josh white poster here, had an avatar of the afro painting hippie guy?

Yes, he had an alias name change.

The letter is mine - hence my wink. I figured with Calgary's sad lack of an architecture and urban affairs critic in the news media, I'd give a small effort to look at the bridge critically and perhaps rationally than most commentary by Calgary's media, whose design critique extends as far as about "it relembles a chinese finger trap".

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by nik-

They actually did early in the process, but once the RABBLE RABBLE of the public gets started, silly things like facts aren't enough to stop it.

I agree.

Signed,
Oilsands Production

[Pastiche]

Originally Posted by Bunk

This is my favourite media story so far. The sun has headline "Wave of scorn greets bridge" and then the video of a reporter on the trails asking people what they think...


...everyone interviewed likes it and is in favour. ha ha.

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alber...-10294766.html

The online poll had a slight majority not liking the design.
Funny how people who are actually out and using the paths (the people they interviewed) understand its need and appreciate it.

That is shameful. Put up a headline and then have the content be the complete anti-thesis of the what the headline describes. Who are the morons that run that paper. Completely unacceptable journalism.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Slava

Its totally legit.

I thought there was a case recently settled in Ontario earlier this year where a couple did that and judgement was found against them. I guess not.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Isnt it called the Smith Manoeuvre?

You can do a specfic on-going process where its called the Smith Maneouvre, but you can also just borrow equity out of your home and invest it.

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I thought there was a case recently settled in Ontario earlier this year where a couple did that and judgement was found against them. I guess not.

The case was quite different from simply taking equity out of a house and investing it. Without getting into all of the details, the case involved a couple taking money out of their home and basically buying business from themselves and writing off the interest from that transaction.

[CaptainCrunch]

I hear that Ron Jeremy was the inspiration for the bridge.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by nik-

They actually did early in the process, but once the RABBLE RABBLE of the public gets started, silly things like facts aren't enough to stop it.

Can't spend the money on anything else?

Here's a quote from Ed Stelmach from todays Herald. Sounds like council had plenty of options.

Premier Ed Stelmach, in Calgary on Thursday, declined to wade into the bridge debate.

"I'm not going to be making any personal comments," the premier said of the Peace Bridge design.

"We provide substantial new funding for infrastructure for all municipalities and the agreement we have with the municipalities is that they make the decisions as to how that money will be spent."

[BlackArcher101]

Is he referring to the design or the bridge being built in the first place? Let me rebold that quote.

Premier Ed Stelmach, in Calgary on Thursday, declined to wade into the bridge debate.

"I'm not going to be making any personal comments," the premier said of the Peace Bridge design.

"We provide substantial new funding for infrastructure for all municipalities and the agreement we have with the municipalities is that they make the decisions as to how that money will be spent."

[Rhettzky]

"This town sounds like an old grumpy, redneck neighbour of mine. How more conservative can Calgarians be?We complain about costs, but don't have a clue about how much the simplist of bridges would cost. We critique the design, but understand nothing of architecture. We complain, because we like to. I've lived here all my 35 years, and I am happy to see a more creative, inspiring and more environmentally focused urban design for Calgary. Thank you, dave and druh, your efforts to improve this city have not gone unnoticed by me."

Comment on the article in the Herald. I'd look for one from the Sun but those clowns are going off on this thing. At least the Herald makes an attempt to support both sides of the coin.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Dion

Can't spend the money on anything else?

Here's a quote from Ed Stelmach from todays Herald. Sounds like council had plenty of options.

Yes, there was nothing saying the money had to be spent on this particular bridge. It had to be spent of infrastructure, though, so it had to build a bridge (or other infrastucture) somewhere. That's still a lot of options.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

Comment on the article in the Herald. I'd look for one from the Sun but those clowns are going off on this thing. At least the Herald makes an attempt to support both sides of the coin.

That quote is fantastic, and pretty much sums up what alot of people in this city, who AREN'T making a big stink about this bridge to begin with, probably think.

There's alot people critiquing the bridge design, but 99% of them aren't actually going into extreme detail as to why. Everyone is always an expert on this stuff until it comes down really explaining what's wrong with it, aesthetically and structurally.

I read a comment in the Sun yesterday about someone saying that the bridge is ugly because it doesn't 'fit' in Calgary, doesn't reflect the City's history, the Stampede's history, blah blah blah.

Why does it always have to?

Sometimes you have to think bigger than 'Calgary's Stampede history'. Why don't we diversify ourselves in the process and create a new identity, one that inhibits creativity, innovative thinking and progressive design? Doesn't matter if people think it's ugly or not. The point is that it's somebody's art, somebody's vision; and we should ALWAYS be encouraging that on every level. That's the point; let's be a city that let's these creative juices flow. Let's showcase EVERYTHING, not just the ones everyone always have to agree with.

I'm sorry to say, but screw this 'Calgary history' and 'Stampede' mumbo jumbo. There's enough of that in this city as it is, we don't need MORE of it all the time. Let's get creative and new, and develop new visions and looks for the city. That's what this growing city, with a very diverse population base, should be doing. Let's take ourselves up another level.

[calculoso]

Why do you have to be an architect or "understand architecture" in order to criticize the design?

I guess we'd better all shut up about everything Flames related, since we've never run a team, and we'd better not criticize police officers or the government, since we've never been cops or sat in government.

What a crock. Nothing is above criticism, including yours truly (and nobody is an expert on me)

[Muta]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Why do you have to be an architect or "understand architecture" in order to criticize the design?

I guess we'd better all shut up about everything Flames related, since we've never run a team, and we'd better not criticize police officers or the government, since we've never been cops or sat in government.

What a crock. Nothing is above criticism, including yours truly (and nobody is an expert on me)

You don't have to be an expert on architecture. But most people will say it's ugly and it's crap, and then not really give valid reasons as to why. If one makes statements or opinions, they should be prepared to intelligently back them up.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Why do you have to be an architect or "understand architecture" in order to criticize the design?

I have no idea what you do for work, but Im going to guess it's not what I do. How would you feel if i came over to your desk and started booing and heckling (this reminds me of Seinfeld now) what you do without knowing anything about your occupation? Wouldn't you want to tell me to fata off and mind my own business because I don't know what I'm talking about?

Buildings are more public than most occupational results and of course invite comment, but the fact that people become insta-architects when they see a building is laughable. There is a level of disrespect towards design in general that needs to stop. I don't pretend to know how to drill an oil well or engineer machinery, so why do people pretend that they know how to design a building.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I have no idea what you do for work, but Im going to guess it's not what I do. How would you feel if i came over to your desk and started booing and heckling (this reminds me of Seinfeld now) what you do without knowing anything about your occupation? Wouldn't you want to tell me to fata off and mind my own business because I don't know what I'm talking about?

Buildings are more public than most occupational results and of course invite comment, but the fact that people become insta-architects when they see a building is laughable. There is a level of disrespect towards design in general that needs to stop. I don't pretend to know how to drill an oil well or engineer machinery, so why do people pretend that they know how to design a building.

I think the people that are against the bridge are more against the expenditure than the design per se. Belittling the design is just another thing to squabble about when someone doesn't like the fact that it's happening to begin with. Good point about the heckling about the job thing, however when it is one's job is to create designs that have public appeal, functionality, and cost efficiency then I think everyone and their dog do have a right to complain when they don't like them. As a layperson I might not have a right or the education to complain about the 'How' part, but as a taxpayer and member of the public I do have a right to complain about the 'what' and 'why' part.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I have no idea what you do for work, but Im going to guess it's not what I do. How would you feel if i came over to your desk and started booing and heckling (this reminds me of Seinfeld now) what you do without knowing anything about your occupation? Wouldn't you want to tell me to fata off and mind my own business because I don't know what I'm talking about?

Buildings are more public than most occupational results and of course invite comment, but the fact that people become insta-architects when they see a building is laughable. There is a level of disrespect towards design in general that needs to stop. I don't pretend to know how to drill an oil well or engineer machinery, so why do people pretend that they know how to design a building.

As someone who supports the bridge and loves the design, I disagree with this. Architecture, as I'm sure you agree, is a form of art, and one does not need to be a talented artist to be an art critic. Obviously some people have a more refined taste in art and design than others* and are thus more capable of evaluating the artistic merits of a particular piece, but that doesn't mean that one needs to be an expert to offer an opinion.

To put it another way: I'm neither an architect nor an artist, so does that mean I cannot praise the bridge's design because I'm not an expert? Or are only laymen who don't like the piece not qualified to comment on its merits?

*I'm sure some people will argue that the evaluation of all art is inherently subjective and nobody's opinion is any more valid than anyone else's. To that I retort that there are also people who love eating Big Macs, but that doesn't make eating at McDonald's an experience in fine dining.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'd thank you like 10 times, but I can't