What would make Calgary more livable?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Wookie

In Calgary's business district (over 70 national and international head offices), over 145,000 Calgarians work downtown.

Employed Calgarians as of May 2008 - 695,000
20% of the workforce is downtown, yet we should all live there in high rise buildings?
We should pay more because we all drive downtown or all take the train to work?
The trucks drive a lot less distance to pick up my garbage than they do yours.
I am moving to a townhouse complex in the NW soon, 40 residences, 4 garbage bins, all closer to the dump and trucks than downtown. My water comes from Bearspaw. Not downtown.

That's great that you see that over 145,000 people work in downtown. Now, how many of them actually live downtown? I'm guessing over 100,000 people make the commute to and from the 'burbs every day, and I would imagine a good majority of them would love to live closer to work. The problem is that living in the inner city can be expensive, but it's also a lifestyle choice; what you lose in paying for a mortgage, you're making up for the less gas you're spending and the smaller ecological footprint you leave. It's a lifestyle choice at the end of the day.

And you are misunderstanding my point. My point is that I shouldn't have to pay for those services in Bearspaw if I'm not going to use them. I don't care where you think water comes from. The fire trucks that use that water are way on the other side of the city that I'll never have to call on for help, yet I'm paying for them.

Call me selfish, call me narrow-minded, but I am proud to admit that I am inner-city resident who just feels like the city is expanding too far outwards and people who shouldn't have to be paying for it are.

[MelBridgeman]

More stables for those of us who chose to move by good ole horsepower

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by Muta

Meh, can't please everybody. Nothing is perfect. It still fundamentally makes sense. Living on a big property is still ultimately a lifestyle choice; you can choose to live in the inner-city, too. Inner-city living is high-density, and ultimately results in a lower ecological footprint no matter how you look at it. That's the whole point of it; for every one person that lives downtown and drives out, there's 10 that live out and drive downtown. Owning a Hummer / SUV / 350 Dodge Ram or whatever they're called only compunds to that problem in an ecological sense - and there's LOTS of them in Calgary.

I agree with you that it does make sense...the problem lies in trying to implement something like this. I mean, the appeal board (or whatever it's called) would be over-whelmed with complaints. I just don't see a fair way of taxing the burbs.

Things that I think would make Calgary more livable:

- Build some sort of mini central business districts in the burbs. Maybe one per quadrant. I was in Dallas a few weeks ago and saw this first hand. It works really well, although I admit Dallas is a way different place than Calgary. I could swear I heard talk about this a few years ago, but haven't seen anything concrete.

- Upgrade sports and arts facilities.

- Give some love to the industrial areas of the city in the form of access to and from them. Hopefully, find a way to get all of the big trucks off the main roads. All the talk here has been about downtown, but I am sure a large chunk of the population works in the industrial parts of town.

- City hall needs to help promote our festivals and try to attract world class events. Things like Cari-fest, for example. I don't see why there isn't something big happening in the city almost every weekend in the summer at least.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by psicodude

I agree with you that it does make sense...the problem lies in trying to implement something like this. I mean, the appeal board (or whatever it's called) would be over-whelmed with complaints. I just don't see a fair way of taxing the burbs.

Things that I think would make Calgary more livable:

- Build some sort of mini central business districts in the burbs. Maybe one per quadrant. I was in Dallas a few weeks ago and saw this first hand. It works really well, although I admit Dallas is a way different place than Calgary. I could swear I heard talk about this a few years ago, but haven't seen anything concrete.

- Upgrade sports and arts facilities.

- Give some love to the industrial areas of the city in the form of access to and from them. Hopefully, find a way to get all of the big trucks off the main roads. All the talk here has been about downtown, but I am sure a large chunk of the population works in the industrial parts of town.

- City hall needs to help promote our festivals and try to attract world class events. Things like Cari-fest, for example. I don't see why there isn't something big happening in the city almost every weekend in the summer at least.

Good post.

The issue with those community-based 'power centers' is that they weren't implemented completely right. Westhills and Crowfoot Crossing are examples of attempted power centers. I believe the diversity of industry and the type of transportation access were ultimately what made them fundamentally un-sound centers, although I could be wrong. Studied back in my Geography days at the U of C.

[Azure]

Pouring $11.6b into arts would apparently make it more livable.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Azure

Pouring $11.6b into arts would apparently make it more livable.

We get it.

[Flames in 07]

As far as central business districts, I believe that one has been planned south of fish creek park, kinda like the tech center south of Denver or the west side of the loop in houston. A bunch of 10 story commercial buildings and a few hotels for small conventions, courses and meetings.

[Wookie]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

And you are misunderstanding my point. My point is that I shouldn't have to pay for those services in Bearspaw if I'm not going to use them. I don't care where you think water comes from. The fire trucks that use that water are way on the other side of the city that I'll never have to call on for help, yet I'm paying for them.

Call me selfish, call me narrow-minded, but I am proud to admit that I am inner-city resident who just feels like the city is expanding too far outwards and people who shouldn't have to be paying for it are.

I guess I just don't agree with your point. My property taxes pay for schools, I don't have kids. My income tax helps homeless people. Why should I pay for them? I haven't burned down my house or required the use of firemen, why should I pay for them.

Selfish/narrow-minded, I don't know? Maybe you are... It's like me turning up my nose at fat people, I choose to live a certain way and fat/unhealthy people annoy me so I'm going to be all smug towards them and feel a greater self worth becuase I'm feeling like I do something better than them. I don't do that... I think being like that would indicate I'm the one with a problem, not others.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Fewer people who think the city should only serve their needs and wants.

More people who look at the facts rather than their perceptions.

But the biggest thing - by far - 100 years. 90% of what people gripe about is a function of being a young city thats damn near doubled in size in my lifetime.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Wookie

I guess I just don't agree with your point. My property taxes pay for schools, I don't have kids. My income tax helps homeless people. Why should I pay for them? I haven't burned down my house or required the use of firemen, why should I pay for them.

Selfish/narrow-minded, I don't know? Maybe you are... It's like me turning up my nose at fat people, I choose to live a certain way and fat/unhealthy people annoy me so I'm going to be all smug towards them and feel a greater self worth becuase I'm feeling like I do something better than them. I don't do that... I think being like that would indicate I'm the one with a problem, not others.

Well good luck with your choice of thinking, I just don't happen to agree. I will always be smug towards suburban expansion and consider it a huge detriment to Calgary's well-being financially and ecologically, but I guess some people just won't see the other side of the coin. Fair enough, I don't expect you to. We've discussed this before with similar conclusions, nothing new here.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Wookie

I guess I just don't agree with your point. My property taxes pay for schools, I don't have kids. My income tax helps homeless people. Why should I pay for them? I haven't burned down my house or required the use of firemen, why should I pay for them.

Selfish/narrow-minded, I don't know? Maybe you are... It's like me turning up my nose at fat people, I choose to live a certain way and fat/unhealthy people annoy me so I'm going to be all smug towards them and feel a greater self worth becuase I'm feeling like I do something better than them. I don't do that... I think being like that would indicate I'm the one with a problem, not others.

Well, I can't tell for sure, but if your view here is that people in the core should subsidize the cost of maintaining the vast amount of burbs, then yea, that's textbook selfish. And comparing that to turning up your nose at fat people then I'm not sure you completely understand the issue here.

[Wookie]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Well, I can't tell for sure, but if your view here is that people in the core should subsidize the cost of maintaining the vast amount of burbs, then yea, that's textbook selfish. And comparing that to turning up your nose at fat people then I'm not sure you completely understand the issue here.

Wasn't replying to you, nor was I calling myself selfish or narrow minded. The person above me made the comment.

[taco.vidal]

Put tolls on the roads in from the burbs.

Put zones on the C-train. Charge an extra buck for crossing zones so when your coming in from the burbs you pay more.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

Put tolls on the roads in from the burbs.

Put zones on the C-train. Charge an extra buck for crossing zones so when your coming in from the burbs you pay more.

Maybe a border and some armed crossing guards.

Perhaps some kind of giant showers so the heathens from 20 mins outside downtown don't infect the blessed with their dreams of lawns and personal choices.

[Antithesis]

Realistically, the only thing that would drive me out of the city is the winters we have, not a lot that 11.6 billion dollars can do about that. I'd like the LRT out here by where I live but when you live in McKenzie Towne you have to understand services like that won't be around for a while.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Realistically, the only thing that would drive me out of the city is the winters we have, not a lot that 11.6 billion dollars can do about that.

Three words: Big Ass Dome!

[Antithesis]

Ooo, like the Simpsons movie. Think of the stunt-riding possibilities! They're endless!

[DementedReality]

i think some of you guys spend too much time in school studying fancy words and concepts.

who cares about density and planning ... just live your life and enjoy it. not everyone wants to walk to work or live in an apartment. stop judging and enjoy what you have.

[BuzzardsWife]

the ocean