And I love that they do it VERY slowly. They are the best "traffic calming devices"! 😁

Niiice! I used to completely avoid Beach/Pacific when trying to get to the bridge from the west end and went down some alleys instead, but that wasn't ideal either. So happy there is a better way now!

I didn't know they added a bike lane there! So now there is a safe way to get from Beach Ave to Burrard bridge?

I'm not opposed to it, I'm just trying to defend a very adequate building design. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good!

I did not comment on the article (which is well written), but on your post criticising the street connections of some projects and, I'm sorry but I don't think you're a very good judge of that, based on a tweet I remember very well

I looked at the plans of both applications and don't see why one is superior to the other. Maybe you can enlighten me?

It is! the bike counter on Smithe Street was cut so often, I think the City gave up on repairing it. Last time it was cut, they just removed it.

You should read the books of Jan Gehl, he does exactly what you say: study social interactions and what types of places that foster connections and which ones don't and explains what makes for good/bad places better than I do.

The point I was kind of trying to make was that you keep on advocating for these ambiguous "open spaces" which are exactly the kind of spaces that look good on plan but never get used because there is no reason for a resident to randomly sit in front of their lobby, other than waiting for a taxi...

The benches and little libraries are usually placed on the boulevard/sidewalk, not on private property. And you can hand out Halloween candy in a lobby. It's actually quite fun to have a space were several neighbours can come together to do that instead of standing at your door by yourself.

I never said there can't be any other amenity on the block. But we're talking about your criticism of this one specific project!?

so, project number one (10th and Carolina) will be a central hub for community gatherings, but project number two is a walled off fortress of solitude. I just don't see it....

no, the daycare doesn't make it less closed off, but the huge playground does.
And if you have that much space dedicated to a community amenity, you just have to accept there might not be space for other things such as community gardens and cafes.

There's a building in my neighbourhood that has space for residents right beside the sidewalk and I've never seen anyone using it. Those semi-public spaces that are neither here nor there usually don't function well.

To me you lost all credibility of judging "street connection" when you portrayed (over on the other site) a building with lot's of glazing facing the street, outdoor spaces with a bit of landscape buffer and a daycare on the ground floor as an impenetrable fortress...

my thoughts exactly!

Nothing beats the hollow brick they use in Austria/Germany, though! Solid, great sound and thermal insulation and way more sustainable than concrete.

That's why I bought an e-bike that allows me to take the battery off, when I lock it up somewhere outside. If you remove the battery, you make the bike a lot less interesting to thieves. Plus I use two heavy duty locks, not a problem to carry them on an e-bike.

Amazing!