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— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) January 30, 2013

Nanaimo's Terminal Avenue, "Continues to Act as a Barrier that Disconnects the Old City from the Downtown Core and the Waterfront"

Nanaimo's Terminal Avenue ravine has been recognized for many years as having a negative impact on the city. It is technically still part of the Trans Canada Highway system and prior to the construction of the Island Highway Parkway, which allows inter city traffic to bypass the city, was the only north/south route for all Island traffic (transport and logging trucks included). It was claimed when the Parkway was constructed that the redirection of this traffic to the bypass would usher in a bright new era for the renewal of the downtown which had gone into decline as shopping mall and sprawling residential development stretched thinly along this 30km ribbon.

Fifty years after Jane Jacob's common sense observations Planners and Traffic Engineers are reluctantly coming to the realization that traffic behaves as if a gaseous substance. You can move it and shift it temporarily but it will return to fill vessels available to it. The Terminal Avenue highway is, if anything, more destructive to Nanaimo's economic development and to the neighbourhoods it slices through than ever. Reclaiming this stretch as shared public space will require calming the traffic and the elimination of the inter city commercial traffic.

These 2006 before and after sketches are by Nanaimo architect Jolyon Brown.

The area is currently undergoing a remediation study initiated by the Downtown BIA. The Downtown Urban Design Plan and Guidelines document addresses the Terminal Avenue ravine and its adjacent precincts. From that document: The design of Terminal Avenue with its unique curving geometry, continues to act as a barrier that disconnects the Old City from the downtown core and the waterfront. However, any proposed design changes to the streetscape will require extensive consultation with the road's current authority, the Ministry of Transportation.

Nanaimo Citizens Initiative Opposes Harbour Marina Privatization

From Save Our Harbour: A proposal to ‘revitalize’ the downtown Nanaimo marina has been accepted by the Nanaimo Port Authority (NPA) and a final contract is scheduled to be signed in early 2013. The redevelopment would be done by the Pacific Northwest Marine Group (PNMG). PNMG is a company with offices in Sidney, BC. Their website states that PNMG is “linked to Marinaco Holdings ULC, owned by COM Investments, a firm owned by Seattle businessman and entrepreneur Craig McCaw. This redevelopment — as now proposed — would disrupt the traditional and growing economy of the Port of Nanaimo, cut off access to Protection Island citizens, and inflame already strained relations with the Snuneymuwx First Nation. These parties all welcome progressive commerce and development, but seek active involvement in the decision-making process. Save Our Harbour More here.

From CBC Radio Ideas — Paying for Parking

We engineer our roads to accommodate traffic, but cars and other vehicles spend almost all their time parked. All those parking spaces - and finding them - cause huge economic, environmental, and even social problems. Dave Redel searches for a good spot to survey the situation. Read more: Paying for Parking | Ideas with Paul Kennedy | CBC Radio,  Audio here.

From Gehl Architects making cities for people — Densification is the Key

Photo from New Road, Brighton UK. Gehl Architects-implemented streetscape project.

Gehl Architects Co-Founder Helle Søholt said densification was the key — not necessarily height but compactness — and cited Barcelona as one of Europe’s densest and yet most popular cities. “It doesn’t mean the public spaces are cramped and dark: the spaces between the buildings are very nice and have a human scale,” she said and further commented, “Spain might not be a great economic model at the moment but Barcelona’s compactness and liveliness are absolutely admirable.” Read more: Densification is the key « making cities for people …

Patkau Architects Chosen to Design New Presentation House and Audain Galleries

Patkau design for Daegu Gosan Public Library International Architectural Competition.

Vancouver-based Patkau Architects has been chosen to design Presentation House Gallery's new home at the foot of Lonsdale Ave.

One of Canada’s most notable architectural firms, Patkau's buildings include the Beaty Biodiversity Museum in Vancouver and the new School of Art at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, currently under construction. In 2010, Patkau won the prestigious international competition to design on-site cottages at Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright masterwork in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Most recently, they have been chosen to design the new Audain Art Museum in Whistler. Read more: Patkau Architects chosen to design new Presentation House Gallery

Patkau Architect's Nanaimo Barnes house here.

Walk Score Ranks Canada’s Most Walkable Cities

Vancouver, with a Walk Score of 78, topped Canada’s most walkable cities in Walkscore's first ranking of Most Walkable Canadian Cities and Neighbourhoods. Walkability of more than 300 Canadian cities and 1,200 neighbourhoods. (This means Vancouver is the Pacific Northwest’s most walkable large city, outranking our own Seattle by four points). Apartment search and Transit Score are also now available in most major Canadian cities... Read more: Walk Score Ranks Canada’s Most Walkable Cities — Walk Score Blog