[Tarsus]

Calgary definitely needs to up its game on the education front, by having a larger amount of students. Easier said than done though, as it's somewhat controlled by the province iirc. Maybe it's changed, but in the past didn't the local institutions have to apply for more 'seats' or what is basically more funding from the province?

 

[Tarsus]

Anyways, apologies if I derailed this thread.

Not derailing at all, this is exactly the kind of discussion that goes hand in hand with census numbers.

 

[JoeUrban]

I see that Airdrie is possibly now the 5th largest city in AB (70,564) depending on Grand Prairies next census. At current rates it will hit 100k in 10 yrs and be larger than Red Deer in 2035 and Lethbridge in 2039. And probably still won't have a real downtown lol.

 

[gsunnyg]

Can't even tell Airdries a separate city, feels and looks like a suburban community of Calgary, 0 character. If they put road tolls into/out of Calgary I wonder if that would be enough to encourage people living in Airdrie to abandon it and relocate to Calgary.

 

[zagox]

Can't even tell Airdries a separate city, feels and looks like a suburban community of Calgary, 0 character. If they put road tolls into/out of Calgary I wonder if that would be enough to encourage people living in Airdrie to abandon it and relocate to Calgary.

Eventually I see Airdrie and Chestermere mushing into a contiguous suburban area with no gap to Calgary. They will be like Aurora and Lakewood in the Denver metro area, which manage to be the third and fifth largest cities in Colorado despite no recognizable character or separation from Denver.

 

[JoeUrban]

Eventually I see Airdrie and Chestermere mushing into a contiguous suburban area with no gap to Calgary. They will be like Aurora and Lakewood in the Denver metro area, which manage to be the third and fifth largest cities in Colorado despite no recognizable character or separation from Denver.

I agree, at least Chestermere has a lake but really if they want to maintain some distinctiveness from Calgary both Airdrie and Chestermere really need to develop a proper downtown. I was just talking about Chestermere with my girlfriend this weekend, they could have created a cool wharf/wooden boardwalk with businesses fronting onto it, people would flock there from Calgary, think Cochrane's McKay's icecream but on a waterfront boardwalk! but instead they built a suburban power center type area with giant parking lots, what a wasted opportunity!

 

[UrbanWarrior]

That's literally Alberta to a T, unfortunately. "What? Density? Nah, just throw in a parking lot. People will love it! Trucks! Oil!" That's how people talk... right?

 

[Surrealplaces]

I agree, at least Chestermere has a lake but really if they want to maintain some distinctiveness from Calgary both Airdrie and Chestermere really need to develop a proper downtown. I was just talking about Chestermere with my girlfriend this weekend, they could have created a cool wharf/wooden boardwalk with businesses fronting onto it, people would flock there from Calgary, think Cochrane's McKay's icecream but on a waterfront boardwalk! but instead they built a suburban power center type area with giant parking lots, what a wasted opportunity!

Way back around the late 90's there was a talk of doing a small village type development with a boardwalk along the water. The concept drawings looked pretty decent from what I remember. I'm not sure what ever happened to it, but yes, blown opportunity for sure.

 

[Rollerstud98]

Can't even tell Airdries a separate city, feels and looks like a suburban community of Calgary, 0 character. If they put road tolls into/out of Calgary I wonder if that would be enough to encourage people living in Airdrie to abandon it and relocate to Calgary.

There are a fair amount of WestJet employees who live in Airdrie. Very easy access to the airport.

Personally, I would never live in Calgary and am insulted you want to kill a city for your own perverse infatuation with downtown density. Not everybody loves living in the big city and being crammed in like sardines.

 

[gsunnyg]

There are a fair amount of WestJet employees who live in Airdrie. Very easy access to the airport.

Personally, I would never live in Calgary and am insulted you want to kill a city for your own perverse infatuation with downtown density. Not everybody loves living in the big city and being crammed in like sardines.

LOL k but u want to use the City of Calgary services and infrastructure for free while the locals continue to pay higher property taxes? Gotcha. I think Im feeling insulted as well

 

[Lemonaidan]

I've spent a big chunk of time living in both Calgary and Airdrie. Airdrie is pretty comparable to any part of Calgary outside of the core. Both have similar density and are seeing the same type of sprawl and problems that come with it. Anybody who commutes from Airdrie will tell you traffic has gotten pretty bad, QE2 is the same parking lot as it is in Calgary. I don't think a toll road would be good for anyone. A commuter train on the other hand would be great for both cities probably draw a few more people towards "downtown" Airdrie (there are a few more condos popping up).

 

[JoeUrban]

There are a fair amount of WestJet employees who live in Airdrie. Very easy access to the airport.

Personally, I would never live in Calgary and am insulted you want to kill a city for your own perverse infatuation with downtown density. Not everybody loves living in the big city and being crammed in like sardines.

I'm more saying let's get Airdrie to start with a more interesting downtown than Nanton.

 

[Silence&Motion]

There are a fair amount of WestJet employees who live in Airdrie. Very easy access to the airport.

Personally, I would never live in Calgary and am insulted you want to kill a city for your own perverse infatuation with downtown density. Not everybody loves living in the big city and being crammed in like sardines.

LOL at the idea that 1,500 people per km2 are "crammed in like sardines"!! Weird how people keep thinking it's their god-given right to have their suburban lifestyle publicly subsidized.

 

[Patrick.1980]

It's all in the context. Growing up in a small town I find Calgary fairly crowded (which I like). Going to Toronto makes Calgary seem sparse, and going to Hong Kong makes Toronto feel sparse.

 

[JoeUrban]

It's all in the context. Growing up in a small town I find Calgary fairly crowded (which I like). Going to Toronto makes Calgary seem sparse, and going to Hong Kong makes Toronto feel sparse.

Interesting comparison. I was just in Toronto last week and for me perfect would be half way between Calgary's innercity and "old Toronto's' density,