The lighting going on most new buildings these days goes a long way. The lighting at Treo and Odeon is much better at night, the rest of the street Will follow as it develops.
 
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Silence&Motion said:
Also, I know we've all complained endlessly about the street design in Marda Loop, but I just have to comment on how pathetic the lighting is along 33. I see just two highway-style lampposts in the first picture. Given how short daylight is in Calgary during the winters, I'd say proper lighting was far more important than shadowing in raising the appeal of our main streets. I mean, just look at the lighting in the second picture!!
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You and others nailed it. The dense, pedestrian-oriented development and growth is there, the far more urban and pedestrian-oriented public realm is what's missing. What is currently there is a cheap, low-service sleepy suburban car-oriented public realm that hasn't been materially changed in many decades. In 20 years Marda Loop will be an interesting case study of suburban to urban transition, including public realm infrastructure. Will be interesting to see how well we end up transforming the area. The development and Main Streets work is super promising. Just needs to increasingly prioritize pedestrians in all areas...

I think it's probably our best current example of such a noticeable suburban to urban change.
 
DougR said:
I wouldn’t describe Paris as a northern city. Do you also feel that Jan Gehl’s decades of research and writings on the importance of human scale to placemaking are ridiculous? Any thoughts as to why, on a sunny Saturday afternoon during a chinook, the south-facing patio at the Ship & Anchor Pub on 17th AV SW will be teeming with people — meanwhile the south-facing patio at the pub across the street from the 6-storey Treo building on 33rd AV SW won’t even have its chairs out?
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Arc
DougR said:
I wouldn’t describe Paris as a northern city. Do you also feel that Jan Gehl’s decades of research and writings on the importance of human scale to placemaking are ridiculous? Any thoughts as to why, on a sunny Saturday afternoon during a chinook, the south-facing patio at the Ship & Anchor Pub on 17th AV SW will be teeming with people — meanwhile the south-facing patio at the pub across the street from the 6-storey Treo building on 33rd AV SW won’t even have its chairs out?
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Like S&A, Arc 33 is on the north side of the street, so the north sidewalk will continue to receive light from the south in that area since the south side is lined with lower commercial buildings. Shadowing would be more of an issue on the alley and residences to the north.
 
CBBarnett said:
You and others nailed it. The dense, pedestrian-oriented development and growth is there, the far more urban and pedestrian-oriented public realm is what's missing. What is currently there is a cheap, low-service sleepy suburban car-oriented public realm that hasn't been materially changed in many decades. In 20 years Marda Loop will be an interesting case study of suburban to urban transition, including public realm infrastructure. Will be interesting to see how well we end up transforming the area. The development and Main Streets work is super promising. Just needs to increasingly prioritize pedestrians in all areas...

I think it's probably our best current example of such a noticeable suburban to urban change.
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The Streetscape Master Plan suggests that that pedestrian lighting would be incorporated into the ROW (in addition to new light standards) in the commercial zone.

Hopefully the update this spring will be positive and funding will be there to start construction on the first phase sooner than later.
 
adamyyc said:
Arc

Like S&A, Arc 33 is on the north side of the street, so the north sidewalk will continue to receive light from the south in that area since the south side is lined with lower commercial buildings. Shadowing would be more of an issue on the alley and residences to the north.
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Agreed, although if developers are allowed to build 6-storey buildings on the north side of 33rd AV SW, it is highly likely that they will also be allowed to build 6-storey buildings on the south side. Particularly given that a 6-storey building has already be built on the south side, being the Treo building.
 
Ubran Outdoorsman said:
Not the final design, but I'm looking forward to when Mardaloop's main street plan is finished. The biggest issue with Mardaloop right now is the really bad public realm/infrastructure.

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It would be nice if they could slow down traffic to and from Crowchild. Maybe it's just me, but lately 33rd feels like a mini freeway at times.
 
Will be interesting to see how much pushback RNDSQR receives for it’s proposed parking supply. If o read the transit report correctly, it’s 57 stalls for 91 units, which I believe is fewer stalls than Courtyard 33 for more units. I could see residents complaining about the perceived increased on-street parking.
 
Just logging in to post my support of this project. I want more of these projects along 33rd and 34th, not less.

I do share the concerns about bland chain stores popping up in the neighbourhood, but the chains that went into Infinity (Code Ninjas, Wow Bakery, Chatime) also brought something new to the neighbourhood. The chains that did not bring something new (Nam, Papa Murphy's) were quickly rejected and shuttered within months.

Marda Loop isn't losing its vibrancy with these projects. IMO, it's gaining vibrancy.
 
shermanator said:
Just logging in to post my support of this project. I want more of these projects along 33rd and 34th, not less.

I do share the concerns about bland chain stores popping up in the neighbourhood, but the chains that went into Infinity (Code Ninjas, Wow Bakery, Chatime) also brought something new to the neighbourhood. The chains that did not bring something new (Nam, Papa Murphy's) were quickly rejected and shuttered within months.

Marda Loop isn't losing its vibrancy with these projects. IMO, it's gaining vibrancy.
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Swapping a couple run down single family homes with a 6 story building with retail at grade cannot possibly drive vibrancy down. It's a non-argument
 
I never understood the "not enough parking" argument, as if the developers haven't done the cost-benefit-analysis for providing parking stalls. If it's worth it, they will provide it.
 
Mountain Man said:
It's the same BS arguments CAs always make when something new is proposed that isn't a cookie cutter copy of what the rest of the area looks like.
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Who exactly are all of you arguing with about vibrancy? I don’t see a CA or anyone on this thread suggesting that replacing a few old homes with a mixed-use building will “drive vibrancy down”.
 
DougR said:
Who exactly are all of you arguing with about vibrancy? I don’t see a CA or anyone on this thread suggesting that replacing a few old homes with a mixed-use building will “drive vibrancy down”.
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Perhaps there's been some misinterpretation, but I believe these are the comments that are sparking debate:

DougR said:
my concern is that taking a quirky “Main Street”, particularly one with east-west orientation in a northern city with prevailing westerlies, and lining it with 6 storey buildings, is more likely to “kill” it than enhance it
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DougR said:
So I guess Calgary is doomed to see its quirky Main Streets replaced with aluminum-glazed strips of chain franchises
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