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David A said:
I would completely agree with the point the city is more spread out. This is very obvious when you compare the CMA populations of the two cities that are fairly close, yet Calgary is constantly referred to as a much bigger city. The discrepancy in these facts is because more people in the Edmonton area live in outlying cities and communities.

However, what I take issue with is the original comment about our downtown being too big. Apparently there has been great debate and confusion here about what downtown refers to, but I look at it being the core area where there is a concentration of high density commercial and residential space. So in that regard, I do not think our downtown is bigger than Calgary's, but theirs is more filled because of a concentration of corporate offices.

I don't really see having a entertainment district on Whyte Ave as a negative thing and I don't believe that will change, given its proximity to the U of A and other parts of the growing south side. Sections of Jasper Ave were more vibrant pre COVID and I feel in time they will recover and ICE District is a good development with further potential. But in any event the current problems of downtown here are the problems of downtown and will not be fixed by wishing Whyte Ave disappears or something else that is not going to happen. So I feel those who want to somehow turn Edmonton into the same as certain other cities will only be frustrated in this regard.
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Side note: I think people often perceive Calgary to be the much larger city because it looks and feels more cosmopolitan. Thanks in part to the high concentration of HQ's there and the initiatives the city has taken to modernize and inject life into the inner city. Hence why I think the Beltline, as an example, has really taken off in recent years and it's even surprised myself how far along that area of town is now compared to even a few years ago.

I agree that I think Whyte Ave is a huge positive for our city and something we should cherish and do everything to continue to make it a special space in the city. I'm happy there finally seems to be a plan to give Whyte Ave the facelift it needs and deserves, but I think it's more reasonable for Ice District to become our other primary centre of culture and nightlife in due time. Jasper Ave is an interesting case. David A is correct that pre-COVID Jasper Ave was a much more happening place and it seems to very slowly be coming back to life. But it's such a large street, it would be almost naive to expect the entirety of it to be hopping with activity well into the night. But I think any positive changes will happen organically.
 
Our primary arts and entertainment district is still downtown anchored by the Winspear, the Citadel, the RAM, Rogers Place and Ice District, Sir Winston Churchill Square, etc. White Avenue is home to more bars and smaller music venues like Yardbird and venues like Rapid Fire and festivals like the Fringe etc. In many ways they’re complimentary and not directly competitive and the overall market should be big enough to support both.
 
kcantor said:
Our primary arts and entertainment district is still downtown anchored by the Winspear, the Citadel, the RAM, Rogers Place and Ice District, Sir Winston Churchill Square, etc. White Avenue is home to more bars and smaller music venues like Yardbird and venues like Rapid Fire and festivals like the Fringe etc. In many ways they’re complimentary and not directly competitive and the overall market should be big enough to support both.
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Downtown Edmonton actually has more anchor attractions than downtown Calgary but one reason that downtown Calgary is more vibrant is because its downtown is more accessible. The major roads in Calgary are designed to service the downtown core. The same cannot be said about Edmonton. There is no easy way in and out of downtown Edmonton. Replacing the high level bridge with a modern 6 lane bridge would be transformative for downtown. The mirror on the north side of the bridge should have been in a museum 25 years ago. Same with the traffic lights hanging from a wire like they did in cities in the 1950's. And if the city really wants to establish downtown as the city's undisputed hub for activity, build a tower overlooking the river valley.
 
Another new addition and instant hit on 104st, Fawkes.

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kcantor said:
Our primary arts and entertainment district is still downtown anchored by the Winspear, the Citadel, the RAM, Rogers Place and Ice District, Sir Winston Churchill Square, etc. White Avenue is home to more bars and smaller music venues like Yardbird and venues like Rapid Fire and festivals like the Fringe etc. In many ways they’re complimentary and not directly competitive and the overall market should be big enough to support both.
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Yes, the areas are complimentary. One of the ways Edmonton was spread out to much, was major arts and entertainment facilities built in the 1950's to the 1970's were built outside of downtown: for instance, the Jubilee Auditorium, the Coliseum and the former Royal Alberta Museum are three major facilities that come to mind. Over the last few decades, this has actually all been addressed and we now have a concert hall, arena and and museum in the downtown core when it came time to replace older facilities.

Unfortunately, during that time a lot retail has gone the other way to suburban malls and power centres and much of the growth in business offices has been in suburban areas not in the core. But for major arts and entertainment venues, downtown is doing fairly well.
 
thommyjo said:
Event downtown called Winterval was hosted this weekend.
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Even so, seems curious to see horses pulling a cart of freezing people around, let alone through Downtown. Not exactly a sleigh ride I'd get into, and I'm urban to the core. I must not be understanding the point of it.
 
Offworld said:
Even so, seems curious to see horses pulling a cart of freezing people around, let alone through Downtown. Not exactly a sleigh ride I'd get into, and I'm urban to the core. I must not be understanding the point of it.
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It looks nice and probably not quite as cold as it looks, but these events are planned quite a bit ahead of time and our winter weather is fairly variable. I have always felt the best way to get unseasonably warm weather in the winter is to have an Ice Sculpture Festival. It seems to often work. You don't always get exactly the weather you hope for.
 
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