Mountain Man
Senior Member
Forest Lawn
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Calgary's never done Transit Oriented Development; they've done Transit Proximate Development, where you slap something within an 800m circle of an LRT station and call it a day. If there was one amenity that I could place near every LRT station it would be a supermarket; they're the most broadly visited store (everybody goes to them) and the most frequently/reliably visited (people go weekly). They also tend to serve other needs; pharmacy, ATM, takeout food, coffee shop. A supermarket near transit means that everybody within walking distance from transit is also within walking distance of groceries, and being able to meet this basic need makes living a low-car lifestyle much more feasible. Even people who transfer to a bus could use the store - it's a pain carrying a lot of shopping on transit, but if you go past the supermarket five times a week, you can make a couple of quick stops and carry less.
But this depends on transit oriented development -- an entrance to the grocery store needs to be immediately adjacent to the transit stops, so it's quick to get there and so you aren't carrying stuff hundreds of metres to transit. Calgary has achieved transit proximate development instead; there's a supermarket in the 800m circle, check. In reality, we're the world leader in putting transit stops next to the loading dock of a Superstore.
Southland, 1981:
View attachment 264328
Shawnessy, 2004:
View attachment 264330
McKnight-Westwinds, 2007:
View attachment 264331
As Goldfinger said in the Ian Fleming novel,
“Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action'.”
Luckily, even if the 2000s repeated the mistakes of the 1980s, the new generation can learn from the mistakes of the past.
Future Shepard station, 202x:
View attachment 264332
(the station site is the lower centre of the picture.)
Maybe for the pink line in the 2040s we'll do better.
Good discussion and I agree.Totally agree, the "oriented" part of Transit Oriented Development is not a small issue.
Specifically with respect to grocery stores, if you are going to serve customers that are coming via transit, these mega-format grocery stores also aren't ideal.
Kensington Safeway is only semi-oriented towards the Sunnyside station (sideways, with the parking lot in between the platform and the entrance, but at least not backing to it). However, since the store is 38,000 sqft, it appeals to the 'pick up one bag on the way to/from work' shopper much more than the 100,000+ sqft Superstores ever will. Once you have crossed the massive parking lot to some of these suburban grocery stores, walking all the way around the loading docks to the entrance, you then have another 500m walk to get milk and bread. Not a big deal if you are loading down your Yukon XL every 2 weeks, but it doesn't work for a transit user.
Not everyone can afford all the expenses that come with owning a vehicle and PT is the only option for them regardless of living in the inner city or suburbs.I think people forget we live in a winter city where the weather is damn cold for 7 months of the year. People don’t want to walk in that kind of weather.
I live in the burbs and I like to drive. If there was a c-train station right beside my house I doubt I would ever take it. I don’t like commuting with people breathing down my neck. I like the solitude of my vehicle and listening to some tunes. Walkability should be focused on the downtown and inner city where density is highest. Leave the suburbs as is.
Why not both? TBH I drive to work (and occasionally bike but should bike more!) instead of taking PT even with a direct LRT trip (after a walk) and while living in the Beltline. Everyone will make their own call. It isn't about forcing anyone to travel a certain way. It is about enabling the choice. Who doesn't like the freedom? Being able to use the LRT instead when traffic is FUBAR'd or when the S/O needs the car is pretty nice. Being able to bike when I feel ambitious is nice.I think people forget we live in a winter city where the weather is damn cold for 7 months of the year. People don’t want to walk in that kind of weather.
I live in the burbs and I like to drive. If there was a c-train station right beside my house I doubt I would ever take it. I don’t like commuting with people breathing down my neck. I like the solitude of my vehicle and listening to some tunes. Walkability should be focused on the downtown and inner city where density is highest. Leave the suburbs as is.
I think people forget we live in a winter city where the weather is damn cold for 7 months of the year. People don’t want to walk in that kind of weather.
I live in the burbs and I like to drive. If there was a c-train station right beside my house I doubt I would ever take it. I don’t like commuting with people breathing down my neck. I like the solitude of my vehicle and listening to some tunes. Walkability should be focused on the downtown and inner city where density is highest. Leave the suburbs as is.
Why not both? TBH I drive to work (and occasionally bike but should bike more!) instead of taking PT even with a direct LRT trip (after a walk) and a living in the Beltline. Everyone will make their own call. It isn't about forcing anyone to travel a certain way. It is about enabling the choice. Who doesn't like the freedom? Being able to use the LRT instead when traffic is FUBAR'd or when the S/O needs the car is pretty nice. Being able to bike when I feel ambitious is nice.
That would be Bow 45 by Opus:Project on Bow Trail
View attachment 265647
If you find it, please post it!The Subaru dealership on Macleod Trail directly south of the Mission Crossing project has started shoring for construction of their new dealership. I couldn't find the sketch of it that was floating around a year or so ago but It should help make another spot along that stretch look a little better.
Thanks. Nice to see that lot get developed.That would be Bow 45 by Opus:
Calgary | Bow 45 | ?m | 3s | Opus Corporation | S2 Architecture
A medical office building at the NW corner of Bow Trail and 45th Street SW by Opus: http://www.opuscorp.ca/projects/developmentleasing/bowtrail.cfm http://www.opuscorp.ca/files/development/bowtrail/20190704%20Bow%20Trail%20Leasing%20Brochure%20EML1.pdf The development permit has been...skyrisecities.com