[BrenWilson]

But....I would definitely prioritize Main and within 1-2 blocks thereof. That's how you get a transit/biking/walking culture.

Until the LRT gets extended towards University Plaza (lol), I don't see that part of Main being much but a car sewer. You can put lipstick on a pig and improve the pedestrian realm, but it'll still be adjacent to a busy 5 lane stroad and there isn't any alternative routes. I think the comming increase in density to the area and the LRT could easily facilitate improvements to Main and promote larger development proposals (and larger commercial uses) *and* an off-main commercial area that's a little more fine grained, slightly more european (westdale, king william, hess?).

Definitely retain trees. Spitballing because I'm bored, but retain the current Sanders Blvd setbacks, you've got a nice wide ROW to do something interesting with:

Spoiler: streetmix

The deepest part of this community (furthest from Main) is just over 500M away. At that point your starting to get into car-preferred distances.

I mean students already live further away. 500m is not really an outrageous walking distance and if you control the amount of parking in a hypothetical development, you can somewhat self select who lives there.

 

[Northern Light]

Until the LRT gets extended towards University Plaza (lol), I don't see that part of Main being much but a car sewer. You can put lipstick on a pig and improve the pedestrian realm, but it'll still be adjacent to a busy 5 lane stroad and there isn't any alternative routes. I think the comming increase in density to the area and the LRT could easily facilitate improvements to Main and promote larger development proposals (and larger commercial uses) *and* an off-main commercial area that's a little more fine grained, slightly more european (westdale, king william, hess?).

The LRT is definitely required to spur on redevelopment here.

I mean students already live further away. 500m is not really an outrageous walking distance and if you control the amount of parking in a hypothetical development, you can somewhat self select who lives there.

No its not outrageous by any means, but statistical analysis does show that's a distance to transit, or grocery or school where things start to shift into car orientation. I'm not arguing against your idea here, I just think its important to fix the stroad and stroad adjacent areas first.

The simple act of shifting the Fortinos to being up against Main, with parking underground would be a game-changer for how people live and get around in the area. That, however, won't happen without a mid or hirise development under which it can locate.