Urban living in Edmonton

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by urbanroo

Thanks for posting--I filled it out. I'm a little out of the loop as I'm in Chicago this year (back in Edmonton in 2018). We used to use this park a lot, so I'm glad a playground is going in (seems like an obvious place). What's happening to the dogs, though? People (including me) like to take dogs down there and run them off leash. What I'd really like to see is what they do in many cities--a 3-foot fence cordoning off the playground from the rest of the park. That keeps the kids safe, prevents them from running on the road, and keeps them safe from the dogs and vice versa.

seems a strange preference/choice in any dogs vs kids discussion and quite the opposite of the successful approach enforced in most european cities we've spent any time in.

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by urbanroo

There's definitely a culture in Edmonton that prefers the single family home, but that doesn't obtain everywhere. In Chicago my neighborhood (denser and more urban than anything in Edmonton or probably in Canada) is filled with families who prefer urban living (prices in Chicago aren't much higher than Edmonton, so they could afford a suburban house further out, if they wanted to). Families, of course, shouldn't be forced to live downtown, but there should be options for them, especially as Edmonton grows and attracts people from other areas of the world that don't have this obsession with cookie-cutter suburban lifestyles. For me, ultimately, I'd like to see a lot more rowhouses and townhouses in Oliver and other central urban areas. This is the best of both worlds: dense, urban, pedestrian living, but also a small yard and more of a sense of community than a big faceless highrise. Just my two cents.

There's also the commuting factor which becomes a major influence on where and the type of housing people choose. This becomes more of an influence in larger cities of 3-5 million plus, we're not there yet.

[240glt]

^ in Edmonton you can get a nice house in a good neighbourhood, minutes to downtown in rush hour for under $500k. I'd say we're a long ways off before travel times start to dictate the type of housing people live in here

[urbanroo]

Originally Posted by CMD UW

There's also the commuting factor which becomes a major influence on where and the type of housing people choose. This becomes more of an influence in larger cities of 3-5 million plus, we're not there yet.

Commuting is certainly a factor....BUT, try flying into Chicago O'Hare at 5pm and take a taxi into the city. There are almost as many cars driving INTO the city (people who work in various office parks in the suburbs but chose to live in the city because they prefer it there) as driving from downtown into the suburbs. The same, to an even greater extent, is true of San Francisco. If it were all about commuting, people would live down south in the peninsula (of course some of them do) to be closer to work. But instead, many chose to live in the city out of a cultural preference despite the inconvenience of commuting. Closer to home there's Vancouver and Portland, both under the 3 million person threshold that have vibrant urban communities. Largely (not entirely--geography plays a role in Vancouver) because people WANT an urban lifestyle. There's no reason why Edmonton can't build a dynamic, livable urban center before reaching 3 million people; it will just mean that attitudes will have to change.

[Coldrsx]

I hate how cramped downtown living is. Really wish I had a front yard or backyard for that matter. Impossible conditions I tells yeah.


https://twitter.com/IanOyeg

[Landlocked]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

I hate how cramped downtown living is. Really wish I had a front yard or backyard for that matter. Impossible conditions I tells yeah.


https://twitter.com/IanOyeg

Not impossible, no. But I'd hate giving up my garden tomatoes, or the fact I don't have to worry about my kid coming across used needles and condoms, or people 'camping' in the shrubs. Of course, I also have to tend the grass and plants and likely have a longer commute. To each their own.

[mintzilla]

Here's an interesting thought regarding the lack of grocery options downtown.

What if the clareview superstore and Walmart had been oriented to be more accessible from the lrt station. A person could then hop the train from
Downtown, get off at clareview (ten minute train ride) and walk to the store.

The superstore actually isn't that far but they made sure to make it as aweful for a pedestrian as physically possible to get to the front door. For a laugh look on google maps and find a way to get them the front door of either store without walking on a 100% meant for cars roadway.
Imo it's these small details that city council fails to think of when they rubber stamp whatever abortion these property developers give them.

[Coldrsx]

^people already do that, see it all the time.

[CMD UW]

Originally Posted by urbanroo

Commuting is certainly a factor....BUT, try flying into Chicago O'Hare at 5pm and take a taxi into the city. There are almost as many cars driving INTO the city (people who work in various office parks in the suburbs but chose to live in the city because they prefer it there) as driving from downtown into the suburbs. The same, to an even greater extent, is true of San Francisco. If it were all about commuting, people would live down south in the peninsula (of course some of them do) to be closer to work. But instead, many chose to live in the city out of a cultural preference despite the inconvenience of commuting. Closer to home there's Vancouver and Portland, both under the 3 million person threshold that have vibrant urban communities. Largely (not entirely--geography plays a role in Vancouver) because people WANT an urban lifestyle. There's no reason why Edmonton can't build a dynamic, livable urban center before reaching 3 million people; it will just mean that attitudes will have to change.

Yes, there are more people that want the urban lifestyle in these cities because the population is that much higher. What I meant is that Edmonton is a relatively easy place to get around and it's easy to get to neighbourhoods that offer the single detached home lifestyle for a reasonably affordable price. We are not as spread out as these other cities where many begin to choose living in a different housing form due to longer commutes. That doesn't mean there isn't a market for urban living in this city. In fact I'd say that we've seen a growing proportion of the market choosing to live in the core and first ring neighbourhoods over the past 5-10 years given the volume of infill developments that have been built. And I believe this trend is going to continue to grow over the coming decades.

[Coldrsx]

Great to see so many families and wee ones in Churchill and at City Hall enjoying the pool and fountains tonight.


https://twitter.com/IanOyeg

[Coldrsx]

I should note that my last 24hrs included the following:

- meeting on building a playground in McKay Avenue for the 1881 schoolhouse which we hope to have open in 2018
- meeting on the larger central park north of Jasper between 106-107sts and the importance on usage opportunities for children to seniors
- meeting on live music venues in Downtown/central Edmonton and how to identify which allow all ages before certain times
- meeting with Councillor Esslingen's 'Child Friendly Downtown' working group who will be working on a few projects to create such things as: A family's guide to Downtown, Child friendly businesses, Child friendly housing identification and potential 'play' spaces in and around the Downtown core.
- meeting with the Civic Precinct working group (the block in and around Churchill Sq.) to identify new opportunities for play and all ages usage after the upcoming renovations and Library construction

[EdmTrekker]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

I should note that my last 24hrs included the following:

- meeting on building a playground in McKay Avenue for the 1881 schoolhouse which we hope to have open in 2018
- meeting on the larger central park north of Jasper between 106-107sts and the importance on usage opportunities for children to seniors
- meeting on live music venues in Downtown/central Edmonton and how to identify which allow all ages before certain times
- meeting with Councillor Esslingen's 'Child Friendly Downtown' working group who will be working on a few projects to create such things as: A family's guide to Downtown, Child friendly businesses, Child friendly housing identification and potential 'play' spaces in and around the Downtown core.
- meeting with the Civic Precinct working group (the block in and around Churchill Sq.) to identify new opportunities for play and all ages usage after the upcoming renovations and Library construction

With the redevelopment of the library - lets hope there is a great place for children and to some extent youth in the plaza that is ripped out in the back.

[Coldrsx]

Great to see so many families and kids Downtown today between The Works and the Leg grounds.


https://twitter.com/DBAyeg

[Coldrsx]

A most excellent discussion/panel last night at ESQ's new Faculty of Extension space on Social and Affordable Housing in Edmonton. It really highlighted the need to place housing around the city, in all communities and that we need to create more diverse communities for social, economic and cultural benefits.


twitter.com/ianoyeg

[Coldrsx]

twitter.com/declorg

[Coldrsx]

Help our child friendly working group learn more about what your business does or could do to make families more welcome at your business.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52YNFZ7

[Coldrsx]

Similar survey for consumers.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52MGXZT

[Coldrsx]

The old slide/playground at McKay Avenue School/Dick Mather Park. A group (EPSB, EPS, DECL, DBA) of us are working on a new playground adjacent to the 1881 schoolhouse. More to come, but save the date for September 23 to join us there for an announcement.


EPSB archives

[Black Star]

Im not that old....but we used to play football in that park in the 80s. So many good times.

How is the renovation going for the school?

[Coldrsx]

Nearly complete. The simple roof replacement became a truss and nearly full roof structure/roofing project. $500k went to 2.5.