Calgary's Public Realm

[Jimby]

Originally Posted by Allan83

I don’t know how practical outdoor ping pong tables would be. Wind and ping pong balls are not a good mix. You'd have to find a way to completely block the wind.

Wind makes it a different game than the indoor version.

[Allan83]

Originally Posted by Jimby

Wind makes it a different game than the indoor version.

No doubt. I know they have them in other places, so I assume they've found a way to make it work at least reasonably well.

[outoftheice]

Public art panels are about to be added to the 5th Street Underpass. The panels look intriguing although some of the panels aren't exactly my cup of tea when it comes to art (but I'm sure for others they will be... part of the beauty of public art). What I'm curious about is whether or not there is a component of this project that includes enhancements to the lighting in the underpass or improvements to any other parts of the public realm (such as the sidewalk or sightlines)?? Without key improvements in those other areas, I'm afraid this project will simply be putting lipstick on a pig....

Here's the Herald story although it's very light on details (read none)

Public art features Albertans' work along S.W. underpass
Calgary Herald, Sept 23 2014

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...848/story.html

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

Public art panels are about to be added to the 5th Street Underpass. The panels look intriguing although some of the panels aren't exactly my cup of tea when it comes to art (but I'm sure for others they will be... part of the beauty of public art). What I'm curious about is whether or not there is a component of this project that includes enhancements to the lighting in the underpass or improvements to any other parts of the public realm (such as the sidewalk or sightlines)?? Without key improvements in those other areas, I'm afraid this project will simply be putting lipstick on a pig....

Here's the Herald story although it's very light on details (read none)



http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...848/story.html

I was thinking the same thing. You could hang the Mona Lisa in there, and it wouldn't change the dingy feel. Art in conjunction with lighting, however, would be another story. Honestly, developing the Place 10 lot and other lots is going to make the biggest difference, especially because Place 10 takes away a block of retaining wall.

[lineman]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

Public art panels are about to be added to the 5th Street Underpass. The panels look intriguing although some of the panels aren't exactly my cup of tea when it comes to art (but I'm sure for others they will be... part of the beauty of public art). What I'm curious about is whether or not there is a component of this project that includes enhancements to the lighting in the underpass or improvements to any other parts of the public realm (such as the sidewalk or sightlines)?? Without key improvements in those other areas, I'm afraid this project will simply be putting lipstick on a pig....

Here's the Herald story although it's very light on details (read none)



http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...848/story.html

They were already installed on the east wall when I went under there on Friday. It's just a bunch of panels tacked on the wall. While it's nice that it can showcase artists, it looks like an afterthought at best.

On that note, what is going on with these subway improvements? I remember seeing renderings of the 1 St W subway a while back but have heard of or seen anything happening. Is funding an issue?

[Fuzz]

Any word on the start date for the 8th st underpass project? THAT is a dump.

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

I was thinking the same thing. You could hang the Mona Lisa in there, and it wouldn't change the dingy feel. Art in conjunction with lighting, however, would be another story. Honestly, developing the Place 10 lot and other lots is going to make the biggest difference, especially because Place 10 takes away a block of retaining wall.

IMO 5th is the least dingy of older ones (excluding 4th SE), it has the widest sidewalks by far and seems to get light in fairly far.

I hope they get started on 1st and 8th, though I think some one mentioned on here that they ran into issues with the railroad agreeing to the plans.

[Spring2008]

Those art panels will add a nice touch to that underpass.

I agree that 1st and 8th st underpasses need to get started ASAP. Not sure what the delays are about?

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Those art panels will add a nice touch to that underpass.

I agree that 1st and 8th st underpasses need to get started ASAP. Not sure what the delays are about?

No doubt the railroad decided to have their say, as they normally do.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

IMO 5th is the least dingy of older ones (excluding 4th SE), it has the widest sidewalks by far and seems to get light in fairly far.

I hope they get started on 1st and 8th, though I think some one mentioned on here that they ran into issues with the railroad agreeing to the plans.

Totally. Still, how hard/expensive could it be to install flood lighting?

[Spring2008]

Lots of large commercial complexes have been doing big plaza/interior mall renos lately, adds to the appeal of the city centre.

5th Avenue place and Suncor plaza re-developments in particular look huge.

Was impressed with the quality of finshings in most of the mini-malls on the northern side of the CBD and Eau-Claire walking through today. Looks like lots of them have been upgraded as well as now have better retail tenants in place.

[Chadillaccc]

They are not doing anything different in the redevelopment of the plazas at Fifth Avenue Place or Suncor Energy Centre. The only reason they are doing them is because the water-tight membranes under the plazas have reached the end of their life cycle and need to be replaced. In the case of Suncor, the granite also needed to be replaced. The only difference I have noticed so far is that the new planters at Suncor have a few coniferous trees in the mix, while they used to be all deciduous.

[Jimby]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...083/story.html

[Jimby]

Follow the Bench Project on Twitter @benchprojectyyc

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

They are not doing anything different in the redevelopment of the plazas at Fifth Avenue Place or Suncor Energy Centre. The only reason they are doing them is because the water-tight membranes under the plazas have reached the end of their life cycle and need to be replaced. In the case of Suncor, the granite also needed to be replaced. The only difference I have noticed so far is that the new planters at Suncor have a few coniferous trees in the mix, while they used to be all deciduous.

Suncor has recently added a few big garden areas with bunch of new tress and plants on the SW, NW, and I believe NE plazas (not talking about the big stepped garden which they redid)

Fifth avenue plaza used to bare bones and flat. They've completely rebuilt the plaza and now building massive planters everywhere. Whole plaza going to be covered in trees and plants. Some renders inside by the food court which they are currently redeveloping as well.

[Colin]

^ I think they're also removing the big fountains in front of Fifth Avenue Place as well

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Suncor has recently added a few big garden areas with bunch of new tress and plants on the SW, NW, and I believe NE plazas (not talking about the big stepped garden which they redid)

Fifth avenue plaza used to bare bones and flat. They've completely rebuilt the plaza and now building massive planters everywhere. Whole plaza going to be covered in trees and plants. Some renders inside by the food court which they are currently redeveloping as well.

There are no trees on the east side plaza of Suncor at all, and the Southwest and Northwest plazas already had the tree'd areas long before the redevelopment began. As I said, the only change to the garden areas is new species of plants, no actual structural changes have been made.

That is great that Fifth Ave Place is seeing actual improvement though.

[Spring2008]

The NW and SW new landscaped garden areas - did a drive by earlier, unless my memory's clouded, there's no way they had that level of landscaping before, think just a couple old trees here and there.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

The NW and SW new landscaped garden areas - did a drive by earlier, unless my memory's clouded, there's no way they had that level of landscaping before, think just a couple old trees here and there.

No, they had gardens with trees in them, along with tulips, other flowers and small shrubs. The garden areas are the exact same size as they were before, as they made absolutely no structural changes. The only thing that will be different next year is that the gardens will be tended to, as they didn't tend to them this year because they were going to be dug up anyways. As I said, the only reason they are redoing Suncor plaza is to redo the watertight membrane and restore the granite. I have worked there every single week day for the past two years, so I have seen the development of this project from its beginning.

[ByeByeBaby]

The bike pilot project on Stephen Avenue has an online survey up; about a dozen questions or so mostly focusing on safety issues. Survey runs through October 31: http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...t-Project.aspx