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Originally Posted by phil235
Chicago also has a massive, multi-lane pseudo-highway running along most of its waterfront. That's a bigger barrier to the waterfront than we have.
I think that you are right about getting the density closer to the water. Even if the distance is short, non-interesting blocks create a psychological barrier between the water and the city. Chicago has parks along most of the waterfront, but what it does well is allowing density right up to the parks to give more people quick access. That would work here. And anywhere we don't have big parks (Zibi, Lebreton, Bayview), we should be getting development close to the water while maintaining a decent public right of way for restaurants, squares, playgrounds etc.
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Yes, if we want a lively waterfront, it needs to be attractive. So, we need it to have lots of people living and working nearby, easy access to public transit and have appealing public spaces.
We have great opportunities at Zibi and Lebreton but at the moment, much of it is barren wasteland, so it actually repels people. It is dominated by the Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway, but that can change radically with great urban design. But not all urban design is great design. Much of downtown west of Bank Street is not attractive to pedestrians. This is something the city should be studying.
We generally shouldn't be eager to eliminate our planned green spaces. It also plays an important role in a great city, for more passive uses. It is not possible or desirable to have everywhere a hive of activity. This is a lesson we need to learn from this pandemic, when so many have been seeking the outdoors during the lockdown. I know all Greenbelt locations near where I live have been well used during the lock down. If all of that had remained or returned to private hands, where would people have gone? I suspect Ottawa's abundance of greenspace has allowed this city to handle the pandemic better than Toronto or Montreal.