Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Hudson’s Bay Vancouver redevelopment

"The store sits under a view cone limiting the height of any redevelopment to 300 ft., similar to the nearby ‘The Post’ redevelopment by QuadReal which is expected to complete in 2023." https://www.urbanyvr.com/hudsons-bay-vancouver-redevelopment

So buildings in that part of the high land costs throughout downtown Vancouver must be shorter than the Old_City_Hall_in_Toronto. Which is 103.64m or 340 ft. 

"What’s not accounted for in the concept is the building heights on the site are currently capped by a view cone of approximately 300 ft., however, a generous package of public amenities or a change in city policy could lead to a breakthrough of Vancouver’s tabletop skyline." https://www.urbanyvr.com/bay-parkade-redevelopment-concepts

The Simpson_Tower which has 33 floors and is 144 m (472 ft) high, is a stump in Toronto. Yet in BC, it would be one of the tallest office towers.

Of course the Bay_Adelaide_Centre in Toronto is far away from the Vancouver type restrictions.

218 m (715 ft) (Bay Adelaide West)
196 m (643 ft) (Bay Adelaide East) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Adelaide_Centre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson's_Bay_Queen_Street

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson's_Bay_Centre "The tower stands at 135 metres in height. It contains 35 floors and 535,000-square-foot (49,700 m2), and its address 2 Bloor Street East, at the northeast corner of the intersection of Yonge and Bloor Streets." The 443 feet tall building in toronto is a stump. Yet, in parts of downtown Vancouver it would be considered to be too tall.

In spite of the very high land costs in Vancouver the extreme height restrictions in parts of the downtown Vancouver keep buildings shorter than a couple of churches. One in Toronto & the other in NYC. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Church_of_St._James_(Toronto) "At 92.9 metres (305 ft), the tower and spire have remained the tallest in Canada and the second tallest in North America after St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York—although the spire of St. James is still shorter than the dome of Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, which is the tallest church in the Western Hemisphere." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Church_of_St._James_(Toronto)#Exterior

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick's_Cathedral_(Midtown_Manhattan) Has spires rising 329.5 feet (100 m).

These 2 churches long ago were no longer prominent on the Toronto & NYC skyline. Yet, in parts of downtown Vancouver, they would still be considered to be too tall.

Wednesday, February 02, 2022

What the Vancouver 2030 Olympics venue plan could look like

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-2030-olympics-venues-potential

Unfortunately, the SkyTrain was never designed to have 500ft or 152.5m long stations like the Montreal Metro and the TTC Subway have. Plus, Greater Vancouver has made it very difficult to have wide roadways like Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa & QC. So, aside from the sports related infrastructure, the overall transportation infrastructure remains stunted & thwarted, compared to real cities that are allowed to think big.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_21_Exposition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_67

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Summer_Olympics#Montreal_Olympic_Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88#World_Expo_Park_Brisbane_Convention_&_Exhibition_Centre


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_86

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Winter_Olympics

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-renderings-future-transportation-2050

Any proper big thinking city & metropolitan region still has to have some wide roads & long trains. 

scarborough-rt-riders-busway-not-seven-years-shuttles

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/scarborough-rt-riders-busway-not-seven-years-shuttles

the new Hurontario LRT

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/hurontario-lrt-faq

union-station-construction

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/more-union-station-construction

Monday, January 31, 2022

toronto-meadoway-park-renderings

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/toronto-meadoway-park-renderings

More snowfall for-Toronto

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/special-weather-statement-snowfall-toronto

Who really likes cold & crappy weather? Most just try to endure it. At least Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa & even Winnipeg are better prepared to handle the snow & ice. All of these cities have better infrastructure than Vancouver & Victoria. At some point, perhaps a significant number of people will start to ask, why is Canada pushing infrastructure & growth mostly in the colder parts of the country? Of course most of Canada gets a harsh winter, when usually Vancouver & Victoria just get an abbreviated or watered down winter. Sometimes its simply more like an extended fall. Yet, most other Canadian cities have wider roads than what Greater Vancouver & Victoria allow. Vancouver & BC really made it a point to have significantly shorter SkyTrain stations than the TTC Subway & Montreal Metro stations. Even the Edmonton LRT in the late 1970s built longer underground stations than what backward Vancouver would do. Of course Ottawa has longer stations as well as wider roads than Vancouver.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8516392/toronto-highways-401-drivers-stuck-ontario-winter-storm-weather Of course Toronto & Montreal can occasionally get blocked up from too much snow. But they always have the wider roads & longer trains than what Vancouver allows. The Vancouver & BC way is to continually hold back or thwart urban infrastructure growth.

Any major urban area has to have a good road system & an efficient transit network.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-has-the-worst-traffic-congestion-in-canada-again-according-to-this-ranking-1.4790325

One has to wonder with short train planning & keeping the roads narrow, where has all the money gone over the past several decades?

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-most-congested-city-canada-2020

https://www.autoloansolutions.ca/blog/canadas-3-worst-cities-for-traffic-and-how-to-survive-them/

https://604now.com/vancouver-worst-traffic-canada-2020

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/tristin-hopper-the-study-showing-vancouver-has-canadas-worst-traffic-is-obviously-wrong-heres-why

Montreal-weather-heavy-snowfall-forecast

 https://dailyhive.com/montreal/montreal-weather-heavy-snowfall-forecast

Although it can get very cold at times, at lest the Montreal_Metro is built on a grand scale for a big city. Being from backward Vancouver, one can only imagine if the SkyTrain could have been built on a similar grand scale. All the SkyTrain stations should have been built with a future provision to have 500ft or 152.5m long platforms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_rolling_stock#Summary

Instead, the first 2 lines are just barely half the length of a Montreal station. The 3rd line was only built to ultimately have only 50m stations. Not even quite a 3rd of the length of a 152.5m Montreal Metro station. 

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/metro-service-partially-disrupted-on-orange-line

https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/this-montreal-metro-map-shows-the-median-condo-price-around-every-station-in-2021


Early-work-expedites-Surrey-SkyTrain-project

 https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/early-work-expedites-surrey-skytrain-project

Montreal & Toronto were able to build 500ft or 152.5m long stations right from the start. The SkyTrain could have been constructed in a way where there was a future provision to have 152.5m stations instead of 80m & 50m truncated stops.

https://www.reminetwork.com/tags/surrey-langley-skytrain

https://the-intersection-point.blogspot.com/search?q=SkyTrain

translink-renderings-future-transportation-2050

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-renderings-future-transportation-2050


https://the-intersection-point.blogspot.com/search?q=SkyTrain

Yorkdale-19-tower-development

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/yorkdale-19-tower-development

north-shore-skytrain-burnaby-metrotown

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-skytrain-burnaby-metrotown

Of course it would make more sense to have a subway near the LG Bridge or along the SeaBus route.

But backward Vancouver & BC thinking keeps getting in the way of logic & efficiency.

https://the-intersection-point.blogspot.com/search?q=SkyTrain

Burnaby-mountain-sfu-gondola-route-selection

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/city-of-burnaby-mountain-sfu-gondola-route-selection-official

This is a lot cheaper than trying to run a SkyTrain up there.

https://the-intersection-point.blogspot.com/search?q=SkyTrain

Monday, January 24, 2022

royal-beach-colwood-victoria

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/royal-beach-colwood-victoria-reliance-properties

Tunnel boring machines for Broadway Subway to arrive in Vancouver this spring

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/broadway-subway-tunnel-boring-machines There is a way to construct train stations so that they can be easily lengthened as demand increases. Unfortunately, that's not the Vancouver & BC way.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mark-v-skytrain-design-translink When so many cities planned for 8-10 car trains, Vancouver can only max out with 5 car trains. Its always better to build longer stations & wider bridges in the first place.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-station-platform-extension

Apparently, short trains and narrow roads are the best way for Vancouver to deal with its transportation congestion. Of course since most cities don't take a small scale planing approach like Vancouver does, they are able to have larger underground stations that allow for longer trains, wider bridges that make it easier to have bus & HOV lanes.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-line-skytrain This is so sad & pathetic for backward BC. Clearly, this was built in symbolic defiance of the 152.5m or 500ft. long stations that the Toronto Subway & the Montreal Metro have. Instead of building all of the Canada Line with 152.5m long stations, the C Line was only designed to have 50m or 164ft. stations. This is classic Vancouver & BC inept logic at its best. Instead of running a 152.5m Montreal metro train every 5 minutes, a short BC train could be run 3 times every 6 minutes. Considering that Vancouver opted to not ever have a freeway to the airport & ferry terminal, a provision for a 500ft long train should have been made, right from the start.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/short-platforms-and-trains-is-the-skytrain-canada-line-under-built-and-nearing-capacity Ultimately, there will only be 50m long trains on the Canada line, that's less than a 3rd of the 152.5m Montreal Metro trains. Unlike Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary & Seattle, Vancouver has been under a multi-generational small town mindset. Short trains & short buildings, narrow bridges & narrow roads, etc., are all indicative of a, KEEP THEM OUT agenda. If you plan & build big city infrastructure, you are indicating that you accept substantial urban population growth & density. Extremely restrictive Vancouver & BC is all about thwarting the influx of people and that's how the power-structure likes it.

A similar restrictive power-structure or multi-generational mindset has never been able to take over Alberta or Washington State. Thus, they are able to allow infrastructure to exist on a much larger scale.

61-storey-lattice-inspired-tower-toronto-yorkville

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/61-storey-lattice-inspired-tower-toronto-yorkville

More homes began construction in Surrey than in Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-housing-starts-2021-2

Not a surprise since Vancouver has no control over Surrey.

Vancouver-isn't one of the-safest-cities

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-mayor-crime-safest-cities-world

1550-alberni-kengo-kuma-vancouver-tower-construction

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1550-alberni-kengo-kuma-vancouver-tower-construction

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Seattle Climate Pledge Arena

The Climate_Pledge_Arena is a fine example of a building from 1962 that has been upgraded to modern standards.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Pledge_Arena#Redevelopment_into_Climate_Pledge_Arena

https://dailyhive.com/seattle/climate-pledge-arena-seattle-amazon

Plaza of Nations slow redevelopment process in Vancouver, BC

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/plaza-of-nations-hong-leong-oei-concord-pacific-bc-appeal-decision

Some 3 and a half decades after Expo 86, the Plaza_of_Nations is still a dead zone.

https://plazaofnations.com/redevelopment-plans/

https://vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/concord-pacific-loses-appeal-in-1-1-billion-vancouver-property-fight

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/appeal-dismissed-titans-fight-expo-land-dispute-vancouver-concord-pacific-1.6319482

https://www.urbanyvr.com/plaza-of-nations-redevelopment/

https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/750pacific/index.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore#Economy 

Unlike little Vancouver with all of its overpowering building size restrictions and overall imposed infrastructure limitations, Singapore is allowed to build big and tall even right by the water.

Miami is also able to build up big and tall right next to the water, simply because its not under Vancouver type restrictions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Downtown_Miami

Of course one would expect Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to excel in a scale far beyond Vancouver. However, Brisbane also shows what is possible without Vancouver type building size restrictions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane#Urban_structure


In traditional Vancouver fashion, the city hasn't made it onto this list.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_with_the_most_skyscrapers#List_of_cities_by_number_of_completed_skyscrapers_taller_than_150_m_(492_ft)

Friday, January 14, 2022

79-storey tower proposed for Bloor and Bay

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/79-storey-tower-bloor-bay-renderings

All that way up and no 80th floor, WTH?

Toronto's Royal Bank Plaza

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/zara-owner-buy-toronto-royal-bank-plaza


RoofSouth Tower: 180 m (590 ft)
North Tower: 114 m (374 ft)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Bank_Plaza

Floor countSouth Tower: 41
North Tower: 26

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Bank_Plaza#/media/File:Royal_Bank_Plaza_(8061882452).jpg

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rbc-plaza-amancio-ortega-1.6314011

https://www.costar.com/article/462304946/royal-bank-plaza-in-toronto-hits-market-with-reported-us1-billion-price-tag

Vancouver bogged down by garbage pickup delays

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-garbage-pick-up-delays

Most cities in Canada are use to functioning in winter conditions. 

The 10-lane George Massey Bridge would have been completed this year

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/george-massey-bridge-opening-day

Unfortunately, in typical backward BC style, the bridge project was cancelled. An 8 lane tunnel option without any provision for a train isn't expected to open until 2030.

The Oak_Street_Bridge could have been modified to be 4 lanes northbound, if a new bridge west of it was built to handle 4 lanes from Granville Street going into Richmond.

BC has never been able to thwart the scale of infrastructure in Alberta and Washington State, let alone Ontario and Quebec. So those places and many more, are always to build on a larger scale than what is allowed in backward BC. 

Most of Oak Street & Granville Street are 6 lanes wide. That's 12 lanes that never has to become a freeway, just a more efficient traffic corridor.

The 8 lane Granville_Street_Bridge could have been modified to handle 4 northbound lanes from Oak and 4 southbound lanes to Granville Street. Then like what several other cities do, is build more parallel bike bridges so that lanes don't have to be removed from the Granville_Street_Bridge & others.

That's what happened to the former 6 lane Burrard_Bridge. Now the Burrard_Bridge is a classic 4 lane funnel because the city was too cheap to build a parallel bike bridge.

The Ironworkers_Memorial_Second_Narrows_Crossing should have been designed to have 4 lanes each way plus 2 full width emergency lanes. Then by now it could have been a 10 lane bridge. A new rapid transit train & bike bridge should be built beside it.

The new UBC campus in downtown Kelowna

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-downtown-kelowna-campus-550-doyle-avenue

For the longest time, Vancouver was the only attempt of a big city in BC. Then Surrey, Coquitlam & Burnaby started to be more like a big city. Victoria remains as a provincial backwater, that isn't allowed to rival Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec City or even Halifax. Yet, Victoria is the most mild city in Canada, but the local power-structure continues to hold back Greater Victoria. Kelowna is the main city between Vancouver & Calgary. Now it really has a chance to eventually become another big city in BC. 


Alberta just isn't under anything like the BC control system, So Calgary & Edmonton are able to be much bigger cities than Vancouver.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-population-growth-2021-2046-1.6106146

Record number of new homes registered in BC

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-new-home-registration-statistics-2021

There should have been a lot more rental units built in BC over the past few decades.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-median-rent-new-high

Unfortunately, there is a power-structure that wants to continually limit the influx of people moving into BC.

That's not the case in Alberta.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-population-growth-2021-2046-1.6106146

Highway 1 to reopen from Lytton to Spences Bridge

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/highway-1-lytton-spences-bridge-photos

Its always been difficult for BC to keep up with its stunted infrastructure.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

PAW Patrol’s Adventure City

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/paw-patrol-adventure-city-vancouver

Both are inept cartoon or toy bridges.

Vancouver ranked as city with Canada's greenest transportation system

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-canada-greenest-transportation

But it hasn't been designed for adequate future capacity expansion.

City of North Vancouver emphasizes public transit in new transportation plan

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/city-of-north-vancouver-mobility-strategy-transportation-plan

Of course for Montreal having an 8 lane bridge with 2 tracks for a train isn't a problem.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champlain_Bridge_(Montreal,_2019%E2%80%93present)

Winter Sucks!

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-warmer-toronto

Extreme cold warnings in place Monday night for parts of Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/eastern-canada-extreme-cold-warning-1.6309822


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/extreme-cold-warning-january-10-11-2022-1.6309710


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/love-it-or-hate-it-wind-chill-is-real-we-break-down-5-myths-1.6285040

Thursday, January 06, 2022

buses-boats-trains-planes-delayed-winter-weather

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/buses-boats-trains-planes-delayed-winter-weather

alex-fraser-bridge-closed-winter-operations

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/alex-fraser-bridge-closed-winter-operations

river-district-heating-metro-vancouver-waste-to-energy-facility

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/river-district-heating-metro-vancouver-waste-to-energy-facility

metro-vancouver-home-sales-statistics

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-home-sales-statistics-2021

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/properties-metro-vancouver-bc-assessments

east-kent-avenue-south-vancouver-river-district-east-fraser-lands

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/3480-east-kent-avenue-south-vancouver-river-district-east-fraser-lands

toronto-winter-home-landlord-warm-temperature-bylaw

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/toronto-winter-home-landlord-warm-temperature-bylaw

capstan-station-canada-line-construction-single-tracking

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/capstan-station-canada-line-construction-single-tracking-january-2022

granville-street-vancouver-seniors-home

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/6151-6261-granville-street-vancouver-seniors-home-care

port-mann-alex-fraser-bridges-could-close from-snowstorm

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/port-mann-alex-fraser-bridges-could-close-snowstorm

Sunday, January 02, 2022

BC Ferries cancels multiple sailings due to strong winds

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-ferries-cancels-sailings-january

There is always the cold & crappy half of the year in Canada. Although winter is suppose to only be 3 dreadfully cold & dark months, some places can get winter like conditions from Halloween to Easter.

Vancouver experiences coldest temperature recorded in half a century

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-coldest-temperature-half-century

Usually one can escape the full force of winter if they are in Vancouver & Victoria. However, every now & then, there is a reminder that the cold crappy weather will reach every part of Canada.

11 movies and TV shows filming in Vancouver this January

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/11-movies-tv-shows-filming-vancouver-january

Winter is the worst time to be filming in Canada, even in SW BC. That is, unless one wants to actually have cold & crappy weather in their film & TV shoots.

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Pedestrians vexed over snowy walkways after Vancouver bike lanes cleared first

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bike-lanes-cleared-pedestrian-walkways-snow-vancouver

Very typical of an inept city that is so bent on pushing bike lanes above everything else. Footpaths or sidewalks & streets have to adequately be cleared as well. There always seems to a kind of upside down or backwards approach that Vancouver likes to take.

Vancouver seabus-flooding at-waterfront-station

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/seabus-flooding-waterfront-station-december-30-2021

By now, there should have been a Seabus sailing every 5 minutes in both directions. Of course that would mean ordering more of them to be built. At the same time, the city is so stubborn about building a transit tunnel or any new bridges that are actually wide enough to have bus & HOV lanes in general.. 

Vancouver City Council approves 22-storey office tower near Victory Square

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/534-550-cambie-street-vancouver-victory-square-tower-approved

This DH article provides a good explanation as to how extreme the building restrictions are in Vancouver. Only 22 stories, not 44 and certainly not 66 stories in Vancouver. Vancouver has always bee against tall office buildings. Never-mind a 60 or even a 50 story office tower, Vancouver still won't permit any office building to even have a 40th floor. Of course Vancouver can't stop Calgary or Seattle, so they have long since had office towers well over 40 and 50 stories for decades.

Friday, December 17, 2021

Canada's immigration levels hit record high, population growth returns to normal

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-immigration-population-growth-q3-2021

The power-structure still isn't likely to allow Canada to contain even just 1 percent of the worlds population, any time soon.

https://dailyhive.com/toronto/canada-immigration-population-growth-q3-2021

Commuter Rail

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxWjtpzCIfA

https://the-intersection-point.blogspot.com/2019/02/urban-and-suburban-rail.html

49-storey-tower-st-clair-west-yonge-toronto

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/49-storey-tower-st-clair-west-yonge-toronto

Car-free travel in Rotterdam (Netherlands)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgFVjCL21WI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotterdam  

Rotterdam: the City Rebuilt for Cars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22ovt1EMULY 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotterdam_Metro

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotterdam_Metro#Rolling_stock


Why Many Cities Suck (but Dutch Cities Don't) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4kmDxcfR48 , https://www.youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes/videos


Why Loop Lines Are So Successful

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUjaIQVjjXc


Greater_Vancouver will eventually require a proper train loop, not just the half-assed one in Burnaby.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)#/media/File:Vancouver_Rail_Transit_Map.png

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)#Rolling_stock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)#/media/File:Vancouver_SkyTrain_track_diagram_v3.svg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)#Future_expansion


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metro_systems

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metro_systems#List

Why New York’s Billionaires’ Row Is Half Empty

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wehsz38P74g

Of course if someone has a few homes, they don't have to be living in them all of the time. Its just that with so much wealth & opulence in a world of growing homelessness, it seems to be an ongoing status symbol to have large empty homes.

Seattle is looking for a suitable site to build second major international airport

 https://dailyhive.com/seattle/seattle-second-international-airport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle-Tacoma_International_Airport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaTac/Airport_station

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle-Tacoma_International_Airport#Future

Monday, December 13, 2021

Rainier Square Tower

"Rainier Square Tower is a mixed-use skyscraper in the Metropolitan Tract of downtown Seattle, Washington.[4] The 850-foot (260 m) tall, 58-story tower is located at Union Street between 4th and 5th Avenues adjacent to the existing Rainier Tower; it is the second-tallest building in Seattle." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainier_Square_Tower


"Rainier Tower is a 41-story, 156.67 m (514.0 ft) skyscraper in the Metropolitan Tract of Seattle, Washington, at 1301 Fifth Avenue." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainier_Tower

Telus Sky

"Telus Sky, (also stylized as TELUS Sky) is a 59-storey, 222.3 m (729 ft)[1] mixed-use skyscraper in downtown CalgaryAlbertaCanada. At completion in 2019, the structure building became the third-tallest building in Calgary behind Brookfield Place East and The Bow." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telus_Sky

This building should have had 75 stories, at least 65.

105 storey hybrid timber towers

 https://www.constructioncanada.net/dialog-develops-system-to-build-105-storey-hybrid-timber-towers

There is a mindset that no building should ever rise above 100 stories, simply because its Canada. That's not the case in Australia, the USA & especially Asia.

https://www.dialogdesign.ca/stories/dialog-files-global-patents-for-hybrid-timber-floor-system

Australia couldn't wait for Canada to catch up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Tower

After more than 2 decades since Australia allowed its first building to have more than 90 floors, Canada will finally have its first building with over 90 floors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnacle_One_Yonge

Of course Australia allowed its first building over 100 floors long before Canada will.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_108

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Australia#Tallest_buildings_under_construction_or_proposed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Australia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Canada

Chicago was the first city outside of NYC to allow a building to have 100 floors.

The John_Hancock_Center opened in 1969.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Chicago#Tallest_buildings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Chicago#Tallest_under_construction_or_proposed

If cities can continue to have more density & be economic engines, then more of the countryside & wilderness can be left for nature. However, there seems to be some that would like most of the human population to just disappear.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/looking-forward-to-the-end-of-humanity-11592625661 (Was this written by an A.I. program or a fascist human?)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/doomsday-math-says-humanity-may-have-just-760-years-left-11561655839

https://www.wsj.com/articles/empty-planet-review-a-drop-in-numbers-11549497631

The Thames Barrier must never fail. Here's why it doesn't.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY-XHAoVEeU

Although so much of London is near sea level, innovations such of this help to keep the city intact and running.

new-mississauga-hospital

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/new-mississauga-hospital-renderings

Thursday, December 09, 2021

Tilikum Crossing, Portland vs. the Burrard Bridge

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilikum_Crossing

https://trimet.org/tilikum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrard_Bridge

https://www.urbanyvr.com/burrard-bridge-pedestrian-cyclist-improvements

If Vancouver had just built a proper bike bridge, then the Burrard_Bridge could still have 6 lanes. The city would rather create more congestion by reducing an already narrow road network.

27-acre site next to Richmond Oval acquired for redevelopment

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/keltic-canada-development-richmond-oval-redevelopment

Las_Vegas and Boston have much taller buildings that are close to their airports.

https://www.urbanyvr.com/keltic-richmond-land-sale

However, little Richmond will likely continue to have short, stumpy buildings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Vancouver#Politics_and_government

Vancouver & Richmond could easily have Boston & LV size buildings close to YVR, but the small town BC mentality keeps getting in the way.


The Paradox Hotel Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/trump-tower-vancouver-paradox-hotel

A new name for the 2nd tallest building in the city.

https://www.urbanyvr.com/new-hotel-trump-tower-vancouver

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_International_Hotel_and_Tower_(Vancouver)


The current tallest is the Living_Shangri-La tower. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Shangri-La

This is the potential new tallest building in Vancouver.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/hudsons-bay-parkade-vancouver-holborn-group

https://www.urbanyvr.com/bay-parkade-redevelopment-concepts/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver#Tallest_buildings

November's extreme flooding will be most expensive disaster in BC history

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/novembers-extreme-flooding-most-costly-disaster-bc-history

Wednesday, December 08, 2021

Austin's Tallest Tower Rising Quickly

 https://www.planetizen.com/news/2021/12/115481-austins-tallest-tower-rising-quickly

Not just tall by Austin standards, but it would be among the tallest buildings in Houston & Dallas.

San Diego Trolley Extension Launch a 'Rousing Success'

 https://www.planetizen.com/news/2021/12/115487-san-diego-trolley-extension-launch-rousing-success

Unfortunately, Vancouver, BC was one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars or trams. Then, never followed up with a comprehensive road network. That doesn't mean to put freeways everywhere, but a good set of major streets & highways, with a provision for the return of trams.

Obviously, SD was able to do what Vancouver didn't. SD just wasn't a dense enough region to have something like BART or an LA Subway. Instead, SD allowed for the rebirth of its streetcars, in the form of a modern tram train or as its officially called, the SD trolley.

In contrast, stubborn Vancouver seems to be set to be one of the last cities to allow for the return of trams. Fortunately, Melbourne, Toronto, Boston & SF..., never totally got rid of theirs like Vancouver did.

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/San-Diego-MTS-off-to-promising-ridership-start-on-trolley-extension--65304

Vancouver's approved 2022 budget includes a 6.35% property tax hike

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-approved-2022-budget-property-tax-hike-635

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-city-council-votes-to-approve-climate-tax

As Vancouver continues to get even more expensive, you will still get more for your money if you live in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary & Edmonton...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-climate-emergency-action-plan-approved

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

B.C. fully reopens Highway 1 between Abbotsford and Hope

 https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-fully-reopens-highway-1-between-abbotsford-and-hope-1.5697980

BC has already been far behind constructing the level of infrastructure that's common in Quebec, Ontario & Alberta.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/money-bc-cost-catastrophic-flood-damage

So even after eventually recovering from all the flood damage, BC will still be lagging.


Opinion: Vancouver City Council needs to prioritize new rentals, not condos and houses

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-secured-rental-policy-srp-housing-affordability

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/seattle-vancouver-rental-housing

https://www.straight.com/news/1366756/andrey-pavlov-rental-housing-where-seattle-thrives-vancouver-stumbles-goodman-report

https://landlordbc.ca/rental-housing-where-seattle-thrives-vancouver-stumbles/

https://www.sightline.org/2017/08/14/why-seattle-builds-apartments-but-vancouver-bc-builds-condos/

Toronto is looking to build 100 km of brand new bike lanes across the city

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/toronto-add-100-km-new-bike-lanes

Unlike Vancouver, Toronto and most other real cities wont have to remove key traffic lanes. Indeed, unlike the Vancouver approach, most cities are able to construct bike lanes & bike bridges without having to reduce lanes for traffic. Of course in some cases its inevitable, but the Vancouver approach seems to be about creating more congestion. Just like having the first 2 Skytrain lines with only 80m stations, when the the Montreal Metro has 152m long stations. The 3rd line that goes to Richmond & the airport, only has a provision for 50m stations. Its another fine example of how Greater Vancouver refuses to properly plan for higher future capacity. 

The later half of the 20th century put an emphasis on personal cars, highways & freeways. Even the widest expressways will eventually get clogged up at times. So unless there is a comprehensive system of human powered vehicles, electric bikes as well as cars & buses & especially trams & trains, its gridlock.

Some see a future without any need or reason to have a personal motorized vehicle (PMV). However, that seems to be an extreme approach. A PMV just might not be as necessary with more affordable rental vehicles available. 

https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/115457-book-review-autonorama

Vancouver ranks 58th of top 100 destination cities around the world

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-city-ranking-58-out-of-100

That's the problem with the backwater BC mentality. Why have Skytrain stations longer than the underground Edmonton LRT stations or even at the same length as the Toronto subway stations? Vancouver really should have allowed a provision to have 500 foot or 152.5m stations like the Montreal Metro has. Vancouver opted to have narrow bridges so that it's almost impossible to have proper bus & HOV lanes. 

Fortunately, Vancouver, BC wasn't able to stop Seattle & Portland, Calgary & Edmonton from having a zoo within their city limits. Of course Vancouver made sure that it never had a proper big city zoo within its city limits like equally small Boston & San_Francisco did. Boston, SF & Vancouver are all less than 50 sq.mi. or 130 sq.km in area. Yet, those cities were allowed to do so much more than Vancouver.

The lack of proper big city museums & art galleries fits right in with the small city mentality of Vancouver.

Its as if there has been a multi-generational mentality to keep Vancouver small & backward since its early years.

"The first viaduct was completed in 1915, extending what was then called Harris St over the CPR Beatty St yards to connect to Georgia St.  At that time, Harris St was renamed East Georgia, and the viaduct called the Hart McHarg bridge, but it was more commonly called the Georgia Harris Viaduct.  It was poorly built and plagued by difficulties from the beginning; It was not uncommon to see sagging sections, timber propping it up, and concrete falling to the ground below.  In anticipation of the viaduct and the planned streetcar providing easy access to the city centre, apartments began popping up in the area in the preceding years, including the heritage building called the Jackson Apartments at 660 Jackson St/501 E Georgia.  Although a track was laid for the Georgia Streetcar to offer service across the viaduct, there were immediate concerns about its ability to hold the weight, and the plan was abandoned." https://www.placesthatmatter.ca/location/georgia-st-viaduct (A fine example of inept Vancouver planning & development. So many other cities were actually able to build a bridge for streetcars or trams, as well as cars & trucks. 

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/this-week-in-history-the-great-georgia-harris-viaduct-opens-in-1915 (Why properly build infrastructure for long-range durability & future capacity?)

https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/before-demolition-of-old-georgia-viaduct-30-9-70-4 If done properly, the original viaduct should have been built to be strong enough to have 6 lanes with 2 streetcar tracks & bike lanes. Then a lower deck provision for another rapid transit line with bike lanes. Fortunately, Vancouver wasn't able to stop other cities from getting rid of their streetcars or prevent the rebirth of tram trains.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Viaduct#Demolition Some people believed that with proper strengthening & maintenance, they could have remained for several more decades. Perhaps even past 2070.

https://thetyee.ca/News/2018/06/27/Vancouver-Inner-City-Slum-Clearance-Repair (While the cancellation of a freeway through East Vancouver was a good idea in the 1960s, since the 1970s viaducts were built, they should remain for several more decades.)

To allow Vancouver to have the infrastructure of Montreal or Seattle would mean to fully accept becoming a major metropolitan area. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champlain_Bridge_(Montreal,_2019-present) An 8 lane bride with a provision for a rapid transit train. https://dailyhive.com/montreal/montreal-light-rail-train-rem-video

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_90_floating_bridges Seattle has this as an 8 lane crossing with an LRT line as well. Unfortunately, such big city infrastructure just isn't allowed by the small city mentality of Vancouver.

If Vancouver, BC was allowed to become a major global city like Sydney, Australia or SF, California, the local power-structure would have to give up on its stunting agenda. 

A national power-structure has made sure that Canada has yet to even contain 0.005% of the worlds population. It just so happens that most of the world is non-white, but as long as Canada doesn't officially have a, KEEP THEM OUT agenda, the worlds 2nd largest nation won't even have 40 million people, when the world reaches 8 billion.

Friday, December 03, 2021

Stunning new elevated pathway through forest opens in West Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/west-vancouver-british-properties-mountain-path-trestle-bridge

Vancouver Translink-snow-plan

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-snow-plan

Getting ready for the return of crappy cold weather.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/alex-fraser-port-mann-bridge-cable-collar-ice-bombs

VIA rolling out brand new trains for Windsor-Quebec City route

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/via-rolling-out-brand-new-trains-for-windsor-quebec-city-route-photos

Of course no one in W.Can. seems to be seriously planing for a semi-high-speed passenger train loop that would go from Vancouver, BC to Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Prince George & back down to Vancouver. 

Then a prairie express train from Calgary to Winnipeg, with a few stops in between. Then a Toronto to Winnipeg express. It all just seems like pipe dreams, for now.

At least there is some initial high-speed train planning from Portland to Seattle & to Vancouver, BC. 


sfu-burnaby-fire-station-hall-location-campus

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/sfu-burnaby-fire-station-hall-location-campus

Wednesday, December 01, 2021

More rain is coming to British Columbia

After all these decades, planners are only now realizing that BC is notorious for heavy rain at times.

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/check-out-this-documentary-with-footage-from-the-1948-fraser-river-flood-video-4811000

Its not that the Trans-Canada_Highway in SW BC had to be all elevated through the Fraser_Valley_Regional_District. but it should have been on built up land.

 https://www.burnabynow.com/highlights/this-storm-is-not-over-with-more-rain-coming-british-columbians-evacuate-4819416

https://globalnews.ca/news/8417722/abbotsford-bc-flooding-latest-evacuations/

https://www.abbynews.com/news/evacuation-orders-and-alerts-issued-for-properties-on-sumas-mountain-in-abbotsford/

https://www.burnabynow.com/bc-news/new-evacuation-orders-needed-in-abbostford-but-mayor-confident-everything-has-been-done-to-keep-people-safe-4815270

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-floods-abbotsford-got-540-mm-of-rain-in-november-shattering-previous-record-1.5689844

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_1#Lower_Mainland_section

"The Interior section of Highway 1 is considered sub-standard when compared to other highways with similar traffic volume in the U.S. or other parts of Canada." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_1#Future

However, the inept highway has met the sub-standard requirements of BC for several decades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_1_between_Hope_and_Yale Just having the paved over equivalent of 2 wagon-roads was challenging enough for BC to attain. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/post-wildfire-report-warned-trans-canada-highway-at-risk-for-landslide-1.6258963

 Its difficult for BC to achieve a quality similar to that of Alberta, Ontario or Quebec...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/aerial-look-jackass-mountain-highway-1-closure

The mountains in Switzerland don't prevent good highways from being built.

Vancouver City Council approves 649 rental homes at SkyTrain Marine Drive Station

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ashley-mar-housing-co-operative-8495-cambie-street-vancouver-intracorp-oxford-properties

There should be Brentwood_Town_Centre or Coquitlam-size buildings around there, given the high land costs in Vancouver.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/396-southwest-marine-drive-vancouver

In Las_Vegas & Rio_de_Janeiro, they allow tall buildings much closer to the airport, simply because they aren't under Vancouver & Richmond type zoning and building restrictions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarran_International_Airport#/media/File:McCarran_Terminal_1(A,B).jpg

Look at how close the 40, 50 and 60 story buildings are to the McCarran_International_Airport_(Las_Vegas).

Its striking to see such high-rise development so close to the airport. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Las_Vegas_strip_panorama_1.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarran_International_Airport#/media/File:McDonnell_Douglas_MD-83_(DC-9-83),_Allegiant_Air_AN1531779.jpg


Of course Rio_de_Janeiro has never used its scenic setting to hold back the scale of the city to the extent that Vancouver has.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santos_Dumont_Airport#/media/File:Santos_Dumont_city_airport.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santos_Dumont_Airport#/media/File:Santos_Dumont_by_Diego_Baravelli.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacarepagu%C3%A1_Airport#/media/File:Aeroporto_de_Jacarepagu%C3%A1.jpg

Same Quebec City police officers repeatedly involved

 https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-city-police-probing-third-video-of-violent-altercation-same-officers-repeatedly-involved-1.5689535

Quebec_City could some day become a big city like Montreal.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/opposition-wants-independent-investigation-of-brutal-arrest-in-quebec-city

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-new-probe-after-second-violent-arrest-video-involving-quebec-city/

Of course people should be fairly treated in an y place.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-city-police-officers-suspended-1.6268340

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lawyer-of-black-man-detained-by-quebec-city-police-racial-profiling-1.6267046

https://www.britannica.com/topic/police/The-development-of-police-in-Canada

https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/police-ethics/

Once San Francisco's 'Grandest Boulevard,' Van Ness Almost Done With Another Makeover

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2021/11/115410-once-san-franciscos-grandest-boulevard-van-ness-almost-done-another-makeover (Certainly, there is a benefit to try to get more transportation efficiency out of a wide street.)

I have always been fascinated with wide streets. Wide streets have been around long before the motorways & freeways.


City of Vancouver planning to densify around SkyTrain's Renfrew and Rupert stations

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/renfrew-rupert-station-skytrain-area-plan

High-rise density makes sense around transit stations. 

350 cruise visits scheduled for Victoria in 2022, including the world's largest ships

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/victoria-bc-cruise-ship-season-2022

For some reason Victoria & BC in general, never seemed to build up its tourism industry as much as it could have in the good old days.

https://www.timescolonist.com/business/record-high-cruise-ship-visits-scheduled-for-2022-after-two-year-absence-4814620

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/350-cruise-trips-expected-to-return-to-victoria-in-2022-1.5687427

https://theprovince.com/news/local-news/cruise-ships-returning-to-victoria-after-two-year-absence/wcm/3a0bac41-43e5-4a6f-8d67-47edbd604b34

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/victoria-bc-port-3

The Butterfly tower in downtown Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/the-butterfly-first-baptist-church-restoration-revery-architecture

https://www.urbanyvr.com/first-baptist-church-renovation

https://www.urbanyvr.com/butterfly-westbank-first-baptist

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1059-1075-nelson-street-vancouver-tower-rezoning-approved

Although these 2 towers will be tall by Vancouver standards they will still be shorter than the Marina_City towers in Chicago. 

https://wikipedia/Marina_City "The complex consists of two 587-foot (179 m), 65-story apartment towers, opened in 1963..."

Why does that matter? Its just that what is considered big in Vancouver is usually small in other cities. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Chicago
The Marina City towers can just barely be seen in the middle top of this picture.

Monday, November 29, 2021

bike-lanes in-Toronto

 https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/11/people-upset-bike-lanes-toronto-are-already-total-mess-after-first-snowfall

https://dailyhive.com/toronto/toronto-first-snow-bike-lanes

https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/cycling-in-toronto/cycling-google-map/

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/braun-nearly-half-of-torontos-bike-lanes-get-failing-grade

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/bike-lanes-integral-to-global-movement-away-from-cars

Construction begins on major expansion of Electronic Arts' Burnaby campus

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/electronic-arts-burnaby-campus-expansion-construction

There are those that not only don't want traditional industrial jobs in BC, but not even high-tech jobs.

https://obj.ca/article/techopia/ottawa-climbs-top-10-ranking-north-american-tech-talent-hubs

https://dailyhive.com/toronto/toronto-tech-talent-top-ranking-north-america-report

There is no reason as to why Greater_Vancouver can't become a tech & business hub on the scale of Seattle.

Toronto's Eglinton Crosstown LRT

 https://dailyhive.com/toronto/eglinton-crosstown-lrt-opening-may-not-happen-2022

This looks like a cross between the Trams_in_Melbourne, the CTrain in Calgary & Edmonton_Light_Rail_Transit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Melbourne#D-class_(Combino)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CTrain#Rolling_stock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton_Light_Rail_Transit#Rolling_stock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_5_Eglinton#Rolling_stock

It will be interesting to see how it all turns out, eventually.

https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/11/eglinton-crosstown-lrt-finished/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_5_Eglinton#Eglinton_West_LRT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_5_Eglinton#Eglinton_East_LRT


Train lines can be constructed in such a way that there could be an allowance for future stations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_5_Eglinton#Grade-separated_station_plan_(2019-present)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_rail_transit_in_Canada#Calgary

Another Weather warning expanded for Metro Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-rainfall-warning-prolonged