https://globalnews.ca/news/11114359/state-of-downtown-report/
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Canary Wharf, London
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Wharf
https://canarywharf.com/living/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Dogs#Society
https://offices.canarywharf.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Tower_Hamlets#Geography
https://canarywharf.com/the-estate/
https://www.propertyinsidelondon.com/chinese-get-greenlight-for-67-floor-canary-wharf-resi-tower/
Just another stump in Swiss Cottage, London, UK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Cottage#Urban_development
https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/24198051.new-owner-pledges-finish-swiss-cottage-tower-block/
https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/regal-to-increase-numbers-of-homes-in-proposed-24-storey-block-to-make-scheme-viable/5131568.article Not 48, only 24 floors.
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/government-approves-contentious-grid-tower
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcots_Estate Only 23 stories, not 46.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Cottage#Transport
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Power outages persist in hard-hit areas after Ontario ice storm
Its suppose to be spring.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/central-ontario-power-restoration-timelines/
Unfortunatly, not everyone has a home power generator.
https://poweroutage.com/ca/province/ontario
https://weather.gc.ca/data/wxoimages/wocanmap0_e.jpg There is nothing like being stuck in a freezing part of Canada without any electric power.
Short Trains and Stations 40-100m
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_Rail_Italy_Driverless_Metro#Rolling_stock
The line uses 256 ft (78 m) four-car train sets, each with the capacity to carry nearly 800 passengers,[213] similar in weight to heavy rail systems elsewhere in the United States (such as the Chicago 'L' in Chicago, Illinois). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Rolling_stock
The articulated, four-car trains are 50 metres (160 ft) long. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki_Metro#Stations,_depot_and_rolling_stock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Light_Rail#Current_fleet LRT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MetroLink_(St._Louis)#Rolling_stock
Monday, March 31, 2025
New Westminster City Council balks at high-rise density plan
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/lower-twelfth-street-area-study-update-new-westminster-rejection
Given the limited industrial areas within the Greater Vancouver Region, there should be a balance between residential & industrial.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/columbia-square-new-westminster-edgar-development-plan-approved
However, some parts of NW need more taller towers in order to have much grater urban density.
https://www.newwestcity.ca/transportation/transportation-planning
https://www.newwestcity.ca/planning-building-and-development/roadworks
https://www.newwestcity.ca/transportation/trucks
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Friday, March 28, 2025
PM Carney pushes nation building plan after 'positive' call with Trump
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/crown-canada/about.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_General_of_Canada#Role
https://sencanada.ca/en/sencaplus/how-why/what-is-dissolution-of-parliament/
https://www.britannica.com/event/Canada-Act
At some point the training wheels should be removed so that Canada can become fully independent of the UK, as well as never being absorbed by the US.
Maple Ridge planning transit-oriented development around future Bus Rapid Transit line
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/lougheed-transit-corridor-area-plan-maple-ridge-translink-brt
The Golden_Ears_Bridge should have been built with 2 wide shoulders, which could have eventually become 2 bus lanes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Ears_Bridge
The Pitt_River_Bridge also should have had 2 wide shoulders, so that they easily could have become bus lanes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_River_Bridge
Most of the existing bridges are too narrow, so there needs to be a regional framework of bus-bridges.
Western Canada's future tallest tower in Metro Vancouver
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pinnacle-lougheed-burnaby-office-condo-use-revisions-tower
Living in BC & especially in Vancouver, you are conditioned to expect almost everything to be watered-down or half-assed. So, for Greater Vancouver to potentially have the tallest building in Western Canada, will be quite an achievement. Since a wall couldn't be built around BC, especially the Lower_Mainland to keep people out, the next best thing was to symbolically build half-size or half-assed infrastructure. In contrast, by building proper big city infrastructure, that's indicative of wanting to accommodate growth.
Decades ago, there should have already been a bus & HOV tunnel built near the Lions+Gate+Bridge. Then followed up with a truck & passenger train tunnel. Unfortunatly, the Canada+Line doesn't seem to be planned to ever reach W. Vancouver & especially, Horseshoe+Bay. That might actually help to improve regional transportation, which is quite lacking in backwater BC.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Toronto councillors give themselves gigantic raises of 24%
"On Thursday evening, Shelley Carroll urged her colleagues to “be brave” and vote “to go right on chronically underpaying yourselves” — only now, they’ll be underpaid at just $170,588.60 a year.
“These are hard times, these are desperately hard times, and we need the best in the city to want to join us in this chamber,” an emotional Carroll said before councillors voted 15-8 to lift their salaries from $137,537." https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/be-brave-toronto-councillors-give-themselves-gigantic-raises
A lot of people would be happy if they got a 5% pay increase, a 10% increase above the past year would be amazing. However, the hard done by city councilors might be able to scrape by with a 24% increase. A pretax monthly income of $14,215 is pretty good pay, if you can get that, but many people don't.
A promise for new 50-metre pool in South Vancouver?
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/abc-new-50-metre-pool-aquatic-centre-south-vancouver
It's strange that several decades ago, extra space wasn't set aside for more pools as well as expansion of existing facilities. Unfortunatly, Vancouver & BC in general, has such difficulty in properly planning infrastructure for more future capacity.
https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/swimming-pools.aspx
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
How Expo 88 changed Brisbane forever and for the better
World_Expo_88 didn't just help to put Brisbane on the map, it was quite a catalyst for Brisbane.
https://bie-paris.org/site/en/latest/blog/entry/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-expo-1988-brisbane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88#The_Fair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88#Legacy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railways_in_South_East_Queensland#Future
"six-car passenger trains" https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/programs/queensland-train-manufacturing-program Fortunatly, the BC mentality wasn't able to reach & influence Queensland. A 6 car urban train is what Vancouver should have had decades ago. The Montreal Metro was designed to have 9 car trains, ever since the 1960s. Vancouver really needs 10 car trains, but its tough enough just to eventually run 5 car trains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busways_in_Brisbane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_Point_Green_Bridge For some strange reason, Vancouver and the metropolitan region, never got around to building a series of similar bridges. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Schonell_Bridge A nice bus-bridge for Brisbane, Calgary has its version, but of course Vancouver is very slow to building any bus-bridges. Apparently, its better to just funnel everything onto a narrow bridge that's already overloaded with general traffic flow.
History of Expo 86 in Vancouver
http://bobbea.com/expo-86/history.html
Seattle, Montreal and Brisbane, all seemed to make a giant urban leap after their turn of hosting a world's fair. Yet, somehow after Expo-86, Vancouver was still so hemmed in as to what it could do after hosting a World Expo. Short trains, mostly narrow bridges for general traffic, no bus-bridges and a stumpy building height limit, all fit into the slow-growth agenda. Of course several decades later, it was realized that neither Greater Vancouver or BC in general, could build a wall or generate a force-field to keep people out. However, by continually building half-size infrastructure, that at least symbolically shows how urban planners can ignore the demands of properly building for future growth. The big question is, where has the money for proper size urban infrastructure gone over the decades?
https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1980/expo-86 The unofficial inside joke for Expo 86, was to not provide proper long-range transportation planning & development of infrastructure. Today, Vancouver is one of the best examples of what not to do if you want to have an efficient, high capacity transportation system.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/expo-86
https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/expo-legacy-science-world
The scale of Seattle, Montreal and Brisbane in the 2020s is so far beyond Vancouver & its restrictive agenda, of red tape & Gordian-knots.
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
Interesting that the Olympic_Winter_Institute_of_Australia wasn't located in Hobart, rather than in Melbourne. Of course Melbourne is so much larger.
https://www.owia.org/ https://www.olympics.com.au/the-aoc/olympic-winter-institute-of-australia/
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
The Queensland Government announced that the nation of Australia will see a new National Aquatic Centre (NAC)
https://swimswam.com/new-national-aquatic-centre-nac-will-host-swimming-more-for-2032-olympic-games
The+Brisbane+Aquatic+Centre is already so far beyond the old & the new watered down Vancouver+Aquatic+Centre.
The Brisbane Aquatic Centre
Better make sure that no one from Vancouver, BC sees what Brisbane was already able to accomplish.
Of course, the watering down mentality of Vancouver is unlikely to ever reach Brisbane.
- "three new pools, including two large indoor pools (50m and 65m) that would act as a national base to support multiple aquatic sports" https://swimswam.com/new-national-aquatic-centre-nac-will-host-swimming-more-for-2032-olympic-games
- https://www.swimming.org.au/articles/renewed-call-for-nac-only-a-national-aquatics-centre-will-guarantee-2032-legacy
- https://giica.au/about/venues-and-villages/brisbane-aquatic-centre
Vancouver Aquatic Centre rebuild will not have a 50 metre lap pool, after all
Why build things to an impressive international scale like Brisbane is doing?
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.669870 Small-scale Vancouver just has to build things that are only impressive to backwater BC.
Fortunately, The+Brisbane+Aquatic+Centre didn't have the same Vancouver B$ to contend with.
If you are from Brisbane & plan to visit Vancouver, you might at first expect to see a city on the scale of Sydney or SF, or at least Seattle or Perth. Instead, you will see a provincial backwater of a city.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Vancouver+Aquatic+Centre
City of Vancouver proposes huge residential project near Science World
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1405-main-street-1510-quebec-street-vancouver-rental-housing-towers
Despite being right next to a train station, these buildings will be 30-40 floors shorter than what they should be. Real dynamic cities such as, Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-SF-Boston-and-Toronto can build on a grand scale, because they aren't thwarted by anything like the overlapping restrictions that backwards Vancouver has imposed for generations.
Not 50m, just 25-metres for new Vancouver Aquatic Centre pool
A report to the Vancouver Park Board is splashing cold water on a community campaign to ensure a 50-metre pool is included in a rebuild of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.
The report, headed to the board next Monday, says the city should proceed as planned with a smaller 25-metre pool. https://globalnews.ca/news/11095576/vancouver-aquatic-centre-50-metre
This is backwards Vancouver thinking & planning at its best.
https://globalnews.ca/news/11027649/sports-groups-slam-pool-design-new-vancouver-aquatic-centre/
Monday, March 24, 2025
First residents could move into Senakw's first rental housing tower by the end of 2025
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/senakw-vancouver-squamish-nation-construction-march-2025
This area should have had the tallest buildings in Vancouver. However, litle Vancouver isn't allowed to have buildings as tall as some in Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-SF-Boston-and-Toronto. While Vancouver remains so strict and restrictive, some the areas outside of, and around Vancouver, are allowing taller buildings. Thus, not only Burnaby, but eventually Surrey will have taller buildings than what Vancouver permits.
Vancouver and Seattle differences, again
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-seattle-differences
Seattle is allowed to have longer trains than Vancouver, but the Link_Light_Rail isn't completely separated from the surface streets like SkyTrain is. Thus SkyTrain always has the potential to run more frequently. There is a lot of potential to eventually run a Link_light_rail train every few minutes during the busy times. Its just a matter of having enough extra trains. SkyTrain needs to be longer & even more frequent when necessary.
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Public transit advocates to rally Sunday to save BC Lower Mainland bus routes
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/03/22/lower-mainland-public-transit-rally-burnaby-metrotown/
The region is already thwarted with short trains & a lack of bus-bridges. Of course the next best thing to increase urban congestion & degrade public transit, is to cut some bus routes.
The Guess Who - Bus Rider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcWQ0utym4I
Friday, March 21, 2025
Bold annexation plans could push Vancouver, WA city’s population beyond Spokane and Tacoma
https://mynorthwest.com/local/vancouver-second-largest-city-wa/4065389
Tacoma is part of the Greater Seattle Area. Spokane is far enough east that it already is the biggest city & commercial center for Eastern Washington. So some day there should be over a million people over there.
Vancouver, WA is part of the Greater Portland Area, and has lots of potential for growth. Perhaps someday Vancouver might have buildings as tall as those in Portland. Ultimately, V,WA should have buildings as tall as the tallest in Bellevue,_Washington.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Riverside Centre, Brisbane and QV1, Perth
https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=1097 40floors, 466ft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Centre,_Brisbane "Completed in 1986, it contains 40 storeys and rises 146 metres (479 ft) above ground." https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=170&searchname=timeline , https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=170&status=15
Brisbane and Perth have a similar looking office tower.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QV1 "QV1 is a 40-storey modernist skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. Completed in 1991, the 163-metre (535 ft)..."
https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=1263 40 floors, 533ft https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=168&searchname=timeline
The big question is, will WA ever permit some Gold Coast size resedential towers? https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=712&status=15
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=51&status=15
While cold Canada has a lot more towns that could gradually be expanded into proper cities, the warm coast of WA has tremendous potential for urban growth. Yet, most of the state can or will likely remain undeveloped.
The Vancouver Size Stump
Given that most proper big cities around the world are permitted to build much taller buildings than what is allowed in strict & stubborn Vancouver, a curious thing has happened over the decades. When a tall tower is built in another city, next to it will be a Vancouver size stump of a building. However, the Vancouver stump isn't always part of the complex, The Vancouver Size Stump might be across the street or a block away. Yet, such a stumpy building can provide an excellent example of the larger scale that most big cities are allowed to exist upon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Centre_(Vancouver) "The skyscraper stands at just under 145m tall and 37 storeys. Royal Centre was the tallest building in Vancouver upon completion in 1973..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Canadian_Place The windows go up to 72 stories, plus a few levels above that. The BMO in TO is about twice the height of the RBC in Vancouver.
A Vancouver Size stump in tall Toronto.
A Vancouver Size Stump in Perth, WA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange_Tower,_Perth It's a 40-storey skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. Completed in 1992, the 146-metre (479 ft). Stubborn Vancouver just won't permit any office building to have a 40th floor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/140_St_Georges_Terrace "140 St Georges Terrace is a 30-storey skyscraper in Perth, Western Australia. Opened in 1975, the 131-metre (430 ft) tower was known as the AMP Building..."
.jpg/640px-Elizabeth_Quay_February_2016_(cropped).jpg)
Vancouver is a very tiny part of the BC land area. Even in the Greater Vancouver Region, Vancouver is a small component. Thus, while stubborn Vancouver wants to keep its stumpy agenda, other BC cities are more accepting of significantly taller growth. https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?stateID=1&status=15
BMO Tower in Chicago and Toronto...
A Toronto bank tower exists in Chicago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMO_Tower_(Chicago) 51-story, 727 feet (222 m)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Union_Station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Canadian_Place (BMO Tower Toronto) 298 m (978 ft) 72 stories
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Canadian_Place#History_and_architecture
"Exchange_Tower is a 36 storey 146 m (479 ft) tower in the First Canadian Place complex."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentall_Centre_(Vancouver)#Three_Bentall_Centre "Completed in 1974, it stands at 122 m or 32 storeys tall. Bank of Montreal is the main tenant of this building."
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Vancouver developer pitches 43- and 39-storey towers next to Commodore Ballroom
Of course, nothing to rival the tallest in Edmonton or Calgary & especially not Seattle, SF & Sydney, NSW.
https://rezoning.vancouver.ca/applications/800-876-granville-st/revised-introduction.pdf
Revamped 800 Granville proposal drops offices for rental housing and hotel uses
A taller version of 800+Granville, but still stumps when compared to what many other cities allow.
https://storeys.com/bonnis-properties-800-granville-revised-rezoning/
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Gordie Howe International Bridge
https://www.blogto.com/city/2025/03/gordie-howe-international-bridge-ontario-trade-war/
https://dailyhive.com/toronto/gordie-howe-bridge-canada-border-crossing-trade-war
https://www.gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge
Fortunately, no one from Vancouver or NW was able to get it to be like a 4 lane BC bottleneck bridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#Design
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#Interstate_75
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#Walking_and_cycling
unité urbaine - urban unit
An Urban_unit is an area that should always be keeping up with various urban infrastructure needs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_urban_area
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_unit#French_urban_units_with_over_200,000_inhabitants
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_urban_area#List_of_functional_urban_areas_by_population
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_in_Europe#Metropolitan_areas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom#Demographics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany#Demographics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cities#List
Canada has less than 1% of the worlds population. BC has less people than Switzerland. Yet, the area of Switzerland can fit into BC 23 times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_in_British_Columbia#Metropolitan_areas
Monday, March 17, 2025
Granville bar owners demand immediate action ahead of FIFA
There seems to be an unofficial, LET THE CITY GO TO $HIT attitude. That's especially the case with Granville Mall and Gastown.
https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/share-your-thoughts-on-granville-street-feb-2025.aspx
The city & region desperately needs thousands of new hotel rooms. Yet, the extreme height limits in Vancouver doesn't allow developers to put 30-40 floors on top of a 30-40 story hotel. Some cities can get enough steady business that a hotel can be over 70 stories.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Peachtree_Plaza_Hotel Atlanta
The Marina_Bay_Sands in Singapore was possible, because nothing like the Vancouver building restrictions gets in the way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Bay_Sands#Expansion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JW_Marriott_Marquis_Dubai
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_hotels#Completed_or_topped_out
The Case of Some Buildings That Couldn’t Be Bought and Torn Down
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holdout_(real_estate)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Macefield#House
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2024/04/09/Del-Mar-Hotel-Vancouver
https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/del-mar-inn
https://changingvancouver.wordpress.com/2016/08/22/kingston-hotel-richards-street/
https://changingcitybook.wordpress.com/2016/05/28/telus-the-residential-tower/
https://www.canadianarchitect.com/complexity-contradiction-telus/
https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/development-permit-board-minutes-feb-20-12.pdf
https://www.canadianarchitect.com/complexity-contradiction-telus/
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/telus-garden-residential-tower/14081
Of course at least half a dozen floors were cut from the project.
https://vancouverstreetblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/with-news-that-all-428-units-have-sold.html
Some gas, hydro or electric company office towers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Company_Tower It has 52-stories, at 749 ft (228.3 m).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Gas_%26_Electric_Building It has 34 stories, at 150 m (490 ft).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Power_and_Light_Building
I wish that the old BC_Electric_Building had at least 44 stories, but it only has 22 floors.
Even today, it would be a big building if it were in Victoria-Prince+George-or-Kamloops.
https://changingvancouver.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/homer-street-500-block-east-side/
https://ounodesign.com/2010/12/03/bc-hydro-building-now-and-then/
BC_Hydro never got very tall buildings constructed.
https://karen-magill.blogspot.com/search?q=The+BC+Hydro+building
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC_Hydro#History
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-hydro-rates-increase-2025
https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/province-launches-bc-hydro-review-8253022
Vancouver is stuck in a multigenerational trap of overlapping restrictions, which prevent it from reaching the scale of what Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-SF-Boston-and-Toronto permit. As long as Vancouver can do things that are impressive by Kelowna-Victoria-Prince+George-and-Kamloops standards, that's good enough, apparently.
Parts of Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills will be closed for LA Metro's D Line extension
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/wilshire-boulevard-beverly-hills-la-metro-d-line-extension
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/traffic/wilshire-boulevard-beverly-hills-metro/3656285/
https://www.metro.net/projects/westside/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_Line_Extension
https://www.metro.net/projects/purple-section1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilshire/La_Brea_station
https://www.parsons.com/project/westside-purple-line-extension-section-one-los-angeles
https://la.curbed.com/2017/8/17/16163326/purple-line-extension-wilshire-la-brea-photos
Saturday, March 15, 2025
B.C. government to abolish its carbon tax after 17 years
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-carbon-tax-abolish
The carbon tax was mostly another sad B$ joke in the history of backwards BC! Such a carbon tax should have gone towards the transportation infrastructure in the most populated parts of BC. Backwater BC has been so far behind in resolving transportation bottlenecks for several generations. Thus, an infrastructure carbon tax could have really improved things.
Instead, after 17 years, Greater Vancouver is still struggling to have a proper regional network of bus+lanes. In order the have such a proper regional BRT network, there has to be a series of bus-bridges and that hasn't happened yet. Most of the existing bridges are so narrow that there was no consideration for bus lanes, let alone HOV lanes.
The two SkyTrain bridges don't have 2 bus-lanes, despite the lines not being open 24-7. The first SkyBridge doesn't even have 2 sidewalks & 2 bike-lanes. However, the 2nd bridge has a shared bike & footpath, but there should be 2 of each.
The first 2 SkyTrain lines have stations that are barely half the length of a Montreal Metro station. The Canada embarrassment Line only has 50m station vs. the 152.5m Montreal Metro stations. Having half-length & one 3rd length stations is not indicative of planning for high volume rapid transit. But this is half-assed BC, so apparently its OK.
Where did all the money go? Evidently, not enough of it went towards the transportation infrastructure, because almost everything is still half-size, or worse.
Friday, March 14, 2025
Big payment approved to remove social housing in a future Vancouver tower
The city & region has to work out a way so that there can be more affordable housing built. Unfortunately, little provincial Vancouver with all its extreme height restrictions make things more difficult. If a developer can actually build a Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Toronto size tower, if they also build an affordable housing structure, that can make a big difference in motivation. However, Vancouver has been a multigenerational trap which prevents it from becoming a proper city.
City of Surrey to plan for new waterfront entertainment district next to Pattullo Bridge
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-waterfront-entertainment-district-fraser-river-study
A lot of potential, but there shouldn't be any scaling back of the riverport facilities.
Unfortunatly, for several generations, there wasn't a keen sense to properly develop the Surrey side of the river. NW never pushed for more bridges over the past few generations.
No 10 car trains to Surrey, but at least there is a hope of 5 car trains. No 8-10 lane bridges, because it's better to just omit bus & HOV lanes on the new version of the narrow Pattullo+Bridge. So narrow that at only 4 lanes, there isn't enough width to accomodate 2 bus lanes & 2 HOV lanes & certainly no provision for a future lower LRT deck.
Unfortunatly, the Queensborough_Bridge in NW has only 2 lanes each way & no emergency lanes. Had there been 2 wide emergency lanes, the bridge could have become a 6 lane crossing. A new parallel bridge with wider sidewalks & 2 bike lanes, could also provide 2 general traffic lanes, a bus lane & a HOV lane & the same for the old bridge, minus any bike lanes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensborough_Bridge Apparently, it's better to just keep funneling everything into one narrow 4 lane bridge. There is no direct train from NW to the airport, so a direct bus with its own lanes to YVR would be a good idea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensboro_Bridge The NYC version has 9 lanes.
Former city-centre-motel-at 2111-Main-street-in Vancouver, redevelopment is approved
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/city-centre-motel-2111-main-street-vancouver-redevelopment-approved
Despite being on the edge of the downtown, only half-size buildings were approved.
Massive Jericho Lands development will be 20-times denser than its neighbourhood
https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/massive-jericho-lands-development-will-be-20-times-denser-than-its-neighbourhood-architect-says
Once again, what might seem big by backwater BC standards is small or average in some parts of Australia.
None of the tallest buildings on the Jericho Lands will be as tall as the tallest in, Parramatta, NSW.
Thursday, March 13, 2025
What’s next for the Hudson’s Bay flagship store in downtown Vancouver?
Despite Vancouver_City_Centre_station being right across the street from The Bay store, it's much smaller than Churchill_station_(Edmonton) and Seattle's Westlake_station_(Sound_Transit). Having short trains, narrow streets & mostly narrow bridges, all helps to maintain Vancouver's congestive planning approach to things.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Bay+Building+in+Vancouver
City National Plaza in L.A.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_National_Plaza 52 stories at CNP.
Several decades later, Vancouver would have The+Post, which doesn't even have 25 floors.
Bankers Hall in Calgary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankers_Hall 52 stories, but The+Post in stumpy Vancouver wasn't even permitted to have 25 floors, let alone 50.
The Post in Vancouver
The+Post should have been the first 4-5 million sq.ft. complex in Vancouver. However, due to the rainy cities watering down agenda, it's only 1.9 million sq.ft. Thus, instead of being in the 55-60 story range, it wasn't even permitted to have 25 floors.
https://www.mcmparchitects.com/projects/the-post-on-georgia-archived
Not only did The-Post-on-Georgia Street have to be shorter than Toronto's small Simpson-Tower, The Post had to be shorter than the Old+City+Hall+in+Toronto.
https://storeys.com/quadreal-graeme-scott-the-post-vancouver-heritage-revitalization-amazon
https://thepostvancouver.com/experience While its a nice looking structure, its amazing how short the complex is.
While one side of Manulife+Centre+in+Toronto was Vancouverized with a stump of less than 25 stories, the other side of the complex has more than 50 floors.
If you are visiting from Calgary or Montreal and especially Toronto, you might be shocked to see how short the buildings are in Vancouver.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Post+in+Vancouver
The Old City Hall and The Simpson Tower in Toronto
The Old_City_Hall opened in 1899 at a height of 103.64 m (340.0 ft).
The Simpson_Tower opened in 1968. It has 33 floors and is 144 m (472 ft) high. It would be equivalent to being the tallest building in BC until 1973. Even in 2025, most office towers in Vancouver aren't allowed to be taller than this 1968 Toronto stump.
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/simpson-tower/4195
Not only did The+Post+in+Vancouver have to be shorter than the Toronto Simpson Tower and the L.A. City Hall, it had to be shorter than the Old City Hall in Toronto. Now that's very small, but it fits in with the small-minded Vancouver mentality. Indeed, Vancouverization is about a backward, rainy city that has a multigenerational agenda to water everything down. Even the mountains north of Vancouver are shorter than the mountains north of L.A.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
10 busiest of the 145 bus routes that could be cut without new TransLink funding
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-fiscal-cliff-bus-routes-at-risk
This is so stupid! Why even bother to have a BC carbon tax, if it's not going towards improving public transit in BC? Busses & routes should be increased, not reduced. There should be a regional network of bus-bridges, which can bypass the congested narrow bridges. There should be long trains that are part of a long-term, high capacity plan.
Vancouver is Canada's top hotel market
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-canada-hotel-market-us-visitors-tariffs-impact
"Without major policy changes, the number of hotel rooms in Vancouver will continue to stagnate, making it harder and more expensive to visit the city.
If the City is serious about addressing Vancouver’s hotel shortage, it needs to introduce real incentives to make hotel development attractive.
The City must allow condominiums to be integrated into hotel developments, providing an essential financial cushion for developers. At the same time, building height restrictions need to be relaxed — without taller buildings, there’s not enough strata residential use to subsidize hotel construction." https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-hotel-room-shortage-crisis-solutions
The One in Toronto is soon to become Canada's tallest building
https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-toronto/2025/03/one-toronto-canada-tallest-building
In order to provide a sense of scale, a couple of short bindings in the area are referenced. These small buildings would be among the tallest in stumpy Vancouver.
Two_Bloor_West is like a classic Vancouver stump building, but in Toronto.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Bloor_West#History In 1972, it was already taller than any building in BC at, 148.74 m (488.0 ft) with 34 stories. Even in 2025, its equivalent to being the 2nd tallest office tower in Vancouver & BC.
2_Bloor_East opened in 1974 at 135 m (443 ft) with 35 stories. It would still be among the 10 tallest office towers in Vancouver. However, in Toronto its just another stump of a building.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Bloor_East#History
Even The+Simpson+Tower from 1968, would still be among the tallest office towers in Vancouver. Yet, it's just another stump in Toronto.
Vancouver just isn't allowed to have buildings as tall as those in Seattle & Calgary, Toronto & Montreal or LA & SF. However, stumpy Vancouver is allowed to build what would be impressive by Victoria-Prince+George-Kamloops standards. Its all part of the backwards Vancouver and think small BC mentality.
If you can't build a wall around BC, the next best thing is to constantly remind everyone with imposed small-scale symbolism. Unfortunatly now, BC is several decades behind with its infrastructure.
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