Streetscape Enhancement

OK, which streetscape looks and feels better?

a) walking alongside this parking garage in Ottawa’s Byward Market area

or

b) walking nearby to shops like these as folks get ready for Canada Day 150?

If you chose b, you get a civic award for good citizenry.

Not only is it a more lively streetscape, it’s safer too to have windows-on-the-world (frequent piercings of the built form) like this. 

It obviously generates more economic activity and more property taxes for cities as well. 

So I asked myself, “If I was designing a parking garage, why not give it a ribbon of stores and restaurants around its base?”

More animation for cities.

More dough for the landowners too.

Less priority for cars (even though behind the facade of stores, there would be parking spaces…)

Just saying.

Prof Bruce

Bruce M Firestone, B Eng (civil), M Eng-Sci, PhD, ROYAL LePAGE Performance Realty broker, Ottawa Senators founder, Real Estate Investment and Business coach 1-613-762-8884 bruce.firestone@century21.ca twitter.com/ProfBruce profbruce.tumblr.com/archive brucemfirestone.com

MAKING IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE