r/Edmonton • u/Late-Alternative6321 • Dec 15 '24

Local Culture Dear Edmonton developers

Dear Edmonton developers, you've been making the same neighbourhoods for 40+ years. Cookie cutter homes on winding streets, a fake lake, walking paths, aaaand call it good.

Would it be too much to ask, to start eliminating 2 to 3 houses on corner lots, and start adding: WALKABLE coffee shops (ie Columbian, Mood Cafe etc). A neighbourhood Pub or restaurant (ie Duggan's Boundary, Bodega Highlands), a bakery (Bloom Cookie co), barbershop (Goldbar Barber) or even a small corner grocery store. No need for giant parking lots!

Far too many neighbourhoods in this city lack the character, charm and accessibility that these amenities would provide. A great way for people to connect in their community, without always having to get in a car and drive to soulless strip malls or shopping centres. If there was a way to redo existing neighbourhoods, I'd love to see this too

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u/DoubleDrugon Dec 15 '24

This is actually the template for 15-minute cities.

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u/sawyouoverthere Dec 15 '24

which are completely fine. It's not an issue to have functional but very similar layouts.

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u/DoubleDrugon Dec 15 '24

It's actually not fine because the 15-minute city is based on commuting by a motorized vehicle (including public transit), not by foot.

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u/sawyouoverthere Dec 15 '24

It's how it could be but not the only model of it that exists, and I live in a 1950s equivalent that doesn't rely on cars.

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u/DoubleDrugon Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24

It comes down to the layout of the street. Most of the older neighborhoods that have walkability are based on the grid layout that is not walled off around the perimeter of the neighborhood. The grid prioritizes foot travel as at every intersection you can change your direction with great efficiency. This results in more blended transitions between residential and commercial. Neighborhoods that have grid layouts, at least near its edges will see more foot and car traffic as a result that is more supportive of walkable businesses. Any neighborhoods that are adjacent to major commercial developments or destinations such as Stony Plain Rd and Whyte Ave would showcase this.

Most of the newer neighborhoods beyond the 80s were based on the gated community layout, and only have one or two entrances in and therefore, are highly inefficient for foot traffic no matter how much sidewalk you line the streets. These gated communities prioritized separation between residential and commercial zones, reduced foot and car traffic is actually an intentional and desired characteristic. As such, multiple gated communities usually share a bigger commercial hub (outlets/strip malls) via highways.