Revitalization

'Why Would You Have the Main Street in your City as a Highway?'

By RTH Staff
Published June 08, 2012

this blog entry has been updated

Paul Wilson of CBC Hamilton accompanied Nathan Ward, an Edinburgh-based architect and urban designer, on a walk around Hamilton's downtown.

You'll never guess what Ward pointed out as the major obstacles to urban revitalization.

"Do you really need four lanes?" he asks, while we stand at Cannon, waiting for all that noisy westbound traffic to pass. Most cities, he says, are starting to realize the car's been king long enough.

Another pain point:

Hamilton would also have to do something about the traffic around King and James, he says. We're on the sidewalk and shouting at each other to be heard. "Why would you have the main street in your city as a highway?" Ward asks.

The view from the top of Stelco Tower:

Ward looks north, south, east, west and decides this city has too many parking lots. "They leave holes in the community."

And finally, Hamilton's neglected heritage buildings:

He suggests we look after our old architecture. "You get rid of history, you get rid of the soul of the place."

Do we really need to be told any more times what we're doing wrong before we decide we can no longer afford to put off doing something about it?

Update: updated to fix a copy-pasta error in the last block quotation. You can jump to the changed paragraph.

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By CouldaWouldaShoulda (anonymous) | Posted June 08, 2012 at 11:04:37

"Do we really need to be told any more times what we're doing wrong before we decide we can no longer afford to put off doing something about it?"

Nope.

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By This is engaged? (anonymous) | Posted June 08, 2012 at 11:56:15

Do we really need to be told any more times what we're doing wrong before we decide we can no longer afford to put off doing something about it?
No we don't. Everyone involved on both sides of the issue have heard but not listened. We need slower traffic, wider pedestrian walkways, bike lanes, good reliable transit and an end to demolition by neglect. Lets everyone put aside ideology and address those issues in a way that addresses everyone's needs without prejudice

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By This is Engaged is Allan Taylor? (anonymous) | Posted June 08, 2012 at 12:32:58 in reply to Comment 78181

Oh good, concern trolling. "Everyone involved on both sides of the issue have heard but not listened." Nice try Allan but you're a superhero at not listening and drowning everyone else out.

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By jason (registered) | Posted June 08, 2012 at 13:02:53

Wow...so I guess Ryan must have kidnapped Mr Ward before he arrived in town and brainwashed him as to what ails Hamilton's heart....like he's been doing with every other expert who has visited for the past 20 years. Well done Ryan.

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By Urgh (anonymous) | Posted June 08, 2012 at 13:41:47

"Edinburgh"

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By Cache Money (anonymous) | Posted June 08, 2012 at 14:00:46

Would that Hamilton was home the second busiest railway station in the country (in Edinburgh's case, the 25-acre Waverley, used by 19 million annually), linked to a dozen or so stations across the city. Our city fathers might have chosen another route. Alas.

Edinburgh is a fair bit more compact than Hamilton, but we have similar dreams:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-16113262

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By Curious Is All (anonymous) | Posted June 08, 2012 at 15:57:02

Is that final pull quote a riff on demolition by neglect or just a duff cut-and-paste?

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By Gepetto (anonymous) | Posted June 12, 2012 at 07:43:46

http://stop100.ca/

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