Downtown Arena Part 2: Update

Cartoon in the Edmonton Journal about the future of the arena

The Edmonton Arena. Will it increase activity and life in downtown Edmonton? Like most cities, Edmonton is struggling to keep up with the public demand for a denser downtown. People want to live there, but there isn’t enough housing to meet demand, and most jobs are located outside of the downtown. People would have to commute out of downtown to work everyday. It appears the suburban movement has done a complete 180 turn-around! Those in the suburbs want to live the urban life. This is also evident in Sydney on a larger scale. The new hockey arena – also meant to support concerts and other shows – is part of the grand plan to consolidate the downtown. Although, after years and years of trying to move forward. As of 15 May the arena deal was done. Articles in the city’s leading news paper The Edmonton Journal shift their focus to who will run for mayor in October, how much this new arena will actually cost tax payers compared to the cost of maintaining it’s current one. A tiny paragraph at the end of this article comments on the arena’s promise of a “new downtown,” although other articles say the arena’s promise of improving the downtown must wait still.

Western side of the winning arena design for downtown Edmonton

One thing is true though; Edmonton will need a new arena sooner than later. Inner city land is available, so why not use it for the new arena. Despite changing opinions in the planning world about arenas, saving or not saving downtowns remains to be answered in Edmonton. Although it appears the urban processes of energy flow throughout the city were dismissed for a really pretty looking arena building. Another band-aid on the compact city problem where form ignores process.

Edmonton Journal article on the final arena deal

Image:

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/index.html

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/01/18/good-vibrations-on-edmontons-downtown-arena/

Shanghai

Some thoughts on social Polarisation. This came out of a group presentation given in my Urban Economics class.

When China opened its economy, Shanghai was named one of the important zones for investment in 1990. Foreign Direct Investment single-handedly reorganized Shanghai’s economy making it grow from a large industrial centre in China to a world city in 2010. However, this rapid growth left many people behind. The economy transitioned from industrial manufacturing that was largely supported by State owned enterprises to a high-level service economy reliant on foreign investment. State owned enterprises could not compete with the foreign firms and eventually laid off 90% of its employees between 1992 and 2005. Due to social constraints and central government policies, many people do not have the opportunity to attend post-secondary institutions to allow them to enter the high-level sectors that are taking over Shanghai’s economy.

Social polarization exists in all countries developed and developing but is quite pronounced in China and Shanghai. It increased China’s GDP 6.5 times to 40 billion US Dollars annually between 1980 and 2000.

Pudong region 1990 (top),  2010 (bottom)

Hosting the World Expo in 2010 the theme was “Better City – Better Life” – showing off this beautiful skyline of innovative “icon” towers. The theme of the expo is very superficial showing this over developed city, when the reality of the city and China as a whole is growing too fast, fewer and fewer people are benefiting from the rapid development that has happened with foreign investment. This may be a harsh judgment but based on what I’ve learned about China, while researching this topic, is that it’s plowing ahead full-steam in the world economy to reach “developed” status that it is leaving behind more and more of its population as wealth increases. Hundreds of rural people move to the cities looking for work and higher qualities of life, but central government policies don’t allow them to enroll their children in schools, or have access to healthcare in the region, or even buy a house. Shantytowns are scattered all over the city right next to these massive skyscrapers in Pudong, where the World Expo was focused. China is one big oxymoron claiming it is a market economy with Chinese characteristics… I think they can’t want to be free market but can’t figure out what to do with more than half of their population who is suffering. The central government can only sweep problems under the rug or fudge statistics for so long until the rest of world finally wakes up and forces China to do something for their urban and rural poor. It is quite shocking.

 

Shantytown next to new-build residential high-rises, Shanghai

Images:

http://twistedsifter.com/2011/01/picture-of-the-day-shanghai-1990-vs-2010/

http://depositphotos.com/7468773/stock-photo-Chinese-slum-area-district.html

Arenas Part 1

Exterior view

This week I went to see my first Australian Rules Football game between the Sydney Swans and Geelong Cats. Sadly, Sydney lost but it was a good game to watch. The game was played at the Sydney Cricket Grounds at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park. I go by the stadium every time I go to the CBD and wonder how often it hosts events. Australia has a strong sport culture, and strong spectator sport culture! I remember visiting Olympic Park in March and seeing two massive stadiums standing in it. Obviously when Sydney hosted the Olympic Games they had to provide venues for all the sports. I did a quick Google search on stadiums and arenas in Sydney and was surprised at the number! There are 15 stadiums, ovals, and indoor sports venues in Sydney.

I ramble about sports venues because I wonder about their contribution to communities. They are like market squares, they attract groups of people for a specific purpose. They encourage interaction among the spectators, and there is a strong sense of community between the groups supporting their teams. There has been some debate in planning over the use of major sports venues such as stadiums and arenas located in city centres as a tool to bring people to the area. Around the venue residential areas and entertainments areas pop up to support the people coming and going from the sport venue. A few years ago it seemed that building a new arena in a city’s downtown would contribute to inner city revitalization by bringing people into the area outside of 9-5 working hours. Billion dollar stadiums were built in North America following this guidance, but now it seems the pendulum has swung in the other direction and sports venues are not a guarantee for downtown revitalization.

Close up

Edmonton has been working towards building an arena in it’s downtown for years now. They are very close now having struck a deal with the owner of the NHL team in the city. They settled on a building design and even acquired the land they plan to build on. The city’s Light Rail Transit will pass right by the arena to shuttle the crowds to and from while limiting parking in the already limited parking area of city centre. I was in total support of the arena a few years ago, now I worry it is not the answer. For the record, the current NHL arena in the city is WAY overdue for upgrades and it is located in the inner city, north of the city centre.

There are some major political reasons why the city doesn’t support the refurbishment of the current arena or even the building of a new arena on the site of the current arena, so that option no longer exists. The city has been fighting so long for this new arena, I know they’ll get eventually. But I wonder how it will improve the landscape. Seeing all the sports venues in Sydney, I see that multiple sports complexes can exist but how valuable are they to the urban landscape? The Allianz Stadium is located in a park, so it doesn’t take up space for housing, etc. But what about the stadiums in Olympic Park? It would be interesting to see their cost of maintenance, operation, etc compared to how often they are used.

Article:

Civic Debate over Arena Precinct

City of Edmonton website:

Downtown Arena Project

Images:

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/01/18/good-vibrations-on-edmontons-downtown-arena/

http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/projects_redevelopment/downtown-arena.aspx

Something Beautiful

This semester I have had nothing on my mind except Sydney: what it is, where it stands in the world, what is it’s image, is it a mess, is it beautiful? I’ve heard everyone’s opinions on the good, bad and ugly of Sydney. For all its dysfunction and beauty, one can not simply copy-paste planning strategies from one city to the next. The strategy needs to come from within (cheesy phrase, but exactly right). Sydney struggles to manage growth, encourage more growth and meet its citizens needs.

There are some really great places in Sydney and I have only covered the eastern suburbs and CBD. I know Sydney has more to offer and I look forward to experiencing it.

ANZ Stadium in Moore Park by night

Sydney CBD

The Rocks at Circular Quay

"Living building" Sydney

Along the beach walk from Coogee to Bondi

Images:

By author

The Vancouver Achievement: Final Thoughts

Sun streaked streets

 This is a follow up to a book I mentioned weeks back called the Vancouver Achievement: Urban Planning and Design by John Punter. The “Vancouver Achievement” is the successful rewriting of planning policy and reorganization of the planning bureaucracy where architect-trained planners closely monitor site design. This took nearly 30 years to achieve, mostly through the support of long serving planners in upper-level management positions. Any designs that were unsuitable were negotiated on an individual basis, allowing more floor area, etc.

The major overhaul of Vancouver’s planning process could not have been achieved without the relative autonomy given to the planning department by the municipality of Vancouver. That autonomy was also given to the City of Vancouver by the British Columbia government allowing the municipality more freedom to make massive systemic changes. Thankfully, the planning directors had the right vision for Vancouver and the city’s interests at heart when given so much freedom.

Downtown Van from Granville Island

The main goal of consolidating downtown Vancouver was to ensure mountain, and sea views were not obstructed by the massive skyscrapers. In addition, no matter where you walked downtown, sunshine must be present. A major problem with downtowns is the lack of natural light hitting the street. The massive skyscrapers were orientated in certain ways to allow for maximum light. I remember walking through the sun streaked shopping area of Robson Street admiring the late winter warmth that the sun provided.

Though a truly remarkable achievement, and a truly remarkable city such achievements cannot be applied to all cities. The political, managerial and community conditions have to be just right to facilitate the broad systemic changes the City of Vancouver made to its planning department. Now we have to see if its success continues. After all, planning policy advocates claim that strategic planning is key to long-term, sustainable development.

Book:

John Punter. (2003). The Vancouver Achievement: urban planning and design. Vancouver: UBC Press.

Images:

By author.

Uh oh... Another Casino in Sydney?!

Barangaroo hotel complex turned luxury apartments and casino for the super rich

The designs for James Packer’s Barangaroo casino were unveiled on May 16th. It’s a massive skyscaper reaching 250 metres in height, above the 170 metres approved from the site right on the harbour. Wilkinson Architects said they wanted to link the ground – meaning the water – and the sky. It will house a 350-room hotel with luxury apartments and gambling floors on the highest levels. The development is awaiting permission from the NSW government that would also require a Sydney casino license. Crown (the developer) is quoted in a tv news story as saying they will take their work with Wilkinson Architects elsewhere if this project does not go through.

Essentially they want to build another “icon” tower on the harbour which rises immediately out of the harbour and disproportionately higher than any other buildings around it. The building looks like the main sail on a sailboat. According to the architects it is meant to be three petals of a flower twirling upward. What does that have to do with Sydney and its harbour? It does not fit in context of the space… considering it is right next to the Sydney Fish Market, that is a single-storey warehouse complex underneath a freeway.

An opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald claims the 3 finalists, before the winner was unveiled all looked like “Dubai-type towers that would dwarf the rest of” the area. James Packer is quoted as saying it will be “the most iconic [building] since the Opera House.” The writer asks if the developer thinks that Sydney-siders are idiots because that is what this development is to the area, idiotic. It shows how the vision of an icon tower clouds all understanding of the surroundings and the people who will use this building and bring the money the developer is hoping to get out of this. Keep an eye on the news for this. It should be interesting. Let’s hope the NSW government has some sense.

Links to news articles:

News story on Barangaroo development

Opinion piece on new building

Image:

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/we-are-taken-for-idiots-as-others-take-a-gamble-on-greatness-at-barangaroo-20130510-2jdbu.html

Natural Ventilation in Buildings

Natural ventiliation –When discussing the concept of buildings producing their own energy it seems like this space-age technology unimaginable today. However, it already exists in the form of natural ventilation (heating and cooling). Heritage buildings from a hundred years ago – before electricity and HVAC heating systems – have the answers. They were incredibly efficient at harnessing natural light, and regulating indoor temperatures. Features like tall windows and high ceilings facilitate light, heating, and cooling. The types of building materials also facilitate climate control. Contemporary buildings like in Barcelona that have two-way entrances to each apartment to allow natural air flow are examples of this technology.  This technology already exists in all areas of a city where there is a heritage presence. The tools are under our nose!

A conversation with an architect friend touched on this very topic. He had a small student role in the design of the new UNSW Terrace residences on campus. Window placement and the layout were planned to allow optimal air flow. When it came down to building the complex, the builders renegotiated the blueprints to save money. They moved windows around and shrunk them in size. This resulted in an incredibly inefficient building, where dampness and mould is becoming a big problem for its residents. Old buildings, pre-electricity and HVAC were designed to breath. They were meant to be drafty to circulate air! Buildings today are designed to be sealed up tight and not allow any natural “breathing” to optimize their energy intensive heating and cooling systems. As much as sustainable living is normative, it is not as livable as unsustainable buildings/cities are. But giving up comforts like central air may seem unbearable now, but may not be as unbearable if we harnessed natural heating and cooling in our buildings today.

Diagram of natural ventilation of a house

Image:

http://www.archdaily.com/41027/satish-nayak-residence-the-design-firm/natural-ventilation/