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Vancouver is allergic to multi-story bank branches. Combined with a shortage of quality retail space, the result is much abuse to what should be some of the most vibrant urban nodes in the city.
Join me for some extremely niche content.
Join me for some extremely niche content.
A generous urban plaza in a dense, retail-starved neighbourhood at 1st and Manitoba.
Retractable doors to open the retail facade and encourage indoor-outdoor activity.
Please welcome Scotiabank to the neighbourhood, as sole tenant on the block!
Retractable doors to open the retail facade and encourage indoor-outdoor activity.
Please welcome Scotiabank to the neighbourhood, as sole tenant on the block!
Dunbar gets poked at on here for being sleepy, but actually has quite a lovely high street - helped by having only 2 car travel lanes.
Sadly in the heart of the high street at 28th, an entire block looks like this.
Sadly in the heart of the high street at 28th, an entire block looks like this.
Why? The retail space is absurdly shallow and unfit for a shopping area.
Comparison with the BMO across the street is the best illustration of how deep retail units are essential to an animated and functional commercial street.
Comparison with the BMO across the street is the best illustration of how deep retail units are essential to an animated and functional commercial street.
Coquitlam has been carefully planning a walkable downtown shopping area. Centred on The High St and Glen, here's what the main corner looks like.
An area with a critical mass of energy can afford to have a corner like this, but not a new one trying to get established.
An area with a critical mass of energy can afford to have a corner like this, but not a new one trying to get established.
And here's the flagship intersection in the flagship neighbourhood that's used to represent Vancouver in every media story.
Gleaming towers, a stunning waterfront, a young and vital demographic.
Let's see what the most prominent urban corner in Yaletown is like:
Gleaming towers, a stunning waterfront, a young and vital demographic.
Let's see what the most prominent urban corner in Yaletown is like:
Vancouver has one of the most urbanist-friendly CBDs on the continent, but there are some duds.
510 Burrard is a large-footprint building with frontages on 3 busy streets - all of which are treated to Scotiabank blinds through brown tinted glass.
510 Burrard is a large-footprint building with frontages on 3 busy streets - all of which are treated to Scotiabank blinds through brown tinted glass.
Finally here's the heart of Main, my favorite street. A beautiful urban park was built with this development at 18th.
It's fronted by retail which could have perfect patio space - a cafe or pub perhaps. Or a TD occupying half the block.
It's fronted by retail which could have perfect patio space - a cafe or pub perhaps. Or a TD occupying half the block.
Unfortunately that's what happens when retail spaces are shallow to accommodate ground level parking or residential.
The building across the street is the worst offender in the city - an entire block of shallow, low-ceiling spaces which creates a palpable dead zone.
The building across the street is the worst offender in the city - an entire block of shallow, low-ceiling spaces which creates a palpable dead zone.
I don't mean to pick on banks - they just happen to make excellent examples of the consequences from retail having been assigned ultimate afterthought status in planning and development culture.
Some eyewash: the Fraser and 48th BMO is an excellent model to follow if bank branches are going to stick around. Design by @IredaleArch.
Deep + narrow footprint, 2nd storey, privacy achieved through glass frit (not crappy blinds). Beautiful addition to the street.
Deep + narrow footprint, 2nd storey, privacy achieved through glass frit (not crappy blinds). Beautiful addition to the street.
