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Urbanism
#1
A common lament on Waterloo Region Connected is that a new development has "no commercial component."  Rather than hijack one of the threads, I think it's more appropriate to start a new one on urbanism.  Of course, to a large extant, WRC is all about urbanism. 

I don't have the education, training or knowledge to call myself an urbanist.  I just have a keen interest in the growth and development of Waterloo Region, same as most of the folks who post to WRC. 

The lament about some developments not having a commercial component puzzles me.  I don't understand why projects off the main commercial roads should have a commercial component.  For example, why should Victoria Commons or Avalon Urban Towns offer something commercial?  Why should 155 Uptown?  Yes, 155 Uptown is next to the ever popular Vincenzo's but what kind of business would thrive there?  A new restaurant? A shoe store? A dental office?

If you had the money, would you invest in a business in one of these developments?  To succeed a business needs lots of foot traffic, parking or access by transit and, most importantly, repeat customers. The ION will be close to 155 Uptown but will people get off just because there is a new restaurant there?  I'm sure some will but unless this new restaurant becomes a destination it would be a very risky investment.

Personally, I don't do a lot of shopping and some of it I do online.  I like to try new restaurants but I seldom go back.  There's always some new place to try.  I do my major grocery shopping at Highland Hills and some of the specialty grocery stores on Highland Road.  Occasionally I go to the Kitchener Market and New City Supermarket.   And sometime I stop at Mill and Stirling and go into Torreense Store to buy some Portuguese custard tarts and I'll stop at Sproll's Fine German Bakery on Trillium Dr. to pick up some Linzer torte.  

So those of you who would like to see a commercial component in many new developments off the main streets please unpuzzle me.  Why would you like to see that?  Do you have some kind of romantic notion of what a city should be like?  I'm asking this because I certainly have that view but as transportation, technology and cities change, I just don't see that happening.  If only....
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#2
I have what might be called a romantic notion of what a city should be like, and by and large outside of very dense central business districts that vision is mid-rise developments along major streets with commercial components at street-level and residential spaces above, with lower-density development accommodated between those corridors. It also includes fewer cars, and so necessarily more options to get around without cars (both more infrastructure for other transportation, and more destinations within walking distance of more people- density).

That location on Caroline Street is very close to Uptown Waterloo, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to claim that a commercial space there could support a successful tenant- a restaurant or some kind of retail space. As you note, there’s already retail across the street.

I get the point about Victoria Commons being maybe a less logical spot for a commercial space, since there is no other commercial around. For me, seeing that development go up with maybe 1200 residents on 15 acres and no commercial space to serve them is not very “urbanist” regardless of what the press releases say. Those residents have a bit of commercial to serve them on Victoria, but it’s marginal. I understand why constructing and marketing a single commercial space is not as cost-effective as acres of space in new builds on greenfield sites, but the latter are problematic in a lot of other ways. And I honestly don’t buy that a 900 unit development could not sustain a few small retail spaces hosting a coffee shop or a bakery, or a small store.

I don’t think we through our government should be approving developments any longer that all but guarantee that most residents will get in their cars to get a loaf of bread or a carton of milk. So, in sufficiently large developments (I think the Victoria Commons qualifies), mixed uses should be a requirement so that the people who live there will not be completely car dependent once they move in.
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#3
Commercial at ground level in developments along major streets or at LRT stations provides (potential) amenities for people within walking distance, and adds to visual interest for people on foot. It's all about walking, and people definitely walk a lot more in dense urban areas, so as we build those dense urban areas, it is important to support a better walking experience in them.
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#4
Right. But 144/155 aren't really on major streets, so I agree with jgsz that the retail element might not be critical in those particular developments.

Victoria Commons is a bit of a different situation: it's a whole neighbourhood developed from ground up on a brownfield development. At 1000-1500 residents it will never be fully self-contained, but I do think some commercial component would make this type of development much more appealing. Not a full supermarket, but an urban grocery store (or a large convenience store), a cafe, a neighbourhood pub, a pizza place, or some other small commercial. It'll reduce car intensity, and build some community.
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#5
I think that’s exactly right concerning Victoria Commons.
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#6
144/155 are only a block from LRT stops. I think commercial space there could improve the lives of anyone who lives nearby and will or does use public transit.
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#7
Photo 
Jane's Walks are this weekend.  

Jane's Walks are named after Jane Jacobs, inspired urbanist and activist.  She would have been 100 years old on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.

Kitchener Walks

Waterloo Walks

Cambridge Walks

There are 31 Jane's Walks to chose from!
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#8
Neat! I should host an LRT Construction walk! Smile
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#9
(05-02-2016, 12:20 PM)Canard Wrote: Neat!  I should host an LRT Construction walk! Smile

Go for it!

Here's a link to Everything you always wanted to know about leading a Jane's Walk.
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#10
Here is an interesting interview with Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and Martin C. Pedersen about the enduring legacy of Jane Jacobs.
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#11
(05-02-2016, 01:56 PM)jgsz Wrote: Go for it!

Here's a link to Everything you always wanted to know about leading a Jane's Walk.

Is it just me, or is there no actual content at that link?
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#12
It's not just you. This one works better:
http://janeswalk.org/information/lead-walk/
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#13
(05-02-2016, 12:20 PM)Canard Wrote: Neat! I should host an LRT Construction walk! Smile

That's a really good idea!
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#14
One of the first things I did with my wife before we started dating was go on a Jane's walk through uptown.
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#15
Photo 
I went on one of the Jane's Walks today called Kitchener - Then and Now. A photographic comparison of past and present.

Mitchell Button on Victoria.
   

St. Jerome's College
   

Charles Street at Ontario. When Charles ended at Ontario.
   
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