Welcome Guest!
In order to take advantage of all the great features that Waterloo Region Connected has to offer, including participating in the lively discussions below, you're going to have to register. The good news is that it'll take less than a minute and you can get started enjoying Waterloo Region's best online community right away.
or Create an Account




Thread Rating:
  • 4 Vote(s) - 3.5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Downtown project directory
(05-11-2021, 12:42 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Both crossings to the UW Plaza are directly in line with the route the UW students walk to the plaza. Closing either would add much more than 20 m to the route. Building routes along those pedestrian desire lines is one of the few things they got right here.

The sections around the station are the real problem. Leaving aside the design was not even started when the buildings on campus were planned, the university is not interested in accomodating transit on campus, they are generally an obstacle, not a willing partner. But alos, the LRT design included better connections which were not included in the final construction.

As for platform doubling, the platforms are already the full size, the "doubling" is simply the structures on the platform, like the shelter, benches, TVMs etc. Reconstructing the actual platforms would be a vastly expensive exercise that is unlikely to occur in our lifetimes.

I would argue that if you look at the main pedestrian routes into that part of the campus, most students at the north end of the plaza are either heading down the roadway to the heart of the campus, or into DC.  The Engineering complex that faces the University Shops plaza is large a warren of additions and minor entrances to the building.  If anything, the southern path is really an extension of the University Ave pedestrian route with the bulk of the traffic being directed through the overpass at CPH. The University Ave crossing could have been widened to accommodate the extra pedestrian flow. Either the crossings on the Waterloo campus were done right, and others were done wrong, or the Waterloo campus got special privileges that other parts of the line did not.  I'm just glad that the early proposal for jersey barriers along King St in Waterloo were quickly put aside.
Reply


(05-11-2021, 08:23 PM)ktmbtsmrt Wrote: well who knows...Hamilton is getting some funding, so maybe an additional line or three can be built here too. I think we have the population and spatial supports, just not the political and societal will. Which is why I think context is so important. It's a lot easier to suggest an expansion in a city that already has a well-functioning system. Anywho, hope things get better here!

Yes! Expansion is much easier than a completely new system. Partly because not absolutely everything needs to be built new — we won’t need a new maintenance facility, for example, until we’re much bigger — and partly because there will be fewer misconceptions about what is actually planned and the lies about it won’t land as much. For example, I remember one Record letter writer who claimed the system would be dangerous because it would load in the street like Toronto’s streetcars, then doubled down when factually corrected on what was planned! I’m sure that writer won’t support any extension, but they’ll look like idiots to anybody who has seen the existing system.
Reply
(05-12-2021, 01:30 AM)nms Wrote:
(05-11-2021, 12:42 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Both crossings to the UW Plaza are directly in line with the route the UW students walk to the plaza. Closing either would add much more than 20 m to the route. Building routes along those pedestrian desire lines is one of the few things they got right here.

The sections around the station are the real problem. Leaving aside the design was not even started when the buildings on campus were planned, the university is not interested in accomodating transit on campus, they are generally an obstacle, not a willing partner. But alos, the LRT design included better connections which were not included in the final construction.

As for platform doubling, the platforms are already the full size, the "doubling" is simply the structures on the platform, like the shelter, benches, TVMs etc. Reconstructing the actual platforms would be a vastly expensive exercise that is unlikely to occur in our lifetimes.

I would argue that if you look at the main pedestrian routes into that part of the campus, most students at the north end of the plaza are either heading down the roadway to the heart of the campus, or into DC.  The Engineering complex that faces the University Shops plaza is large a warren of additions and minor entrances to the building.  If anything, the southern path is really an extension of the University Ave pedestrian route with the bulk of the traffic being directed through the overpass at CPH. The University Ave crossing could have been widened to accommodate the extra pedestrian flow. Either the crossings on the Waterloo campus were done right, and others were done wrong, or the Waterloo campus got special privileges that other parts of the line did not.  I'm just glad that the early proposal for jersey barriers along King St in Waterloo were quickly put aside.

Yes...yes it did...but it hardly has to do with the crossings being "done right"...it is about the locations of the Waterloo and R&T park stations.

And so did GRH get special treatment, those signals are insane. Lots of groups got special treatment, where they had demands which made the system worse for people, but which that group perceived benefit.  Welcome to a non-authoritarian government.
Reply
I was bored this evening and put together a few of the more recent, larger scale residential projects in Downtown Kitchener and Uptown Waterloo on a Google Map. 
If anyone is interested, feel free to check it out and let me know of any suggested changes!

Green = Complete
Yellow = U/C
Orange = Approved
Red = Proposed, not yet approved

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1...sp=sharing
Reply
(11-29-2021, 10:40 PM)CP42 Wrote: I was bored this evening and put together a few of the more recent, larger scale residential projects in Downtown Kitchener and Uptown Waterloo on a Google Map. 
If anyone is interested, feel free to check it out and let me know of any suggested changes!

Green = Complete
Yellow = U/C
Orange = Approved
Red = Proposed, not yet approved

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1...sp=sharing

I think there is a development proposed at the corner of Eby and King. Beside the Yeti cafe.
Reply
I dream of a day when my development map, GTwok's 3d building map and bcb_ca's wiki are integrated into one product!
Reply
Are then any updated maps of all the developments along the ION line?
Reply


Hello All,

Here is the 2023 update to the Building map !

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?m...sp=sharing

Updates:
Over 40 new buildings added! 
Links to WRC forums for the buildings added!
The Use of a building (Mixed - Use/Single-Use) is being added!

Top 3 Developers:
1 - Accommod8U - 17 buildings 
2 - IN8 development = 15 buildings
=3 - Auburn developments  - 14 buildings
=3 - VIVE - 14 buildings

Top 3 Architects:
1 - ABA Architects - 36 buildings
2 - PG design - 20 buildings
3 - srm architects (sadly)  - 16 buildings

Future Plans:
 - Add GRT routes with ridership
 - New Cambridge Developments section
 - Are you interested in a proper website for the map? comment below
Reply
Why is Wellington Place on the list? That's a relatively old building. Or am I misunderstanding the purpose of the map? I thought it was for new density attracted by ION LRT?
Reply
(01-02-2023, 01:27 AM)kalis0490 Wrote: Top 3 Developers:
1 - Accommod8U - 17 buildings 
2 - IN8 development = 15 buildings
3 - Auburn developments/VIVE - 14 buildings

Auburn and Vive are unrelated companies so probably should be listed separately.
Reply
Looks awesome. Thanks for making this and keeping it up to date. What a great resource to have for seeing changes and growth in the community!
Reply
Is there a thread for 890-900 King St. W? (King and Pine) This project seems stalled, but am happy to be corrected.

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...illor.html
Reply
(01-25-2023, 09:21 PM)CuilTard Wrote: Is there a thread for 890-900 King St. W? (King and Pine) This project seems stalled, but am happy to be corrected.

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...illor.html

Yup, link below. It was approved back in March and is awaiting further construction after some initial excavation late 2021.

Here's the thread: https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/...p?tid=1595
Reply




Hello All,

Here is the August 2023 update to the Building map !

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?m...sp=sharing

Updates:
 - Over 30 new buildings added! 

 - Automobile and Bike Parking Data info added!
 - New project documentation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SgoH...sp=sharing

 - I now added an input form so people add new data directly to the map. DM me if you are interested in contributing and I can send the link. 
 - New Buildings added to the database will now appear here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing for  public viewing ( mybb formatting was too hard to work with)


Updates:

Top 5 Developers:

1 - Auburn developments  - 32 towers
2 - Accommod8U - 17 towers

3 - VIVE - 16  towers
4 - IN8 development - 15 towers
5 - Drewlo Holdings - 14  towers

Top 5 Architects:
1 - ABA Architects - 36 towers

2 - Turner Fleischer - 30  towers
3 - PG design - 20  towers
4 - Neo Architects- 16 towers

5 - SRM Architects - 15 towers

Future Plans:

- Please check the documentation for future plans!  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SgoH...sp=sharing
- I need help adding Cambridge and KW suburban developments. DM if you are interested in contributing

Reply
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »



Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

About Waterloo Region Connected

Launched in August 2014, Waterloo Region Connected is an online community that brings together all the things that make Waterloo Region great. Waterloo Region Connected provides user-driven content fueled by a lively discussion forum covering topics like urban development, transportation projects, heritage issues, businesses and other issues of interest to those in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the four Townships - North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich.

              User Links