Month: March 2010

pedestrians, streetscaping

Aloha Crosswalks

Westsideaction

Faithful readers will know how disappointing I find Ottawa crosswalks. At the risk of beating the old drum one more time… examine the above crosswalks in Honalulu. They are as wide as the entire widened sidewalk, ie from building facade to curb line. They are brightly marked with zebra stripes.  While you are at it, notice the decorative lamp posts used throughout the downtown and Wakiki areas, and chinese tiles on the building awning. Now compare those picture of how Honalulu does it right… to these ones of Ottawa. Feel free to come up with your own comparisons: for example, … Continue reading Aloha Crosswalks

pedestrians, streetscaping

Aloha Crosswalks

Westsideaction

Faithful readers will know how disappointing I find Ottawa crosswalks. At the risk of beating the old drum one more time… examine the above crosswalks in Honalulu. They are as wide as the entire widened sidewalk, ie from building facade to curb line. They are brightly marked with zebra stripes.  While you are at it, notice the decorative lamp posts used throughout the downtown and Wakiki areas, and chinese tiles on the building awning. Now compare those picture of how Honalulu does it right… to these ones of Ottawa. Feel free to come up with your own comparisons: for example, … Continue reading Aloha Crosswalks

Chinatown, chinatown arch, somerset street1 Comment

Aloha Chinatown Honalulu (ii)

Westsideaction

Chinatown in Honalulu has a large reputation preceeding it, one that I felt on my visit wasn’t totally warranted. Pictured above is their Chinatown gate — pedestrian archway on a slightly arched bridge that crosses a canal waterway. Note also the small plaques mounted along the bridge. Much of Chinatown H has a uniform architecture. That was because of a fire in the early twentieth century. A fire that has been attributed to several causes: burning down the neighborhood as it was the centre of a plague sweeping the island; or it was an accident; or it was designed to … Continue reading Aloha Chinatown Honalulu (ii)

Chinatown, chinatown arch, somerset street

Aloha Chinatown Honalulu (ii)

Westsideaction

Chinatown in Honalulu has a large reputation preceeding it, one that I felt on my visit wasn’t totally warranted. Pictured above is their Chinatown gate — pedestrian archway on a slightly arched bridge that crosses a canal waterway. Note also the small plaques mounted along the bridge. Much of Chinatown H has a uniform architecture. That was because of a fire in the early twentieth century. A fire that has been attributed to several causes: burning down the neighborhood as it was the centre of a plague sweeping the island; or it was an accident; or it was designed to … Continue reading Aloha Chinatown Honalulu (ii)

Chinatown, chinatown arch

Aloha Chinese Architecture

Westsideaction

This is a modern building in Honalulu with an otherwise non-descript exterior. Typically, the bottom few floors are parking garage, apartments above. The front porch however has this generous canopy that celebrates chinese culture and influence. It was not located in Chinatown per se, but along one of the main streets in Wikiki Beach area. I do not recall what the tile mosaic above it on the wall of the garage was portraying. I did think this was a nice touch on a building, particularly if it was located in the Chinatown area. In Ottawa’s chinatown, there is one newish … Continue reading Aloha Chinese Architecture

Chinatown, chinatown arch

Aloha Chinese Architecture

Westsideaction

This is a modern building in Honalulu with an otherwise non-descript exterior. Typically, the bottom few floors are parking garage, apartments above. The front porch however has this generous canopy that celebrates chinese culture and influence. It was not located in Chinatown per se, but along one of the main streets in Wikiki Beach area. I do not recall what the tile mosaic above it on the wall of the garage was portraying. I did think this was a nice touch on a building, particularly if it was located in the Chinatown area. In Ottawa’s chinatown, there is one newish … Continue reading Aloha Chinese Architecture

Chinatown, chinatown arch

Aloha Chinatown Honalulu

Westsideaction

I had heard and read a lot about the Chinatown in Honalulu. Large, bustling, exotic … instead I found it not-so-large, very decrepit, and unfortunately co-existing with the flophouse/druggie scene reminiscient of Vancouver’s lower east side. The streets were strangely empty for a workday at 4.30. As visible in the picture, the downtown core is barely a block away. Two sides of the Chinatown were surrounded by enormous high rise blocks (40 stories) of condos and student residences but they seemed to somehow ignore the Chinatown area. As part of urban renewal or some such scheme, a newish structure is shown … Continue reading Aloha Chinatown Honalulu

Chinatown, chinatown arch

Aloha Chinatown Honalulu

Westsideaction

I had heard and read a lot about the Chinatown in Honalulu. Large, bustling, exotic … instead I found it not-so-large, very decrepit, and unfortunately co-existing with the flophouse/druggie scene reminiscient of Vancouver’s lower east side. The streets were strangely empty for a workday at 4.30. As visible in the picture, the downtown core is barely a block away. Two sides of the Chinatown were surrounded by enormous high rise blocks (40 stories) of condos and student residences but they seemed to somehow ignore the Chinatown area. As part of urban renewal or some such scheme, a newish structure is shown … Continue reading Aloha Chinatown Honalulu

pedestrians, streetscaping3 Comments

Aloha streetscaping

Westsideaction

Downtown Honalulu and Waikiki have spent many millions improving pedestrian environments ( I heard the number $535 million spent, but cannot confirm that). The main shopping drag along Waikiki beach (a successful example of a main street environment on one side, a recreational facility on the other) goes by buildings rangeing from brand new to one hundred years old. They are all built a slightly different setbacks, elevations, and angles. So the new sidewalk, of brick, varies in width, elevation, slope, and amenity. In many places, “islands” of plantings divert ped flow into multiple chanels and create pockets of space … Continue reading Aloha streetscaping

pedestrians, streetscaping

Aloha streetscaping

Westsideaction

Downtown Honalulu and Waikiki have spent many millions improving pedestrian environments ( I heard the number $535 million spent, but cannot confirm that). The main shopping drag along Waikiki beach (a successful example of a main street environment on one side, a recreational facility on the other) goes by buildings rangeing from brand new to one hundred years old. They are all built a slightly different setbacks, elevations, and angles. So the new sidewalk, of brick, varies in width, elevation, slope, and amenity. In many places, “islands” of plantings divert ped flow into multiple chanels and create pockets of space … Continue reading Aloha streetscaping

pedestrians7 Comments

Aloha pedestrian priority

Westsideaction

In the above pic from Hawaii, the road parallel to the beach is one way for motorists from right to left across the top of the picture. They can turn onto the one way street extending downwards to the right, only on the green. There is no turn on red. When the motorists have a green light, they can go straight ahead or turn to their left; peds have a red light. When the cars have a red, peds have a green to cross in all directions, including diagonally. No diagonally crossing peds are shown in this picture, but I … Continue reading Aloha pedestrian priority

pedestrians

Aloha pedestrian priority

Westsideaction

In the above pic from Hawaii, the road parallel to the beach is one way for motorists from right to left across the top of the picture. They can turn onto the one way street extending downwards to the right, only on the green. There is no turn on red. When the motorists have a green light, they can go straight ahead or turn to their left; peds have a red light. When the cars have a red, peds have a green to cross in all directions, including diagonally. No diagonally crossing peds are shown in this picture, but I … Continue reading Aloha pedestrian priority

cycling in Ottawa, streetscaping3 Comments

Aloha cycling racks

Westsideaction

This bike-shaped bike rack is installed all over downtown Honalulu. I really like it, for a variety of reasons. Its look suggests its purpose. It easily supported four bikes (one on each side of the front and rear of the bike stand). It took up very little pedestrian room, as evidenced from the “end on” shot. It was located close to the curb, with minimal concern for motorists. These were bolted to the concrete sidewalk, but I never saw any crooked or damaged, so sturdiness of its mounting didn’t seem a major problem. When coming around a corner driving a … Continue reading Aloha cycling racks

cycling in Ottawa, streetscaping

Aloha cycling racks

Westsideaction

This bike-shaped bike rack is installed all over downtown Honalulu. I really like it, for a variety of reasons. Its look suggests its purpose. It easily supported four bikes (one on each side of the front and rear of the bike stand). It took up very little pedestrian room, as evidenced from the “end on” shot. It was located close to the curb, with minimal concern for motorists. These were bolted to the concrete sidewalk, but I never saw any crooked or damaged, so sturdiness of its mounting didn’t seem a major problem. When coming around a corner driving a … Continue reading Aloha cycling racks

bike path, cycling in Ottawa, somerset street

Puddlegineering

Westsideaction

In yesterday’s post, I lamented the ability of our city to install puddles right at pedestrian crossings, or huge lakes on brand-new multipurpose paths. In many cases, these puddles appear because the “lowest spot” on the road is right at the pedestrian crossing, the better to be enjoyed by wetfooted citizens. The puddle shown above required real skill to be installed. Notice that it is on the highest point of the road — the crest of the hill as Somerset goes up and over the Otrain track. This puddle is large enough that it lingered there for over a week … Continue reading Puddlegineering

bike path, cycling in Ottawa, somerset street

Puddlegineering

Westsideaction

In yesterday’s post, I lamented the ability of our city to install puddles right at pedestrian crossings, or huge lakes on brand-new multipurpose paths. In many cases, these puddles appear because the “lowest spot” on the road is right at the pedestrian crossing, the better to be enjoyed by wetfooted citizens. The puddle shown above required real skill to be installed. Notice that it is on the highest point of the road — the crest of the hill as Somerset goes up and over the Otrain track. This puddle is large enough that it lingered there for over a week … Continue reading Puddlegineering

pedestrians, streetscaping, west wellington3 Comments

Sidewalk Engineering

Westsideaction

I have some tolerance for dilapidated infrastructure in the city. Not everything can be perfect. And I rationalize away some of the puddles at crosswalks as being products of 60 year old roads, old neighborhoods, etc. This makes it doubly disappointing to discover that sometimes newly rebuilt roads and sidewalks are no better. The photo above is at the corner near Billy’s Appliances on Richmond Road, beside Our Lady of the Condos. Yes, it is the final pavement, the catch basins were not unusually blocked (anymore than they are designed to be) … its just that the sidewalk at the corner … Continue reading Sidewalk Engineering

pedestrians, streetscaping, west wellington

Sidewalk Engineering

Westsideaction

I have some tolerance for dilapidated infrastructure in the city. Not everything can be perfect. And I rationalize away some of the puddles at crosswalks as being products of 60 year old roads, old neighborhoods, etc. This makes it doubly disappointing to discover that sometimes newly rebuilt roads and sidewalks are no better. The photo above is at the corner near Billy’s Appliances on Richmond Road, beside Our Lady of the Condos. Yes, it is the final pavement, the catch basins were not unusually blocked (anymore than they are designed to be) … its just that the sidewalk at the corner … Continue reading Sidewalk Engineering