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West Side Action

News & views on what's happening on the West Side of downtown Ottawa.

  • urban design
  • streetscaping
  • intensification
  • pedestrians
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Category: Europe

bike path, design, Europe, Nature, Ottawa5 Comments

Urban Design (xv) Local promotions

March 16, 2019March 14, 2019 Westsideaction

I am often struck in Europe by how much they promote vacations within the home country or inside Europe. And not just de luxe vacations. Here’s a grocery store chain poster for local weekends not-far-away: Note they are not so … Continue reading Urban Design (xv) Local promotions

condos, design, Europe3 Comments

Urban Design (xiv) Benches, cafes in fine mixed use areas

March 15, 2019March 12, 2019 Westsideaction

European cities have livlier street life than we do. Much of this is due to deliberate design choices, like limiting car traffic. And providing benches: Our new Official Plan is to make Ottawa attractive for those new age employers and … Continue reading Urban Design (xiv) Benches, cafes in fine mixed use areas

design, Europe3 Comments

Urban Detail (xi) Wooden bridges

March 12, 2019March 11, 2019 Westsideaction

The Netherlands, and Europe generally, has a reputation amongst North American progressives as transit, train, and walkable-city nirvana. The reality is quite different. Suburbanization is accelerating, and with it, ring roads and strip development. Car commuting is as popular there … Continue reading Urban Detail (xi) Wooden bridges

downtown, Europe, Ottawa1 Comment

Urban Detail (x) Cannabis Retailing, legal or not

March 11, 2019March 11, 2019 Westsideaction

It’s difficult to remember when our local mainstreets weren’t populated by cannabis stores every second block. It’s even more difficult to remember the short period when these stores were actually open for business. Now they just promise cannabis but aren’t … Continue reading Urban Detail (x) Cannabis Retailing, legal or not

cycling in Ottawa, Europe, Ottawa2 Comments

Urban Detail (ix) More on bike parking issues

March 8, 2019March 7, 2019 Westsideaction

Right now Ottawa seems happy with bicycles parked on sidewalks. Even many downtown office buildings surround themselves with on-sidewalk bike parking (eg Jean Edwards buildings) while some others make room for bikes indoors (Constitution Square, Flaherty building). But on-sidewalk bike … Continue reading Urban Detail (ix) More on bike parking issues

complete streets, cycling in Ottawa, Europe, Ottawa2 Comments

Urban Detail (viii) bikes in the old town core

March 7, 2019March 7, 2019 Westsideaction

There are gazillions of bikes in European town centres (not so much in the car centric suburbs). Reducing clutter via bike parking becomes an important tool in keeping old town centres passable. In this photo, the City of Bruges has … Continue reading Urban Detail (viii) bikes in the old town core

design, Nordhavn, Orestad, Ottawa

Nordhavn (viii): some miscellany

February 13, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

Nordhavn definitely appealed to me more than Orestad. A big part of that is scale. Another part is that it seemed less out to impress me with “oh wow” buildings. Especially when those buildings are set apart (“big buildings in … Continue reading Nordhavn (viii): some miscellany

Nordhavn, Ottawa2 Comments

Nordhavn (vii) UN City and the Jan Gehl school of development

February 11, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

UN City is a large 8-armed star-shaped building that consolidates all the suffering UN staff in Copenhagen into a single location. The surrounding residential buildings were all low rise, with intimate courtyards. Very much in the style promoted by the … Continue reading Nordhavn (vii) UN City and the Jan Gehl school of development

Nordhavn

Nordhavn (vi): Yes, there is starchitecture too

February 8, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

The developers of Nordhavn promise “new architectural masterpieces each year”. Let’s look at a few of them. For convenience, a bunch of them were clustered together. This struck me as part of the “branding” that seems to dominate so much … Continue reading Nordhavn (vi): Yes, there is starchitecture too

Nordhavn

Nordhavn v, courtyard apartments

February 6, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

There were a number of apartment buildings on the inside streets with courtyards. These are similar in style to what has been built on LeBreton Flats and will be built on Zibi. I wandered into this one: Bike sheds lined … Continue reading Nordhavn v, courtyard apartments

Nordhavn2 Comments

Nordhavn iv, mid rise harbourfront living

February 4, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

The apartment units directly facing the water appeared larger and of higher amenity than those on the interior streets.   They had interesting views of the active harbour and other neighbourhoods, and of course, the water. The “harbour” at Copenhagen … Continue reading Nordhavn iv, mid rise harbourfront living

Nordhavn3 Comments

Nordhavn iii, low rise, sidewalk living

February 1, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

Several buildings and streets in Nordhavn had a relationship to the sidewalk not seen in Ottawa. I saw similar buildings in Amsterdam too (subject to a future series…). The ground floor units are right up close to the edge of … Continue reading Nordhavn iii, low rise, sidewalk living

Nordhavn

Nordhavn (ii) low rise townhouses

January 30, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

There were a few — very few at this time — townhouse-type units that I saw at Nordhavn development zone, Copenhagen. This is not unexpected, as (man-made) land this close to the downtown is very valuable. Nonetheless, they add variety … Continue reading Nordhavn (ii) low rise townhouses

Nordhavn

Nordhavn (part i) Copenhagen, Dk

January 29, 2019January 28, 2019 Westsideaction

I must confess I found Orestad new urban area rather exhausting; the Nordhavn development area was much more enticing. Some of it is scale … Nordhavn has a high percentage of low apartment buildings and inviting, very well executed public … Continue reading Nordhavn (part i) Copenhagen, Dk

Orestad2 Comments

Orestad vi, a walk in the ‘burbs

January 22, 2019January 23, 2019 Westsideaction

The focus of the previous stories about Orestad is on the new “downtown” and the starchitecture buildings around the Orestad Station. Plus some views of the more ordinary apartment architecture for the rest of us. As was obvious from the … Continue reading Orestad vi, a walk in the ‘burbs

Orestad

Orestad (v), business district, & construction notes

January 19, 2019January 23, 2019 Westsideaction

Looking again at the aerial photo of downtown Orestad, the Field shopping mall is dead centre. Just above it is an eyebrow shaped street and canal, which forms the spine of a mixed commercial/office district with a bit of residential … Continue reading Orestad (v), business district, & construction notes

Orestad4 Comments

Orestad apartments for the rest of us (iv)

January 18, 2019January 23, 2019 Westsideaction

My preference in seeing a place is from the walking around eye view. But sometimes a pigeon view helps too. Here is an aerial photo of downtown Orestad of just a few years ago. The giant Field indoor mall is … Continue reading Orestad apartments for the rest of us (iv)

Orestad1 Comment

Orestad, Glamour Architecture, (iii)

January 17, 2019January 15, 2019 Westsideaction

Let’s visit some of the residential buildings in downtown Orestad. These are the prestige structures right along the main transit line. Notice the frequent stairs down and under the building. Many new residential buildings in Europe have apartments that run … Continue reading Orestad, Glamour Architecture, (iii)

Orestad1 Comment

Orestad Station / downtown area (ii)

January 16, 2019January 23, 2019 Westsideaction

Orestad is planned to have 20,000 residences,  and 80,000 jobs,  and 20,000 university student places when it’s finished. This new suburban city was started in 1993.  The city owns 55% of the development corporation and 45% is owned by the … Continue reading Orestad Station / downtown area (ii)

Orestad4 Comments

En route to Orestad, Denmark by metro

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 Westsideaction

Welcome back dear reader,  to start the new year we are going to visit a new urban development in the suburbs of Copenhagen,  Denmark. To get to Orestad we’re going to take the Metro  from downtown Copenhagen. This is the … Continue reading En route to Orestad, Denmark by metro

Paris3 Comments

Clichy-Batignolles, the future carbon-neutral city?

November 28, 2018November 28, 2018 Westsideaction

Mega-projects like the Clichy-Batignolles are fraught with risk. The costs are enormous, as may be the returns. Large sums in turn attract various interest groups anxious to get some of the money or spend other people’s money. The former St … Continue reading Clichy-Batignolles, the future carbon-neutral city?

design, Paris4 Comments

Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, the occupied zone, walk 2

November 22, 2018November 22, 2018 Westsideaction

Yes, it is somewhat exhausting to take in all the new buildings in Clichy-Batignolles. So many seemed to yell “look at ME !”  Most everybuilding had something that attracted my interest, be it balcony design, shutters, landscaping, mixed use, or … Continue reading Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, the occupied zone, walk 2

Paris4 Comments

Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, the occupied zone

November 21, 2018November 20, 2018 Westsideaction

Did you enjoy your visit to Paris’s new large park? The pathways, the greenery, the pleasant space to relax or recreate. Before that we saw the Cardinet sector in its last stages of construction. Now its time to wander through … Continue reading Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, the occupied zone

design, Paris2 Comments

Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, MLK Park

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Westsideaction

The urban redevelopment scheme in the Clichy neighbourhood of central Paris is centre around Martin Luther King Park. It is 10ha. and has 14 access points from the surrounding ring of developments. The park is divided into two major portions … Continue reading Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, MLK Park

design, downtown, intensificatioin, Paris1 Comment

Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, rue Cardinet

November 14, 2018November 13, 2018 Westsideaction

The Clichy-Batignolles plan is highly dependent on the stacking of different uses along its western edge, facing the St Lazare railway tracks, where a track level podium base holds locomotive workshops, with parking above, with offices and apartments above that. … Continue reading Clichy-Batignolles, Paris, rue Cardinet

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