It's about the space between the buildings. Everything you need to know about a city is expressed in its attitude to its public space.
From the big picture ideas reflected in The Sidewalk Ballet site, a closer focus on my own neighbourhood. The inner city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. On the east coast of Vancouver Island. I live in something of an anomaly. A neighbourhood that exhibits urbanist characteristics in a city that suffers from very small population densities within a very large footprint.
The goal being to apply a critical eye to the neighbourhood's development amid the forces and dynamics shaping the larger city.
My immediate neighbourhood is known as the Old City. The primary urbanist characteristics of these few blocks were put in place between 15 and 20 years ago and are unlike any other elements in the city developed since then. There are since then echos of a stage set faux urbanism that lacks its organic nature. Two main players were responsible and are still present very much involved in the ongoing day to day vitality of the 'hood.
Zorkin
Dee Cline
rental housing
heritage
wesley st
medium density residential
diverse mixed and multi uses
transit
