65 replies to this topic

[Holden West]

^It's pretty hard to walk back to your condo with a typical load from a big box store. You know how it is. You go in for one thing and end up leaving with [url=http://www.alteconline.com/images/Pallet%20Conveyors1.jpg:63a9d]more than you bargained for[/url:63a9d].

[ressen]

As a west shore resident I would be driving into town if all the 'big box' stores were located there, making traffic even worse.

[G-Man]

^It's pretty hard to walk back to your condo with a typical load from a big box store. You know how it is. You go in for one thing and end up leaving with [url=http://www.alteconline.com/images/Pallet%20Conveyors1.jpg:9f573]more than you bargained for[/url:9f573].

If you could buy that in bulk it might actually be worth going there.

[NMP]

If you did a percaptia measurement of those that drive to Wal-mart in the West Comms and those that drive to the Wal-mart in Saanich I would guarantee that there are more people biking walking and riding the bus there than the one in Langford. I am sure it would still be the minority but it would be dramatically higher. Once the new Superstore is built it will be the same but I bet an even lower percentage of car users.

Also when these places are located closer to the majority of residents those that do drive, don't have to drive as far therefore polluting less.

I believe that's true. In case with Costco though the increase in "on-foot shoppers" will probably be way more modest. Coscto is bulk-shopping oriented, there are not many items sold in it that you would be able to carry in your hands. Even if more accessible location encouraged dropping by for a less than week's supply, it's just lack of small/light-weighted items that would mostly still keep this store in "shop by car" category.

[NMP]

Ugh, sorry if there is some redundancy, people answer while I type so I submit it before seeing that it was already addressed

[NMP]

BTW, would you really want Costco in the middle of densely populated area? let's face it, we are yet to see single store of that chain that wouldn't be plain Ugly, capital U :roll:

[Mike K.]

There's a pedestrian oriented Costco in downtown Vancouver at the base of this tower:

[NMP]

Is this near GM place, Expo Blvd? Not built yet?

[aastra]

When I said, "Don't cater to the car" I meant "Design communities that are comfortable for people because cars don't have feelings and don't care either way."

Large parking lots aren't just ugly, they're also discouraging for pedestrians and detrimental to neighbourhoods in all sorts of ways (the empty desert phenomenon after hours has already been mentioned).

The only reason these developments flaunt their parking areas instead of hiding them is because they're allowed to do it. We don't have to search far and wide for better ways to introduce big stores into communities. There are plenty of examples even in Vancouver. There's a great Future Shop right on Broadway that's built right to the sidwalk and has residential above and shops on the ground floor. The parking for the new Best Buy/Canadian Tire complex on Cambie isn't evident from the street. There's also a Sport Chek on Broadway that's built right to the sidewalk, with lowrise residential above the store.

I'm not proposing some radical revision of contemporary ideals. I'm assuming cars and big box stores are both here to stay. I'm just saying we should do the best we can, rather than create wastelands and mourn the results.

Wouldn't that be awful to live there," said Saanich resident Marilyn Trupp.

Only because we made it that way. There's no necessary reason it should be awful. In fact, it should be terrific. We're talking about a bustling commercial area smack in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. The reason there's discord in the Sunshine Terrace case is because the commercial and the residential are not integrated. They're completely at odds with each other, because the commercial has been laid out for the benefit of cars rather than for the benefit of people.

[Mike K.]

Is this near GM place, Expo Blvd? Not built yet?

Yup, in the Cielo building near GM Place. My understanding is that its completed by I'm not 100% positive on that.

[aastra]

The new London Drugs on Broadway at the entrance to Kitsilano looks like it will also be an excellent example of a big box store that fits into -- rather than shatters -- the existing community.

[Mike K.]

...and let's not forget the Manhattan Home Depot that aastra brought to our attention a while back.

[Mike K.]

And there's Vancouver's downtown Future Shop...

[Holden West]

^Derf, you're two steps behind!

[NMP]

Oh, I see it's opened already: http://www.canada.co... ... 3f09cc1d55

Caused a bit of controversy, too: http://forum.skyscra...ad.php?t=120090

But that (controversy)is probably unavoidable destiny of any city planning decision, especially this unusual. I like it.

2aastra. Thank you for clarification, that puts things in right perspective for me.

[gumgum]

There's a pedestrian oriented Costco in downtown Vancouver at the base of this tower:

I took a tour around this building a couple of months ago and it was strange how it litterally butts right against Cambie St Bridge - a major arterial road. And along the bridge, townhomes. So if you lived there, you'd walk the quarter length of a bridge to reach your own doorstep.
EDIT: Maybe it was the similar tower next to this one.

[aastra]

This picture gives us some idea of what the Broadway Future Shop building looks like. The Future Shop is on the second floor. The area immediately south of Broadway is pure residential, mostly detached houses.

[Holden West]

^That Starbucks wasn't there five minutes ago. It popped in while aastra was hotlinking the photo.

[aastra]

This is a new mixed use complex at UBC. There's a Staples in this building on the ground floor. There's parking underground and there's metered parking along the sidewalk. The corner shown in this pic contains a Helly Hansen store. The Starbucks is located two spaces over from the Helly Hansen (just beyond the green awning).



This view shows the Staples and the entrance to the parkade.

[G-Man]

Victoria is getting its very own urban Staples on Fort Street. So perhaps it is a sign of what is to come or at least what should be expected.