30 replies to this topic

[ressen]

Why do designers build walk ways with large curves in them when people will invariably take the shortest path and walk across the grass. While shopping at West shore Town Center recently (Canwest Mall). I attempted to shop at all the stores using a single shopping cart. I was pushing it between the stores in the parking lot only to find that there was no rhyme or reason to walkways, crosswalks or sidewalk / curb ramps. There is a walk way built through the parking lot like a 'break water' bordered on each side by four feet of soil and plantings making it useless to access from any where but the ends. But this is just one example of poor planning that I have seen.

[G-Man]

That is a good point. This problem arises when you have people thinking estetics before usefulness. I feel the same way about the grass patches on Yates Street.

[Mike K.]

UVic is like that, too. There are predefined walkways all over campus but students always take the shortest path possible between buildings which is often across the myriad of lawns.

[VicHockeyFan]

That is a good point. This problem arises when you have people thinking estetics before usefulness. I feel the same way about the grass patches on Yates Street.

Yes, that is certainly a good example.

[VicHockeyFan]

UVic is like that, too. There are predefined walkways all over campus but students always take the shortest path possible between buildings which is often across the myriad of lawns.

Kids these days, always taking short-cuts. Next thing you know they'll be using the internet to buy term papers.

[G-Man]

I have seen at least three paths at UVic that were started by students and then paved because of it.

[Mike K.]

Yeah, the paving seems to follow a few years after students figure out shorter paths.

Odd thing is that many of the paths were only recently made and recently paved. The other paths are the original paths that have been around by decades. So kids these days really ARE taking destructive shortcuts

[Holden West]

As I understand it, pathways aren't put in until the designers have had the chance to watch how students actually move from location to location. In effect, they just install the path on the part of the grass that is the most trampled.

[G-Man]

So what happened with Yates Street?

[Holden West]

The made these giant wavy grass boulevards down Yates Street which look really cool when they're installed but they interfere with walking (often creating narrow "pinch points" where the widest part comes close to sidewalk activity like a café).

Right now, most of them are giant mud pits.

[G-Man]

Also if you park on Yates you must either walk along the road or trudge through the mud pits to reach the sidewalk.

[Mike K.]

^exactly. Brilliant, isn't it?

[Holden West]

Hey, landscape architects have to make their money somehow.

[Mike K.]

It's like the millions we're spending on traffic calming on major roads with plans already being mulled about removing them in several years.

It's a merry-go-round of tax dollar spending bliss.

[G-Man]

Hey, landscape architects have to make their money somehow.

Can't they confine their work to rooftop patios and Home depot parking lots?

[Walter Moar]

The made these giant wavy grass boulevards down Yates Street which look really cool when they're installed but they interfere with walking (often creating narrow "pinch points" where the widest part comes close to sidewalk activity like a café).

I think those are an attempt at "Pedestrian Calming". :-D

[Holden West]

:smt093 IT AIN'T WORKING! :smt093

[Mike K.]

:smt093 IT AIN'T WORKING! :smt093

Ditto for traffic calming. It doesn't ease traffic, just causes bottlenecks and can even be dangerous as drivers become more irate around lane merges.

[Holden West]

Nice try at attempting to pull me into the anti-traffic calming club , Speed Racer!

[G-Man]

HAHA yeah nice try!