06-14-2020, 10:54 PM
(06-14-2020, 09:46 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Not going to disagree that the "quaint charm" has been lost, but the old sidewalks were really quite terrible for anyone not able bodied.
The green space is decidedly not green, but that doesn't mean it can't be successful, it just needs shade and features.
What really ticks me off is how much space we are STILL dedicating to cars in this area. The sidewalks still get unacceptably squeezed to make room for the left turn lane...and we all know how effective sharrows are. I am optimistically thinking that within 10 years King and Queen will be closed to cars, and we will question how we could have been so stupid to prioritize cars in that way in that area. Of course, I'm being...very .... optimistic.
I figured accessibility was a part of the change in sidewalks. But many countries manage to use pavers/stone (I don't know what the correct terminology is here) specifically in pedestrian areas. Maybe it's just a cost issue to do in a way that conforms to accessibility guidelines though. Individually it's not a big deal, but small details like that really make or break the beauty and desirability of a place.
The Queen/Charles green space isn't a "loss" in that it was never really green, but if it's called a "green space" then being decidedly not green is by definition a failure. A missed opportunity. I'm still much more concerned about Vogelsang green, but I will wait and see what happens there.