Shabby Public Realm

[evandyk]

There’s an explanation, but it’s not a very good one.

 

[Northern Light]

Can someone explain why every square inch of john street has a utility cut? Half the sidewalk bricks are craked, and the absolutely destroyed intersection was repaved but the crosswalk has sunken bits of concerte cracked and partially paved over inches away from the newly rebuild intersection. View attachment 496618

Because Hydro just finished (I hope) a multi-year project to rebuild its infrastructure under John St.; the city is now set to rebuild John Street itself with all new streetscape including the road surface. So they're doing the cheapest possible short-term fixes.

 

[Towered]

the city is now set to rebuild John Street itself with all new streetscape including the road surface.

Any day now...

2008 called - it wants its glorious streetscape plan back.

 

[DSC]

Can someone explain why every square inch of john street has a utility cut? Half the sidewalk bricks are craked, and the absolutely destroyed intersection was repaved but the crosswalk has sunken bits of concerte cracked and partially paved over inches away from the newly rebuild intersection. View attachment 496618

Because it's a work in progress! (Admittedly very slow progress but ...)

 

[turbanplanner]

Because it's a work in progress! (Admittedly very slow progress but ...)

I feel like at a minimum the crosswalk shouldn't be a trip hazard haha

 

[Towered]

I feel like at a minimum the crosswalk shouldn't be a trip hazard haha

View attachment 496701

Someone should call 311 and threaten to sue - you'll be amazed at how quickly the city can move when liability comes into play.

 

[DSC]

Well, at least this sectipn of University will be getting fixed up!

Subject Matter of the Procurement: Watermain and Substandard Water Service Replacements, Bikeway Construction, and Major Road Resurfacing on University Avenue from College Street to approx. 120 m north of Queen Street West.
Mandatory Site Meeting Information: Not Applicable
Estimated Deadline for Submitting to Solicitation: August 25, 2023, 12:00 P.M. Noon (Local Toronto Time

 

[Towered]

My wife works for the TDSB at school level. They take graffiti removal seriously and have a dedicated team that goes from school to school clearing it off. If they can't remove the graffiti immediately and it's particularly heinous the team uses brick "colour" paint like this to temporarily cover it until the team can come back with the blasters.

Two months later and the patch work is still marring the school’s beautiful brick as badly as the tags themselves…

 

[Towered]

How is this lumpy hack job even remotely acceptable?

And look at the state of this drinking fountain in Centennial Park:

 

[Admiral Beez]

Two months later and the patch work is still marring the school’s beautiful brick as badly as the tags themselves…

Well yes, most of the staff are off for the summer. My wife is a ten month employee, for example, meaning she’s unpaid during the off season.

 

[vic]

The proliferation of leaf blowers now also means that private property owners/managers can just blow their garbage and debris out into the streets. The little battery-powered blowers aren't nearly as obnoxious as the stinky loud gas blowers, but still tend to be used annoyingly.

 

[christiesplits]

While the Skywalk is not necessarily public, as it appears to be owned by Allied Properties, it is used by, gosh, millions of residents and visitors a year?

This signage is almost as embarrassing as the nearby Salmon Run fountain.

 

[Hairball]

While the Skywalk is not necessarily public, as it appears to be owned by Allied Properties, it is used by, gosh, millions of residents and visitors a year?

This signage is almost as embarrassing as the nearby Salmon Run fountain.

View attachment 504090

This thing is disgusting now, plus lots of weird people hiding inside, I'd rather take the street now unless it was heavy rain.

 

[afransen]

Oh The Urbanity recapped some public realm/safety improvements in Montreal. It makes me a bit wistful about relatively slow and unambitious changes in the GTA. Hopefully we're just late and not differing too much in the direction. I do feel like change in accelerating here.

 

[just east of the creek]

Oh The Urbanity recapped some public realm/safety improvements in Montreal. It makes me a bit wistful about relatively slow and unambitious changes in the GTA. Hopefully we're just late and not differing too much in the direction. I do feel like change in accelerating here.

You comments are spot on. One of the things I have noted, and will take decent photos of next growing season, are the plantings most often lining the physically concrete box separated bike lanes In Montreal. . Depending on the lane these planting areas are separated boxes, as shown in construction on one segment of the video, or long planting boxes running the length of the bike lane. The planting encompasses everything from trees to flowers to grasses. And seems to depend on where you are, whether the plantings are planned or just naturally generated. And these plantings can be tall, often creating a ‘hedging’ effect between you on your Bixie and the traffic on the other side of the ‘hedge’. Regardless, they are interesting, humanizing, decorative, and add to the traffic calming of the (recommended) Montreal intersection processes, and as a means of reducing the importance and impact of cars.

Good video, should probably be played at council on the largest screen available……