BAD DESIGN: ALTA VISTA DRIVE

Alta Vista was one of the first suburban areas to be developed in Ottawa after the Second World War. Large lots, a variety of housing types, dispersed services, stringent zoning, tied together by the family car, made up this suburban landscape. The nuclear-family homes - i.e. homes owned by male bread-winners who generally worked downtown and cut their lawns every week in the summer (which continues today) - are almost completely intact.

The area does have some mix of income. The neighbourhoods to the east of Smythe are of a slightly lower income, and consequently are of higher densities. Along Alta Vista Drive between Smythe and Heron Rd., the incomes are quite high with either two-income homes or infill of nouveau-riche immigrants. Overall, the area has a greater lack of public and commercial space than the core of the city.

Indeed, it is a classic North American suburb. There are a few corner stores; there is anxious concern about high-density development by the home owners; the neighbourhood is predominately populated by seniors (65+), who settled the area in the 1950s and early 1960s, although this demographic is beginning to change; there is no street parking and no bakery around the corner; there are a few urban parks, two cars in many of the driveways, and a lot of grass.

Alta Vista Drive began as a suburban arterial road between Smythe, Heron and Bank. It was not intended to be a commuter road. However, today this is what is has become. The rush-hour traffic is high along this road, with several traditional four-way stops and lights backing traffic up. Rather than proposing a traffic calming design, in an area where the use of sidewalks is minimal, especially by the older population, I would suggest roundabouts, to allow for a smoother flow of traffic at a reasonable speed.

Below are seven roundabouts along major crossings of Alta Vista Drive. From left (west) to right (east), they are located at:

1. a busy entrance to a plaza,
2. an entrance into a complex of three schools (a U-shaped through road is included),
3. a large one at Heron and Alta Vista (although this may be an optional one),
4. a small one at the entrance to Alta Vista Public School and a fire station,
5. a small one at Kilborn,
6. a small one at Cunningham, and lastly,
7. a small one at Pleasant Park.

Nay-sayers will raise the question of the children going to school...The record shows that roundabouts are no less safe than regular crossings, however the research may not convince everyone. Because the neighbourhood remains low in density, the number of people driving their children to the schools is high.

Here's a detail of the roundabouts at Cunningham and Pleasant Park:


This road is in need of redesign. A more radical approach would be to completely re-zone the area at each corner to allow for commercial and mid-sized housing blocks, but the community will need to evolve much more before this idea may apply. For now, roundabouts along this stretch of road would be useful to both the local neighbourhood and commuters traversing the area every weekday morning and evening.

BAD DESIGN: SUSSEX AND RIDEAU

Sussex and Rideau is one of the most complex corners to address in downtown Ottawa. Very few cities in Canada have the jurisdictional confusion and confrontations that come with a piece of land less than an acre in size in the heart of a city.

In the 19th century it was a typical street corner, but after Confederation, the corner rapidly evolved into a hub of transportation and commercial establishments. By the early 20th century, a canal, streetcar lines, two roads, a Beaux-Arts railway station, a Chicago style office block, and a grand Chateau style railway hotel lined the corners. The Greber Plan called for the elimination of the streetcars, the train station and the removal of the train tracks; the NCC demolished the Daly Building; the federal government created an underused conference centre from the vacant train station; the NCC built a pedestrian way which is used as a shelter for kids living on the street...This last feature is a good candidate for redesign.

I've included a quick sketch of what could be at this site. Essentially, I would invert the pedestrian underpass with the roads. A larger grassy area, sloping down towards the parkway, with a seating area, outdoor patio and perhaps a large projection screen would overlay the roads. A wide ramp would lead up from 700 Sussex to the plateau. Along the Rideau Street facade, at grade, would be steel trestles for the underpass and include a separate bike path. Bikes could reach the plateau by the ramp.

The redesign may hark back to 60s planning, but why not? With proper lighting and its use as a Winterlude site, the space could generate into a viable public meeting place.