While reading the latest issue of See Magazine on my bus ride home, I stumbled upon an article by Brian Gould reimagining Gateway Boulevard, all the potential that it holds. In Gould’s sketches of Whyte Ave/ Gateway Boulevard the space would be lined with street level shops and apartments on top, there would be benches and planters abound, pedestrian action at all hours, tress that line the boulevard and surrounding streets, patios for communities to gather summer and winter alike.
The street name is as deceiving as the physical space. “Gateway” suggests a grand entry of some variety, a transitional space to the heart of the city. And “Boulevard” is more than a synonym for street, and is a promenade for people in motion lined with architectural feats, divided by a row of trees. Gould suggests that if we were to let the space become what the name implies we could create a linear park, providing a green connection into the river valley (arguably one of the most loved aspects of the city), linking Fringe venues, festival sites and neighborhoods.
What struck me most about the written description and accompanying sketches was the vats amount of green. Apparently nature is a huge factor linked to the “livability” of an area (Vancouver being considered one of the most livable major Canadian cities). I have grown up loving urban centers, and one of the things that I love most about Edmonton is that there is actually a pretty nice balance between the natural and the urban. Unlike some urban centers, there is some room for green. Another major thing that struck me about the piece is that the proposed natural spaces would work with the pre-existing space, working to join the parts of the city.
What’s your take? How would reimagining this space benefit the city and our identity as Edmontonians?
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