City issues neglected in election
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Republished with permission courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.
Politicians yet to promote vision for Winnipeg
Nearly 55 per cent of Manitoba’s population lives inside Winnipeg’s Perimeter Highway, representing more than 60 per cent of the province’s employment and two-thirds of its GDP. Despite this concentration of people and commerce, urban issues have seemingly not been a central focus of the provincial election campaign. Manitoba’s provincial budget is 12 times greater than Winnipeg’s municipal budget, meaning the province’s values and civic priorities have a substantial influence on the type of city we build.
A recent Winnipeg Free Press poll found the top priority for Winnipeg voters is roads and potholes. It was identified as being the most important issue more than twice as often as health care or taxes. While this result may be disheartening for those hoping for a more inspiring election dialogue, it is hardly surprising.
Image: Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press. Rapid transit has proven a great success in major cities across Canada, yet none of the major parties has touched on it during the provincial election campaign.
Pedestrian Traffic at Portage and Main Would Invigorate All of Winnipeg
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Photo by Phil Hossack, Winnipeg Free Press
Nothing stirs the passions of Winnipeggers more than talking about traffic. Those emotions boiled over recently when the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ hosted, Imagine Portage and Main, a symposium to stimulate conversation about the future of our city’s once iconic intersection.
The event’s guest speaker was Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, a business improvement district that successfully navigated a public consultation process to transform the New York intersection from a seedy, car-dominated crossing into a safe, pedestrian destination and vibrant public space.
Judging by the response on social media, Internet forums, radio callin shows and newspaper comment sections, the challenge of convincing Winnipeggers to consider a similar evolution for their famous intersection will be even more daunting than persuading eight million New Yorkers.
Building a better neighborhood
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
It's not often our little city makes headlines in major international newspapers. When it does, it's rarely the precursor to a positive story.
A recent banner in Britain's prominent daily the Guardian, made it clear its Winnipeg tale would be no different.
Titled Crime in the community: when 'designer' social housing goes wrong, the column presents a less-than-glowing review of Centre Village, a Manitoba Housing complex on Balmoral Street in the Central Park neighbourhood, designed by local firm 5468796 Architecture.
The Courtyard at Centre Village in Winnipeg's Central Park neighbourhood is meant to be a safe meeting place for residents.
Photo by James Brittain, Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg's Skyline Looking Up
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
North American cities are often judged by their skylines. The postcard image of towers set along the horizon seem to stand like a bar-chart representation of a city's power and affluence.
By this metric, 2015 was a pretty good year for Winnipeg, with five new downtown highrise towers under construction. The last time the city saw that many cranes in the skyline, the Winnipeg Jets' top line wasn't Ladd, Little and Wheeler, it was Hull, Nilsson and Hedberg, struggling to make the playoffs in 1974.
In many cities, highrise construction is largely driven by high-end condominium development, but Winnipeg's new towers respond to a range of functions and demographics.
The 'Flying Saucer' under Construction at the base of the Disraeli Freeway is among the many new developments making a mark on Winnipeg's skyline.
The Past must be part of the future
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By Brent Bellamy, Creative Director and Architect
Thirty years ago, Winnipeg's Exchange District was a hollow collection of pollution-stained industrial warehouses surrounded by treeless streets and empty sidewalks. At night, a checkerboard of dimly lit windows behind the facades of darkened buildings would reveal a subculture of artists and musicians using the low-rent spaces as studios and squatter residences. From the street, the heavy brick walls would only partially muffle the nocturnal sound of rehearsing local rock bands, as old single-pane windows pulsed to the beat of the music inside.
Albert Street was heart of the city's seedy 'red light district', anchored by the Royal Albert and St. Charles Hotels. Their dingy bars, smelling like a potent cocktail of sweat, smoke and marijuana, were the centre of a vibrant local punk rock scene. The district itself was the heart of a thriving artistic community.
A map locating the creative industries in Winnipeg's Exchange District.
Number TEN Blog
Number TEN Inspired! captures the knowledge, passion and ideas of our award winning architects, interior designers and supporting staff, as they navigate through the complexities of the modern design landscape. We are creative problem solvers, advocates for better ways of doing things, and observers of all that is interesting and noteworthy in our field. This blog is our effort to share our knowledge and ideas in a way that resonates with everyone. Whether you work in the industry as an architect, interior designer, building manager, property developer, or are just someone with an interest in creativity and new ways of doing things, this blog has something for you.
