Have you ever been to a walkable city before? He is making a distinction between two very different cities and practices. One that embraced close proximity to work, play, commercial, educational, and residential to one that sacrificed those things in favour of individual transportation. Like he said in the video The likes of Walmart, Zellers, Target etc are ancor tenants much like The Bay was. When those stores left Place D'Orleans (was bought out then went bankrupt) they left a void that affected all of the stores in that mall. This is a different argument than find a cheap plot of land and building up on it, playing funny business with property taxes
Look at The Hazeldean Mall in Kanata. It's anchor tenant was Steinbergs (grocery store) and Towers/Zellers department Store in the 80's and 90's. It was Kanata's only real mall, the Town Center was never really a "mall"(Cinema, Fat Albert's, Beer Store....). Once Kanata Cetrum was built and attracted all the box stores it destroyed the mall. In his video he talks about the stores in those malls were many locally owned and operated businesses that gave back to the community/economy. When these mega stripmalls took over they eliminated the need for these smaller stores giving way to corporate franchises that suck money most times out of the country. Walkable cities on the other hand are mostly known for the opposite.
The stores in the market are suffering because the market is not in a neighborhood but a destination. The downtown/Sparks is not a neighborhood it's a buisness location where after 5 its dead. Get outside of those areas and they are doing much better. The Glebe is not as reliant on downtown for their day to day business because they are a walkable neighborhood. Westboro is a walkable neighborhood. Those 2 neighborhoods are full of independant owners of shops and rely on their immediate proximity to the community. Those people shop online too but not to the detriment of their community. When you've actually been to a walkable city it hits you in the face just how much more conveinant it is than getting in your car to drive 10 minutes to get 1 thing you forgot. Your habits are tied to your environment. Walkable cities do not require big box stores.
Of course! Who hasn't? Great to visit...awful to live in. That's my opinion.
Of course the cities are very different for the reasons mentioned. Population density...surrounding population...city landsize.... All these play a huge roll that has nothing to do with culture and lifestyle and regulations.
I worked in the mall for 16 years. I know for a fact that box stores came to Orleans and the mall still thrived...what killed the mall is online shopping. You can say what you want about anchor tenants, and losing them does have an affect, but nowhere as much as online shopping.
Place dorleans filled their anchor tenants...still had the bay...had GoodLife...had sportchek...still dead..why? Online sales.
The point is quite clear that having a bunch of specialty little stores all within walking distance all reachable by public transit is NOT a winning recipe...or else malls would be thriving.
The tax loopholes from the video are interesting, but not substantiated...we have no evidence that that is actually happening here. Their examples were all a small town getting a Wal Mart...well, what about a city of 2 million getting 6 Wal marts spread out...they didn't really explain that or how it might be good to have options of big box stores and smaller stores...which ones do better and why? What's the solution?
You mention the Glebe as walkable...my gf lived there. It was convenient in some ways, yes, but also a pain in many other ways...
Was nice to wake up and walk to kettlemans bagels and enjoy a breakfast...but was also a pain in the ass to get many things....need supplies at a Canadian Tire/home Depot...well, good luck. Nothing in the downtown core. Wanted some cheap cereal. Wal Mart always has a 3 boxes for $9...but the local store was selling boxes for like $7-8 each...instead of $3.33...said f*** that and didn't get cereal.
They lack a lot of options. Grocery shopping at the metro Glebe is like shopping for groceries at a 7-11...no options...
Walkable cities are trash BECAUSE they lack options, in my opinion.
I would rather be able to own land with a pool and hot tub and patio and have a multi car garage and drive 5 mins down the road in my FUN car to get anything I need...rather than have to live in a tiny place sharing walls with neighbours, have to walk, have to pay more for everything, and lack a lot of options. That sounds fun for a one week trip, but sounds awful for many others.
Like I said, my gf lived right near bank street and she is much happier living in Orleans with a car and able to drive wherever she wants than living in the Glebe without a car having to walk or bus or be out of luck to go somewhere.
It's not even close.
I've visited many people who live in central apartments where you're walking distance from all the store and downtown...cool for a 22 year old...complete nightmare for someone raising a family.
Where I live, I can easily have 10 of my closest couples over for a nice big dinner party. Everyone can get ther easily and park for free...there's space of having many different rooms so you're not claustrophobic in some tiny apartment kitchen or dining room.
