A commentary by an Esquimalt resident.
It seems to me that recent and currently planned active transportation projects have all been designed with the status quo in mind, such that we have added to our automobile network many kilometres of bike lanes that cause a confusion of traffic, with more to come.
And soon, all-day bus lanes that will restrict automobile traffic to just one lane each way even on our busiest routes.
Meanwhile, we are rushing to build density throughout the region, erecting new condominium and apartment structures as mandated by provincial targets. Perhaps it’s time to question the status quo.
One possible answer already has precedent in the capital region’s many villages. We just need to think smaller. Much smaller.
Imagine micro-centres: small clusters of publicly accessible commercial/professional amenities incorporated by urban planners and their civic councils into selected new condominium and apartment proposals.
A good existing example is the West Bay development at the corner of Head and Gore in Esquimalt. This condominium includes a coffee shop, a dentist’s office and a LifeLabs location. That’s all.
A new development proposed within a few blocks might include a small corner store, a used-book shop and a hair salon, as examples, while a new development directly across the street need not offer public amenities at all.
As these developments continue to rise, as they will, a network of local amenities, services and resources will develop, providing walkable access to needed goods and services without sacrificing the residential character of communities.
Density will increase, and the distance residents need to travel will decrease, reducing vehicle counts on our roads, while improving residents’ general health and the enjoyment of their communities.
Micro-centres would not replace larger better stocked grocery stores, big box specialist retailers, or brand name shopping. Growth of existing villages may slow, preserving residential communities from becoming another Quadra Village.
Increased residential development downtown, without adding more commercial/professional space, should benefit the core by creating a more residential feel among the shops, banks, offices and hospitality services, and keep the streets lively, which is known to reduce criminal activity.
We do not want government offices duplicating themselves in a hundred or so little offices all across the city, so those should remain centralized.
Micro-centres will not put an end to the car, but they could go a long way toward reducing automobile traffic, increasing public convenience, and perhaps even improving community identity and spirit.
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