Corner shops

Uses

The strength of a city is in its interconnected neighbourhoods, where the engagement and sense of community on the street level keeps the city healthy and alive. Placemaking pays dividends in public health, economics, and safety. The open spaces are providing different uses and activities to keep fun, active and sustainable.

In order to preserve the sustainability of the public realm the activities are seasonally. In the summer there are different activities compared to the winter in order to keep the vitality of the space during the entire year. The boulevard is mainly for shopping and leisure such as bars and clubs to keep both neighbourhood active and vital in the night. Blending residential, office and commercial areas, such as bars, restaurants, cafés and local commerce. As the total need of commercial services based on households is 11,000m2 (Steiteville, 2007) and the area is offering 11,500 m2 to invite people from entire Okotoks as well (Appendix). The uses attracts people and makes the environment safer and friendlier. The diversity of uses generates external activities that contribute to the safety of spaces more people on the streets helps to inhibit crime.

Figure 39: Uses placemaking diagram

Social

The public spaces are open and welcoming to people of different ages, ethnicities, cultures and class of population from the area and also outside. It serves the social interaction and social cohesion on different scales. Different age groups tend to use public spaces at different times of day and for different reasons. Older people and children in particular appeared to be influenced by the presence of other age groups. Older people are frequently absent from public places, especially after dark.

The use of green open spaces was most affected by the seasons, time of day and prevailing weather and light conditions. The park and the creek were both places where people could spend time without spending money, and behave in less formal and sometimes more intimate ways. Regular users included people who were ‘excluded’ from many town-centre meeting places, either by prices (e.g.. in coffee shops) or because they were under-age, barred or discouraged. Certain groups of young people and unemployed people, used the municipal park all year round

Figure 40: social placemaking diagram

Boulevard

The boulevard is a green corridor includes around 50 on 8,400 m2 commercial services that connects the neighbouring development area of Wind walks with the project area. A very wide street that has trees and flora on either side of it. This boulevard has open space systems that has several functions at once. This green boulevard is lined with various mixed use properties, such as restaurants, boutiques and retail. It’s a the backbone of a much larger road network. It accommodates bicycle and pedestrian traffic acting as a multi-use street. Smart street and pedestrian lighting line the pathways.

This boulevard brings a community feeling to the people who live around it, specifically the lower income housing. The connection between the neighbourhood area Wind walks allows for many great opportunities. The provision of a commercial centre creates a social gather place for the residents.

•Street vendors: when dining at a restaurant is too much of an occasion then street vendors come in handy. Selling hot food that is ready almost immediately is always a plus when pushing people to be active. • Game tables: activity aimed towards children and the elderly, it brings strangers together along the median. • Caricature Art: artists will line the boulevard each with different skills highlighting the diversity of

Figure 41: Boulevard Cross-section