Lombard Square, Portage and Main, Winnipeg, Canada

From CollabLandWiki

1 Location
2 Designer
3 Design/programmatic goals
4 Strengths/Weaknesses
5 Sucess/Failure
6 Future of The Sight
7 AutoCAD Map
8 Sources of Information

Location

Portage and Main Street Winnipeg, Canada

Designer

Design/programmatic goals

The whole design strategy and intent of the underground concourse is to prevent pedestrians from crossing at street level in order to speed up car traffic. Taking into account that this design accomplishes the job rather successfully, it also brings up some key concerns that notably affect the people walking the underground network.

Program

Speeds up car traffic decreasing the pedestrian fatality rate
Provides cover to get out of the elements
Promotes a new era of design by the implications of vendors and various other services. There is actually over 50 shops including a wide variety of services, retail stores, and other amenities.
Street parades and parties

Strengths/Weaknesses

Lets say for instance that you are at the TD Bank corner and need to get to Lombard Place directly across Main Street. You abruptly encounter the protruding car barrier that unwillingly directs you to an enticing shopping complex called Winnipeg Square. Indirectly in a roundabout way you reach your destination; however, not until after you pass by dozens of shops that pull at your wallet with the of tricking innocent bystanders into purchasing things they don't need, and would never have bought in the first place. It’s almost demeaning to humans giving them the perception that cars should override their personal freedom to walk where they please. Are we seriously a colony of ants finding our way through an intense grid system avoiding what lies above us? The extent of this detour can lengthen your journey easily by at least 5 minutes.

Sucess/Failure

One obvious success is the fact that again the traffic flow can’t subsidize because of people walking the streets and the innate passage way provide that brief yet necessary protection from Winnipeg’s cold and snowy winter making it an ideal design. Also Winnipeg Square is primarily targeted to the downtown office worker crowd. The mall is nearly deserted on the weekends. Winnipeg Square is linked to most downtown hotels, entertainment venues, office buildings, and other retail establishments through underground walkways. However the site has brought quite a bit of controversy. As a human walking the streets, you are obligated to go beneath the ground which is not in the least bit landscape oriented. It is only 8 lanes of traffic and the fact of the matter is that there were obvious sacrifices made but for what cost. The streets need to be reclaimed by the people. Some suggestions thrown out by designers are to mimic the diagonal crosswalks like in Tokyo where all traffic stops. If traffic moves more slowly, people will feel safer. It is clear that something needs to be changed because Portage and Main has now made New York City’s Project for Public Spaces website's Hall of Shame.

Future of The Sight

A legally binding agreement that expires in 2016 was signed in which the blockades can only be removed if all four corner business owners unanimously agree to remove them. There is not much hope for bringing the historical area back to life. Even the former mayor hosted a design competition to revitalize the intersection and remove the barriers. Unfortunately, this idea was put on low priority by the current Mayor Sam Katz. Any features from the winning design are to be implemented to the underground concourse and not be even considered for street level. When a landscape puts car flow before a person’s experiences and how, something is obviously wrong. This agreement is still in effect unless all seven property owners agree to remove the barriers. Mayor Sam Katz has said in the past that he would not challenge that agreement in court.

The question of reopening the famed Portage and Main intersection to pedestrians has resurfaced at city hall every now and again however. "I don't know of any city that doesn't let people cross at the busiest corners, and there's a lot busier corners around the world where people still cross the street, and there's not any barriers there," Centre Venture chair Ida Albo said."I think more people will actually come to Portage and Main, than less." Six out of the seven property owners said they would support a 2004 proposed design plan that would introduce new vegetation, a lighted walkway, glass "silos" and new pavement to a more pedestrian-friendly Portage and Main, so let’s hope for the best.