Across the Spacing urban blog network each week we’re asking our readers in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Otttawa, and the Atlantic cities to let us know their favourite things about their respective city.
THIS WEEK: What is your favourite pedestrian bridge(s) in your city?
If possible, please provide a link to a photo you are commenting about. We suggest using Flickr as the photographers that use this site usually provide the best quality images (and often with creative commons usage). And if you really want to be helpful you can provide a link to the work’s location on Google Maps (please use a bit.ly or tinyurl.com URL so we don’t get horribly long links that Google provides).
MacDonald Bridge by Lawrence Plug
4 comments
I enjoy the bridge over Water St in Halifax that takes pedestrians to the elevated plaza in front of the Court House. The slightly arched concrete walkway springs from a park-et with mature plantings at the base of George St and meets the south-west corner of the plaza. To my mind the bridge fits in so well that it is almost invisible.
Using the bridge is a pleasant 3 dimensional experience. When you walk on the bridge the width feels generous. As you approach the Court House its entrance and the plaza are hidden but when you reach the top of the arch there is a gentle incline leading to the building (these photos illustrate what I mean: http://pic.twitter.com/ySgxNCiI
But if you don’t go to the court house there is no reason to use the bridge – I make the effort every five years of so.
I’ll tell you what is my least favourite: that piece of crap at Lake Banook. Horribly over engineered, about as elegant as a socket wrench, clearly done by someone who had never done a ped bridge before. Shame shame.
Not exactly a pedestrian bridge, the boardwalk built across the marsh of the bird sanctuary in Sackville, NB, is extremely beautiful . In spots, tall young paper birches grow up on either side of the railings, creating a cathedral-like canopy overhead. And, of course, the surrounding air and water are full of bird activity and sounds. It’s quite breathtaking.
In Larry’s River, Nova Scotia is a pedestrian footbridge that has existed since 1924. It is a more than 100 metres in length. Originally a suspended bridge and then a wooden structure replaced it. Was built originally to enable children from the east side to walk to the school on the west side. Still remains an integral part of the community for walking, as a visitor attraction, as a perfect location for photo opportunities and even a convenient place to tie up a small boat. Come visit and walk along this historic structure!