{"id":15688,"date":"2015-01-20T07:10:29","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T11:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/?p=15688"},"modified":"2015-01-20T07:15:47","modified_gmt":"2015-01-20T11:15:47","slug":"watered-vision-dartmouths-canal-greenway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/2015\/01\/20\/watered-vision-dartmouths-canal-greenway\/","title":{"rendered":"A Watered Down Vision: Dartmouth&#8217;s Canal Greenway"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>DARTMOUTH<\/strong> &#8211; After 17 years of planning, construction of Dartmouth\u2019s Canal Greenway is about to begin. Unfortunately, what\u2019s now planned is a far less interesting space than originally envisioned. Conceptual plans for the Greenway were completed in 2002 and 2006 and, although they differed in a few details, both had a consistent vision composed of four main elements; (1) heritage interpretation, (2) a multi-use trail, (3) a daylighted Sawmill River and (4) a new playground. Details in the concept plans needed to be further refined, but this core vision was supposed to carry forward and guide the park\u2019s development. That vision, however, is on the verge of being significantly watered down. In a recently released site plan, the daylighted waterway and playground have vanished and the trail has been relocated to the edge. Only the heritage elements remain. The decision to abandon the original vision has been made without any public discussion or explanation. This process lacks any kind of participatory involvement and is unlikely to produce a park Dartmouthians will love.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15689\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15689\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Canal-Greenway-Park-Bing.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15689\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Canal-Greenway-Park-Bing.jpg\" alt=\"The Canal Greenway Park. Photo Bing\" width=\"1000\" height=\"718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Canal-Greenway-Park-Bing.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Canal-Greenway-Park-Bing-300x215.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Canal-Greenway-Park-Bing-600x431.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Canal-Greenway-Park-Bing-940x675.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15689\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Canal Greenway Park. Photo Bing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Designing Public Spaces<\/strong><br \/>\nDesigning public spaces is something that planners often get wrong. Spaces that are filled with people in an architectural rendering are frequently devoid of life in reality. To be well-used, a space needs a purpose, it needs to be inviting and, crucially, it needs people. Empty spaces repel us while bustling spaces attract. Danish architect Jan Gehl notes that, to increase the number of people using a space, you can increase the number passing through or increase the length of time that people stay. Slowing people down is often the easier approach and, as a result, spaces that provide a diversity of experiences tend to be more successful, especially in smaller cities. So how do the changes to the Greenway impact the type of space that will be built? Will the new plan create a lively park?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15692\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15692\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2006-Plan.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15692\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2006-Plan.jpg\" alt=\"Original 2006 Canal Greenway Concept Plan by Ekistics Planning &amp; Design\" width=\"1000\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2006-Plan.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2006-Plan-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2006-Plan-600x320.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2006-Plan-940x502.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15692\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Original 2006 Canal Greenway Concept Plan by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ekistics.net\/\">Ekistics Planning &amp; Design<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15693\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15693\" style=\"width: 837px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/CBCL-Site-Plan.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15693\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/CBCL-Site-Plan.jpg\" alt=\"2014 Canal Greenway Plan by HTFC Planning &amp; Design\" width=\"837\" height=\"1384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/CBCL-Site-Plan.jpg 837w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/CBCL-Site-Plan-181x300.jpg 181w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/CBCL-Site-Plan-600x992.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/CBCL-Site-Plan-568x940.jpg 568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 837px) 100vw, 837px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15693\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2014 Canal Greenway Plan by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.htfc.mb.ca\/\">HTFC Planning &amp; Design<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>From Multi-use Park to Outdoor Museum<\/strong><br \/>\nWith the loss of the waterway and playground and the rerouting of the main trail, the new plan for the Greenway is, primarily, about heritage interpretation. The Canal Greenway is a key historic site, having once been an aboriginal canoe route, a segment of the Shubenacadie Canal and, finally, Starr Manufacturing where the skates and sticks that made modern ice hockey possible were produced. The exposure of the old stonework and the reconstruction of the Starr power house, boat cradle and incline plane will be wonderful additions to the Greenway that will visually tell the story of the site.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, it\u2019s difficult to design successful public spaces that are based on heritage interpretation alone. Since heritage interpretation doesn\u2019t change and isn\u2019t a regular activity in most people\u2019s day-to-day lives, it doesn\u2019t usually create repeat visitors. Halifax\u2019s Citadel Hill is a good example. As a major museum, Citadel Hill attracts hordes of tourists, but relatively few locals. Instead, locals use Citadel Hill for recreation including running, sunbathing, tobogganing and outdoor events. It takes a large and steady stream of tourists to make Citadel Hill\u2019s heritage interpretation successful. The key question is, will the Greenway\u2019s heritage elements alone generate enough interest to create a lively public space? It seems doubtful. To be well-used and loved, the Greenway needs to both serve some of the daily needs of the local community and interpret the site\u2019s significant heritage.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15695\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15695\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Citadel-Hill-Example.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15695\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Citadel-Hill-Example.jpg\" alt=\"The tourist versus local experience on Citadel Hill. Photo Novascotia.com &amp; EyeofJ\" width=\"1000\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Citadel-Hill-Example.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Citadel-Hill-Example-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Citadel-Hill-Example-600x203.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Citadel-Hill-Example-940x318.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15695\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The tourist versus local experience on Citadel Hill. Photo <a href=\"http:\/\/www.novascotia.com\/see-do\/attractions\/halifax-citadel-national-historic-site\/1440\">Novascotia.com<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/52058725@N04\/6808651934\/in\/photolist-Zk7Ne-Zpkkf-ZjbBc-ZpsMY-ZpMX1-ZpMZS-Zk7Qk-ZpMWE-Zk7Ma-ZpSHL-ZjbBZ-Zjkux-ZpMZd-Zk7KV-Zk7MF-8vWb24-dzAKk3-6XieeZ-5NZXE-dLEFVC-dLz9DM-5NZXC-bnE81A-mAqWM-mAp8a-mAp85-mAp82-mAp86-5eb4Hw-5e6G7c-5e6GtR-5eb4Y9-5eb56A-dHSMSV-anKPpo-anKPNG-djGVFB-dgmkeR-8xpc2s-o7iRjC-bCPuSY-5e6H3T-ZpMWy-5ekkV6-2UKWBZ-7Wwz5-5HrVnU-dHYhSd-ZpsL5-348Dov\">EyeofJ<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The Missing Elements<\/strong><br \/>\nSadly, the lost playground and daylighted river were the two elements in the original Greenway vision that had the most potential to create repeat visitors while also slowing people down and holding them in the space. Playgrounds bustle because they\u2019re a key part of daily life and they\u2019re spaces where people stop for relatively long periods of time. A well-designed and well-situated playground is a fantastic asset that brings swarms of kids and accompanying adults. The Greenway playground was to be built in the style of one of the old canal boats to create a focal point at the top of the site and provide some symbolic heritage interpretation. Losing it greatly diminishes the park\u2019s appeal.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15700\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15700\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Playgrounds-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15700\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Playgrounds-2.jpg\" alt=\"Boat playground at the top of the Greenway in the 2006 plan. Plaza with replica cradle and interpretative collage in 2014 plan.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Playgrounds-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Playgrounds-2-300x108.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Playgrounds-2-600x216.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Playgrounds-2-940x338.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15700\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boat playground at the top of the Greenway in the 2006 plan. Plaza with replica cradle and interpretative collage in 2014 plan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Water is another dynamic element. It changes with the weather and light and brings nature into the city. People seem to be hard-wired to congregate by waterways and throughout the world they\u2019re popular places to stroll along and relax by. The vision for the Greenway included a daylighted Sawmill River through at least a portion of the park and it held out the possibility of reintroducing water to some of the heritage elements where it once flowed, notably the tailrace. All of this, however, has vanished in the 2014 site plan. Leaving the Sawmill River buried underground makes the Greenway a much less interesting space and negatively impacts the significant efforts put into heritage interpretation. The entire reason the Greenway is historically significant is because the Sawmill River made the Canal and Starr plant possible. Without water, it would not be an important property. Marking the waterway\u2019s former course with decorative pavers while leaving the real thing buried underground is not very compelling.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15699\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15699\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Daylighted-Waterway.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15699\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Daylighted-Waterway.jpg\" alt=\"Daylighted waterway in the lower half of the Greenway and tailrace in 2006 plan. Multi-use trail (purple), benches, and decorative paving (grey) to denote historic waterway in 2014 plan.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Daylighted-Waterway.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Daylighted-Waterway-300x108.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Daylighted-Waterway-600x216.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Daylighted-Waterway-940x338.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15699\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daylighted waterway in the lower half of the Greenway and tailrace in 2006 plan. Multi-use trail (purple), benches, and decorative paving (grey) to denote historic waterway in 2014 plan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A multi-use trail is another one of the Greenway\u2019s key components. A trail through the Greenway will link the existing Lake Banook and Harbour systems and will be a major asset for walkers, runners and cyclists. The original vision routed the trail through the middle of the Greenway, symbolically representing the incline plane\u2019s historic presence. Relocating the trail to the edge takes the Greenway\u2019s liveliest remaining element and pushes it to the periphery. Rather than passing through the park, the trail is now, essentially, a wide sidewalk along Prince Albert Road. How big an impact this has is really dependent on how the rebuilt plane is surfaced. If the materials selected are still attractive for active transportation users, than the plane could still function as the defacto main path. The plane appears green on the site plan and grass would be a terrible material to choose. A final decision on surfacing, however, hasn\u2019t been made.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15702\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15702\" style=\"width: 712px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-ekistics.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15702\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-ekistics.jpg\" alt=\"Trail in the original 2006 plan passing through the site (red arrows added for emphasis)\" width=\"712\" height=\"312\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-ekistics.jpg 712w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-ekistics-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-ekistics-600x263.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15702\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trail in the original 2006 plan passing through the site (red arrows added for emphasis)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15701\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15701\" style=\"width: 712px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-cbcl.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15701\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-cbcl.jpg\" alt=\"Trail passing along Prince Albert Road in the 2014 plan (red arrows added for emphasis)\" width=\"712\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-cbcl.jpg 712w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-cbcl-300x115.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/trail-cbcl-600x230.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15701\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trail passing along Prince Albert Road in the 2014 plan (red arrows added for emphasis)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The loss of the playground and waterway and, potentially, the relocated trail has transformed the Canal Greenway in the 2014 site plan from the originally envisioned multi-use park into an outdoor museum. The new space will have some great heritage curiosities, but its regular everyday use will be by people passing through. This is not a recipe for great public space and this is not the original concept.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How Did We Get Here?<\/strong><br \/>\nSo how did the plan for the Greenway get scaled back when the original vision was supported by public consultation and was accepted by Harbour East Community Council? How did we get from dynamic multi-use park to outdoor museum? Developing the Greenway has been a partnership between the municipality and the Shubenacadie Canal Commission. Halifax has provided the land, staff and cash while the Commission has contributed heritage expertise. Harbour East Community Council approved the 2006 vision as the \u201cpreferred direction\u201d for the park in March 2008 and later presentations to Council by HRM staff and the Commission referenced the playground and daylighted waters. The departure from the vision is a relatively recent decision. I asked the municipality\u2019s project manager, Terry Gallagher and Bernie Hart with the Canal Commission what happened.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15696\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15696\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2011-Rendering-small.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15696\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2011-Rendering-small.jpg\" alt=\"Image prepared by Ekistics and presented to Council by Canal Commission in 2011 showing an evolving concept that is still consistent with established vision. Water in the tailrace, multi-use trail and replica boat cradle. Rebuilt powerhouse in distance.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2011-Rendering-small.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2011-Rendering-small-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2011-Rendering-small-600x349.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/Ekistics-2011-Rendering-small-940x547.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15696\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image prepared by Ekistics and presented to Council by Canal Commission in 2011 showing an evolving concept that is still consistent with established vision. Water in the tailrace, multi-use trail and replica boat cradle. Rebuilt powerhouse in distance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>In Need of a Champion?<\/strong><br \/>\nDaylighting is probably the Greenway\u2019s most complex element. The Canal Commission strongly opposes daylighting through the upper portion of the Greenway because of concerns that it would destroy the archaeological remains and the reconstruction of the incline plane. The Commission would, however, support daylighting in the lower portion of the Greenway or an alternate route around the Lock 4 Condominium. The municipality says that since Halifax Water owns the pipes, it\u2019s up to the utility to decide. As a utility, Halifax Water has a narrow mandate for managing storm water and that mandate doesn\u2019t include building parks. The result is that it seems like there is no one on the inside of the Greenway\u2019s planning process to champion daylighting and it\u2019s, therefore, not surprising that it has disappeared from the site plan. It\u2019s unfortunate.<\/p>\n<p>In December, in response to a campaign by the Ecology Action Centre, Harboureast Community Council asked for a staff report into daylighting Sawmill River. The renewed interest in daylighting suggests that the community remains interested in at least one of Greenway\u2019s missing elements, having water flow through the park. As the owner and developer of the Greenway, the municipality should be leading the effort to daylight Sawmill River, not preparing site plans that rely on decorative pavers to mark the waterway\u2019s former route. Given the renewed interest in daylighting, it makes no sense to scale the vision back.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Too Many Playgrounds?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe municipality indicates that the playground was cut because there are already enough in Downtown Dartmouth. Maybe, but, apart from Alderney, all of the nearby playgrounds are fairly modest. What was envisioned in the Greenway was a unique boat structure that would be a destination for parents and kids. Substantial growth is planned in Downtown Dartmouth at King\u2019s Wharf and Dartmouth Cove, which are both mere blocks away from the Greenway. To house more people and attract families, the municipality needs to provide the necessary amenities. If a playground truly isn\u2019t needed, it still shouldn\u2019t be dropped from the plan without considering the role it played in the original vision. The playground was one of the park\u2019s liveliest elements that would draw locals and fulfill day-to-day recreation needs. If it\u2019s going to be cut, it should be replaced with something with similar attributes to maintain the diversity of uses in the park.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15704\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15704\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/kings-wharf-dart-cove.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15704\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/kings-wharf-dart-cove.jpg\" alt=\"Revised plan for King's Wharf and concept plan for Dartmouth Cove. Photo HRM and WDCL\" width=\"1000\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/kings-wharf-dart-cove.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/kings-wharf-dart-cove-300x93.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/kings-wharf-dart-cove-600x185.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2015\/01\/kings-wharf-dart-cove-940x290.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15704\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Revised plan for King&#8217;s Wharf and concept plan for Dartmouth Cove. Photo HRM and WDCL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The Incline Plane:<\/strong><br \/>\nFinally, the municipality reports that the trail has been relocated to allow a more historically accurate recreation of the incline plane. Rather than recreate the plane\u2019s approximate slope and pave the route for the main multi-use trail, the new site plan opts for less modern materials and the installation of replica pulleys. The plane is certainly important for understanding the site\u2019s history, but is it worth rerouting the trail for? All that\u2019s left of the original is a section of ironstone bed and a pair of foundation footings in the lower end of the Greenway. Relocating the trail takes a lot of life out of the park. It\u2019s a lot to give up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who Decides?<\/strong><br \/>\nAt the heart of the changes to the Canal Greenway vision is the question of how public space gets designed and built. The 2006 vision for the Greenway was supported by public consultation and was approved by community council. The conceptual plan was suppose to guide the park\u2019s development, but its core elements are not reflected in the latest site plan. The result is a much less interesting space. These decisions are being made in private with no public discussion or explanation. This is not a good way to design and build public facilities. The people who are actually going to use a space should inform its design. If the vision for the Greenway is going to change, then the public should be consulted. It would be a mistake to implement the watered down vision of the Greenway without knowing whether the community supports the changes or not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DARTMOUTH &#8211; After 17 years of planning, construction of Dartmouth\u2019s Canal Greenway is about to begin. Unfortunately, what\u2019s now planned is a far less interesting space than originally envisioned. Conceptual plans for the Greenway were completed in 2002 and 2006 and, although they differed in a few details, both had a consistent vision composed of<a href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/2015\/01\/20\/watered-vision-dartmouths-canal-greenway\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;A Watered Down Vision: Dartmouth&#8217;s Canal Greenway&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8119,"featured_media":15595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5858,5866,5871,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-civic-engagement","category-green-space","category-parks","category-spacing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Watered Down Vision: Dartmouth&#039;s Canal Greenway - Spacing Atlantic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/atlantic\/2015\/01\/20\/watered-vision-dartmouths-canal-greenway\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Watered Down Vision: Dartmouth&#039;s Canal Greenway - Spacing Atlantic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"DARTMOUTH &#8211; After 17 years of planning, construction of Dartmouth\u2019s Canal Greenway is about to begin. Unfortunately, what\u2019s now planned is a far less interesting space than originally envisioned. 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