10 things we think Edmonton should borrow from other cities
Have you ever seen something cool in another city and thought, “Wow, I really wish we had this in Edmonton”? We’ve thought about it, and we’re sure many Edmontonians have, too.
Whether it’s the bustling marketplace of Seattle’s Pike Place Market, the bicycle-friendly streets of Amsterdam, or even the peaceful atmosphere of Calgary’s Devonian Gardens, some pretty cool things are happening in other cities that we wouldn’t mind Edmonton copying.
Here are some things that we would like to see in Edmonton that other cities have:
Medellin’s Metrocable system
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While the idea of building a gondola across the North Saskatchewan River has definitely been floated before, we’d love to see something more like the Metrocable in Medellin, Colombia. It’s a massive network of cable cars that transports people up and down the city’s steep hills, and we’d love something like that in Edmonton on the days we don’t feel like climbing all those river valley stairs.
Las Vegas’ Sphere
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If you thought the Talus Balls were impressive, what if Edmonton ripped a page out of Las Vegas’ book and built a giant sphere to the side of downtown?
The walls of Quebec City
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We love the historic vibes of Quebec City and think it would be pretty neat to see a giant wall built around the perimeter of Edmonton. It would be the perfect way to keep Flames fans out of the city!
The colourful houses in St. John’s
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In Edmonton, winters are cold, long, and dark, and outside, it can sometimes feel like someone turned on a black-and-white filter. In St. John’s, where winters are no better, stretches of homes have been painted in bright, cheerful colours. A little pop of colour on a dreary, snowy day is always a morale boost, and we think it would do wonders during an Edmonton winter.
Vancouver’s Seabus
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Imagine if we had a system of boats similar to the Seabus in Vancouver. How cool would it be if you lived in Terwillegar and could hop on a Riverbus downtown?
The Forks Market in Winnipeg
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A riverfront market in Edmonton, similar to The Forks, would be perfect. What if the old Rossdale Power Plant were turned into a big, bustling market? Like The Forks, the area has been a traditional meeting ground for thousands of years, and having a gathering space, food hall, and more there would be pretty spectacular.
Toronto’s streetcars
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We’d love to see Toronto’s streetcar system replicated in Edmonton. How perfect would something like this be on Whyte Avenue?
Montreal’s Underground City
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Edmonton already has a respectable network of pedways to get people around downtown during the wintry months, but what if we turned it into a full-blown underground city like in Montreal? Imagine a maze of shops, museums, attractions and more located right under the streets of downtown Edmonton. Say goodbye to shivering on the corner of Jasper and 109th Street!
New York’s Subway System
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We might have to scale this one down a bit to match the population, but 24/7 access to a quick, reliable train that runs frequently across the city would be a dream. We would love to not have the headaches of Anthony Henday congestion, paying for downtown parking, and expensive Uber rides.
Stephen Avenue in Calgary
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We would love to see a pedestrian-friendly stretch of road in Edmonton similar to Stephen Avenue in downtown Calgary, and think it would work great on 104th Street. There’s nothing better than sitting on a patio without the sounds of vehicle traffic breaking up conversation.
If you could take something from another city and put it in Edmonton, what would you choose? Let us know in the comments.