Calgary vs Vancouver: Does the Urban Magnet Theory work?
Recently, I was given a book entitled “Urban Magnets” (with its subtitle “How Activity Subcultures Can Be A Catalyst for Rejuvenating Cities”). My first thought - “Oh Boy! Here we go again. More planners pontificating about how to save our cities.” What the heck is an “urban magnet?” And do we really need another urban term that the public doesn’t understand?
However, as I began reading the book, I smiled as it is a satirical yet serious critique of current “urban group think.”
The three authors start out saying, “We are planners and an architect, and we help design cities. One day we were looking at life over the rim of our beer glasses. The truth is, we were bored – with our work and our half successes with our work.”
I found myself nodding as several of the authors’ observations echoed things I have been saying for decades. It was a fun read – not too academic – with lots of VERY large text to highlight key points. And lots of white space to make notes.
My favourite urban planning trash talking segment was:
But promoting retail is often all we planners and designers can think of to animate urban spaces. Shopping has become so sacred that every new mixed-use building has to have retail on the ground floor, even if it sits empty for years and drives up the price of the housing above it to cover lost leasing revenues. Planners make it law, and architects cast it in concrete. After all, if they aren’t shopping, what else are people going to do?
The Urban Magnet Theory suggests that creating unique urban spaces like this one in Calgary’s East Village is critical to creating vibrant places.
Haden, Holland & Irvine
Urban Magnets was written by Bruce Haden (architect, Vancouver), Mark Holland (planner, Vancouver) and Bruce Irvine (planner, Manager Affordable Housing with the City of Calgary). The idea for the book was inspired by their thoughts on why the revitalization of Vancouver’s Granville Island was successful and how its success could be applied to other places.
And while the authors say they didn’t want to create a checklist for creating urban vitality, that is exactly what they did by identifying six urban magnets i.e. things that will attract people to a place and spend time there:
Activity Subcultures (culture vultures, fitness freaks, fashionistas, foodies, gamers, boarders, gardeners etc.)
Specialty Retail (linked to the above e.g. if art than, should have bookstores, galleries, poster shops, art supply stores, quilt supply shops)
Visible Production (if art - glass blowing, furniture making, set design shop, open studios, artist creating outdoor wall murals)
Educational/Learning (if art then art school, dance school, improv school)
Programming Events (if art then First Thursdays, Shakespeare in the Park, outdoor concerts)
Unique Urban Form (If art then public art, museum, art gallery, library, performing arts centre)
The More The Merrier!
The Urban Magnet authors think that to create year-round, everyday vitality, you need to be attractive to more than one activity subculture - ideally two or three – with each supported by the other “magnets.”
In Granville Island’s case the three subcultures are - foodies, arts and boating enthusiasts - supported by public market, restaurants, galleries, theatre and artists’ studios, as well as boat manufacturing and sales. It is the synergy of the six magnets working together that attracts people of like interests in sufficient numbers at different time of the day, week and year to animate urban public spaces.
I couldn’t help but wonder what happens if you apply the Urban Magnet theory to Calgary’s two most obvious urban redevelopment design experiments – Stephen Avenue Walk/Olympic Plaza (left) and East Village (right).
Granville Island Slideshow
Stephen Avenue Walk/Olympic Plaza (SAWOP)
If we apply the Urban Magnet theory to SAWOP, the biggest subculture would be “art aficionados” with Arts Commons as the anchor with its five performance spaces. Nearby, are the Glenbow Museum (art gallery), Vertigo Theatre, Lunchbox Theatre and Grand Theatre. It should be a vibrant arts district.
While, Stephen Avenue provides lots of upscale restaurants and bars to serve the before and after theatre crowd, there are unfortunately no artists’ hangouts to can mix and mingle with the performers. Missing too are the commercial art galleries, artist studios and bookstores that you might expect in a vibrant arts district. And while the art groups provide some casual educational programming, there is no major educational centre attracting students to the district.
1,000s of downtown workers stroll Stephen Avenue on nice days.
A second obvious SAWOP subculture is the “corporate workers” who love strolling along Stephen Avenue at lunch hour on nice sunny days - perhaps sitting, having lunch at Olympic Plaza listening to a noon hour concert, or perhaps even popping into the Glenbow Museum to see what is on.
Too bad the museum doesn’t have a special noon hour admission price.
There are lots of specialty retail for those who want to shop and lots of programming during the week along Stephen Avenue and weekends at Olympic Plaza. There are also dozens of “happy hours” to entice downtown workers to stay after work for a drink or to have a meal before heading to the Saddledome (hockey games, concerts) or theatre. And there are certainly lots of unique urban forms - historic buildings, contemporary architecture and pedestrian mall.
Yet Stephen Avenue Walk and Olympic Plaza struggle to have year-round, everyday vitality. Why? Because these two subculture magnets repel each other - as magnets do. The corporate bourgeoisie culture, is antagonistic to the bohemian nature of artists.
Case I point - Art Central (a block from Stephen Avenue) a collection of 50+ galleries and artists’ studios existed for a few years, but struggled to attract patrons.
The building was sold to institutional developers in 2012 who tore it down to build the uber chic, TELUS Sky office/residential tower.
Another example…McNally Robinson bookstore was a magnet for a few years in the ‘90s, but it too eventually closed, the building sold to an institutional investor (for a huge profit) and a national sporting goods chain store replaced it. (Side note: It too struggled and eventually closed and the building has been empty for the past few years.) The historic Bank of Montreal building was once a magnet - a destination stereo, music and bookstore in the ‘80s, but it closed in the ‘90s, sat empty for years and now is a private fitness studio.
Stephen Avenue should also be a magnet for Calgary’s “fashionistas” given it has three departments stores (for now) and The Core Shopping Centre. The problem: much of the shopping isn’t unique and weekday parking costs (thanks to the corporate workers) are a huge barriers to shoppers who just want to browse.
Fashion Central, with it 20+ independent stores, boutiques and designer studios was an attempt to provide the “visible production” magnet, but like Art Central it has struggled and now only a few boutiques remain.
From an “urban form” perspective The Core with Devonian Gardens is a hidden urban design gem.
Unlike Granville Island, which has a single owner and manager (Federal Government and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), who could subsidize the rents of studios with more commercial enterprises, Stephen Avenue has multiple owners and managers, each trying to maximize their profits.
While the landlords pay lip service to working together, in fact it is like herding cats to get them to do so. I know I worked with them for 10+ years in the ‘90s and early ‘00s.
SAWOP Slideshow
East Village
East Village is perhaps a better comparison to Granville Island redevelopment given its development is managed by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary of the City of Calgary).
In many ways, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation has been implementing the “Urban Magnet” theory but perhaps in reverse order i.e. creating “Unique Urban Form” (i.e. RiverWalk, Library, Museum, St. Patrick’s Island Park and Public Art), followed by extensive “Programming” (i.e. pop-up events, food trucks, runs, opera etc.), as well the Library has extensive programming.
These “Unique Urban Form” magnets have been attracting Calgarians from all walks of life to East Village, to see the mega changes, with the goal of enticing some to move there.
Real Canadian Superstore streetscape
While there isn’t much “Visible Production” to see in East Village, (unless you love watching new buildings being constructed) – there is lots of that.
“Specialty Retail” is coming, with the recent opening of the new Real Canadian Superstore enhancing the walkability of the community for everyday needs by 100%.
East Village’s most obvious “activity subculture” would be culture vultures attracted by the new Central Library, National Music Centre, historic King Eddy Hotel, the robust public art program and perhaps even the proximity to the Olympic Plaza Cultural District and Stampede Park. What is missing at the moment is specialty retail like - bookstore and commercial art galleries and music store.
Another subculture would be “techies” as the Library is also functions as an innovation Incubator, as will the new Platform Innovation Centre in the new parkade. Will they bring with them more street level co-work spaces so popular with the digital generation?
The third subculture could be “fitness fanatics” – those who want to run, walk, cycle along the Bow River pathway. This should open up opportunities for various activity clubs, maybe a bike shop or two, fitness studios and of course, sports equipment and fashion stores.
A fourth potential subculture could be “urban seniors” as there is a large population of empty nesters and low income seniors who already live in the community - 29% are over 55 years of age as per the 2019 City of Calgary census.
There are opportunities to engage them with noon hour concerts at the museum, readings at the library and senior days, hours at Superstore, restaurants, cafes and fitness studios.
Perhaps a buddy system could be developed for daily walks? Could seniors volunteer work in daycares, volunteers as library or music centre? East Village could become a model for how to foster active living for seniors in urban communities.
East Village is a work in progress - only time will tell if CMLC is successful in fostering East Village as a model 21st century urban village.
East Village Slideshow
Evolution vs Revolution
In reality, while Urban Magnets is a fun read, it does not really offer new ideas. For decades, critics of contemporary urban planning have been saying to create urban vitality, you must have a diversity of things to see and do, at different times of the days, every day of the week. The late, great Jane Jacobs (who is reference extensively in Urban Magnets) said it in 1960 in her provocative book “The Death and Life of Great American Cities.”
Fifty years later, in 2010, “The Project For Public Spaces” urban consultants collective used “ten” as their benchmark for creating great public spaces and neighbourhoods – i.e. you need least 10 things to do, 10 reasons to visit at different times of the day (things that happen on a regular basis, not “one time” festivals and events).
In economic development, it is called “clustering” i.e. to attract new businesses to your city, you should focus on businesses that are synergistic to what you already have. If you want to attract people to move to a neighbourhood or visit a public space, you have to work with what you have, build on existing infrastructure and audiences rather than tear it all apart and start again.
Jacobs said when it comes to community development what is needed is evolutionary change not revolutionary.
Last Word
Ultimately, there is no “checklist” to create urban vitality, no secret formula to create great public spaces or great neighbourhoods.
Urban planning and city building is just one giant ongoing experiment to see what works and what doesn’t in your city and neighbourhood. It is a constant adaptation to new markets, human behaviours, technology and economic changes.
If you like this blog, you will like these links:
Calgary vs. Vancouver: Affordability & Livability
Calgary vs. Vancouver: Cycling Friendly
Calgary vs Vancouver: University District vs Wesbrook Village