Stephen Rees's blog

Northwest Hub

The Sightline Institute sends out a daily summary of interesting stories which I get by email. I thought this idea was worth discussing here. There are people who comment on this blog who know a lot more about the legal issues of what we call “lanes” than I do.

I find the back alleys of Vancouver’s downtown dark and depressing places. The huge festoons of hydro wires don’t help, but the combination of dumpsters – and the people who conduct their own recycling initiatives from their contents – so seem to be a large part of the problem. Putting all that wire underground costs a fortune – but of course if you want a decent looking city that is what you have to do. In both Washington and London the streetcars (trams) had to have sub surface power collection, as those cities would not tolerate overhead wires.  The only time I find myself in a lane or alley is because that is where the access to many underground parking lots are located. Otherwise I avoid them.

I am also not sure that frequent collection of bagged garbage is a great idea either. First there is the whole issue of non degradable plastic bags. Then the issue of these bags being torn open – and not just by humans – while they are awaiting collection. And then there is the frequency of the arrival of the garbage truck, which increases noise and emissions.

But on the other hand we could do a great deal better in terms of new building design – and retrofitting – to make better use of lane ways. And outside of downtown Vancouver, lane ways will become more like streets as more lane way housing is built. But even there the common attitude seems to be “out of sight, out of mind”.

Vancouver Alley