In Plain Sight: The Dynamic Mixed-Use Neighbourhood of Lower Bank Street

To the commuters who speed along it, Bank Street between Heron and Walkley Roads is a connecting strip to and from other places.  Blink and you’ll notice only the car dealerships that anchor its south end.

Look around and another vision emerges:  

— Quiet, mature tree-lined residential lanes lead off from every minor intersection.
— A worldly mix of restaurants and cafes, where franchises are outnumbered by high-quality family businesses.  
— Complete services for a breadth of communities, tucked away in what are often architectural curiosities.
— Experimental enterprises attracted by more affordable rents.

We will move through the neighbourhood like the locals, avoiding the obvious paths, identifying what makes this a community, together analyzing its strengths and its challenges.  In what ways should urban planners seek to influence the way development has occurred here naturally?  What has worked and what hasn’t?  And what does the city's official plan have to offer this neighbourhood? 

Location
Route

This walk will begin outside of Cafe Nero in the plaza on the northeast corner of Bank & Alta Vista (2690 Alta Vista Dr.)   We will take our time through the residential and commerical areas, eventually crossing Bank Street and ending at the Overflow Brewing Company, 2477 Kaladar Ave.

Note:  Cafe Nero serves what is arguably the best turkish coffee in the city.

Our starting point is a leisurely ten-minute walk from the Walkley Transitway Station, and the end point is a ten-minute walk from the Heron Transitway Station.

About the walk leader

Irv is a professional planner and engineer living in the neighbourhood.  He has just joined leadership team of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) Eastern District where he is in the process of organizing urban planning-related walks.  This proposed walk, as part of Jane's Walk Ottawa-Gatineau, will be the first.

Guide:

Irv Marucelj

When:
Date:Sat May 4, 2019
Time:11:00 AM
Duration: 1 hour
Language: English
Where:
Start:In front of Cafe Nero, \n 2690 Alta Vista Dr.
End:Overflow Brewing Company, \n Kaladar Ave
Area:Ridgemont
Distance:1.0 km
Accessibility:

The walk will follow city sidewalks.

Gallery
Aerial view of Bank St between Heron & Walkley
Volunteer to Marshal This Walk