Gateway Visioning
Click here to read the Draft Plan A 30 to 50 year vision
Click here to read the Draft Plan A 30 to 50 year visionExciting things are happening in and around Colwood's town centre, with property owners in the area exploring development opportunities and design work underway on the new Galloping Goose Crossing over Sooke Road.
We'd like to hear your thoughts about creating a cohesive vision for the future so that decisions made today will lead to a thoughtfully designed town centre in 30 to 50 years.
Colwood has hosted several workshops with land owners in our town centre to hear their vision for their property, and how the area between Island Highway, Wale Road and Goldstream Avenue could become an thriving, pedestrian friendly, centre where people want to spend time. Colwood's Committee of the Whole reviewed the Vision and Action Plan at their meeting on June 20, 2022.
Community members were encouraged to share their vision for Colwood's town centre until the end of September. Watch for a presentation to Council coming this fall.
A starting point: envisioning distinct areas
1. Envisioning a Galloping Goose precinct
Design of a new Galloping Goose crossing has begun and a new pedestrian and cycling bridge is expected to be complete within the next four years. With the Galloping Goose trail as a prominent feature, how do we make this a vibrant ‘people place’ where residents and visitors want to spend time?
How do we leverage this to bring new life to the currently underused area between Island Highway and Wale Road so that over time it becomes a vibrant bikeway linked to places where people sit and eat and shop and live?
2. Imagining a Pedestrian Friendly High Street
New developments are envisioned by land owners in this area. How could a town centre draw people from the Island Highway into a pedestrian and cycling friendly central village that is inviting for people to visit and spend time, with shops, services, amenities and placemaking features? How should streets be laid out to create a safe and enjoyable place to access on foot, by bike or by car, and to improve access to underused areas?
3. Creating opportunities for new employment and education
How could the area be reimagined to provide a vibrant mixed use employment centre in buildings between 2 and 20 stories high, offering local jobs, educational, institutional and light industrial amenities? What is needed to encourage the right mix of living space, dining, shopping and services, job and business opportunities, seating and public spaces?
Mapping the future
This "Plan on a Page" image provides a location map and offers a summary as a starting point to reimagine Colwood's town centre areas with distinct precincts and uses. (Click image to view as a .pdf)
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We'd like to hear your thoughts about creating a cohesive vision for the future so that decisions made today will lead to a thoughtfully designed town centre in 30 to 50 years.
After reviewing the Draft Gateway & Triangle Lands Vision and Action Plan, add your thoughts and feedback using a virtual ideas sticky note. To see a location map and summary, click here to view the Plan on a Page.
A few thoughts to consider:
- How do we bring new life to the currently underused area between Island Highway and Wale Road so that over time it becomes a vibrant bikeway linked to places where people sit and eat and shop and live?
- How should streets be laid out to create a safe and enjoyable place to access on foot, by bike or by car, and to improve access to underused areas?
- What is needed to encourage the right mix of living space, dining, shopping and services, job and business opportunities, seating and public spaces?
View All Ideasover 1 year ago
Create a woonerf park
In the Triangle Lands Precinct Concept there is a large ‘pedestrian connection’ that connects the galloping goose to Goldstream Ave. This route should be a woonerf street that functions as a linear park, with restaurant patios, commercial storefronts, designated areas for food trucks and pop up shops/studios (See the Langford Station Cultural District), and connections to larger open spaces (urban parks/plazas). Whistler has an amazing town Centre designed as a pedestrian-oriented environment, and shops that front the pedestrian-oriented plazas’ and trails embrace this (example: lulu lemon hosts yoga sessions in the plaza in front of their storefront which draws in crowds every morning – both those who know about the yoga, and those who are simply walking through and see the free class). A woonerf street with special plantings, paving’s, storefronts and connections to plazas/parks can be used by the City to host events and block parties (see https://citygreen.com/the-rising-popularity-of-the-woonerf-design-a-living-street-concept-for-shared-city-spaces/) While this infrastructure is great, it also needs to be paired with urban magnets to create year round attractions to the space (rather than just attractions when the city hosts an event. If Colwood wishes to transition from a ‘bedroom community’ to a ‘living room community’ it must recognize that ‘activity is the new community (see http://www.hplan.biz/innovation/urban-magnets/) and program urban spaces to highlight the activities that bring people together (to watch or join in) in both the built form and commercial make up. Without an active plan for this, a woonerf would still be a good move (but it would be underutilized).
over 1 year ago
Create Urban Magnets
Colwood’s Gateway and Triangle Lands represent a meaningful chance to create something unique that will stand the test of time as a magnet of interest to residents and businesses. Successful Urban Areas like Whistler and Granville Island share one thing in common: Thriving ‘urban magnets’ (https://www.urbanmagnets.com/how-to-create-an-urban-magnet/). The City needs to consider how to design the Gateway and Triangle Lands in a manner that draws attention to- and supports the presence of- activity based sub-cultures (ideally a combination of 4 or more so that the area is resilient). This will require careful consideration to flexible design guidelines and zoning designations. Council must identify what activities make Colwood unique, and how those activities can be supported in the Gateway and Triangle Lands. If Council Considers Cycling/biking as a unique sub-culture that can bring life to the Galloping Goose Precinct – then find ways to bring bike manufacturing, DIY repair shops with lessons, a BMX – Pumptrack in one of the parks, public art related to cycling, E-Bike stations, ride-through cafes, etc. to support this activity based sub-culture… There are also partnership opportunities with the Westshore parks and Rec. There is a beautiful creek (Millstream) fantastic opportunities for specialty retail and/or manufacturing, and an interest in the arts (Colwood arts society wants a space). What other activities do Colwood and Westshore residents create a community around? (hint: there’s certainly lots of dog walkers at the lagoon, owned by folks who like expensive lattes and yoga attire.) In todays world, 'community' is by and large based on the activities/hobbies we share... and people like going to areas where they can watch people do interesting activities that they are passionate about. If the City can find a way to tap into these activity based sub-cultures and use design guidelines to bring attention to these activities (rather than hide/mask everything that's gritty and authentic behind prescribed facades and landscaping) – then Council will have created something unique that could be a magnet in our region and bring a unique sense of place and identity to the City and it’s downtown.
over 1 year ago
Love the idea of having a Colwood "Hub"
A mix of biking and walking spaces will facilitate residents to "mingle" in their own neighbourhood. A neighbourhood hub keeps community members close to home. I would love to see the creation of unique attractions - "The Best that Colwood has to Offer"! It would be great if Colwood became a destination for residents of greater Victoria or tourists from other regions.
over 1 year ago
Work with the Island Radio Operated Car Club
IROCC (Island Radio Operated Car Club) is Victoria's Onroad RC racing club. In the summer they use the City of Colwood's Transit Park & Ride near the Juan de Fuca Rec Centre (Sundays). The club also offers a Novice class for newcomers (https://www.irocc.ca/). Designing some of the public spaces in the Gateway & Triangle Lands to be suitable for RC racing could help create a unique place where people can watch events, learn about RC racing, and even participate. Strategic viewing areas and encouraging commercial/retail that supports this activity could help to make the Gateway & Triangle Lands unique, and draw crowds that in turn support the commercial/retail shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Who's Listening
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Email jcollinson@colwood.ca
