Tag Archives: bc

Neighbourhood shopping areas are becoming more pedestrian friendly.

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Nathan Pachal

One of the small positive changes that has occurred over the last few years in Surrey is a shift in design of the stereotypical neighbourhood strip mall. Where once the strip mall was dominated by parking in the front and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cloverdale, Development | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Retrofitting Suburbia? Guildford Town Centre

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Nathan Pachal

If you’ve even read, seen, or heard any dicussion about how to fix the suburbs, one of the things that always comes up is how to break the superblock of mall site and/or how to retrofit them. In some cases … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Guildford, Town Centre | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Panorama Ridge misses the mark in providing a pedestrian friendly environment

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Nathan Pachal

Panorama Ridge, the area near 152nd Street and Highway 10, is a perfect example of Surrey’s confused persona. Is it trying to be an auto-centric suburb or a vibrant urban centre? On Sunday, I took a walk in the commercial … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Town Centre | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The streetcar suburb in Surrey

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Nathan Pachal

When people talk about the success of urbanity in Vancouver one of the things that stands out is how its neighbourhoods where built around the streetcar. In Vancouver’s case streetcars became trolleybuses, but service continued to be frequent making these … Continue reading →

Posted in Cloverdale, Development, Transport, Whalley | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Surrey’s Dual Personality – Cloverdale Mall

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Nathan Pachal

Surrey is a city in transition going from a suburban to vibrant urban community. The city is in its adolescence, still a bit awkward and not quite sure of itself and its new identity. Nowhere is this more evident than … Continue reading →

Posted in Cloverdale, Development | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bing Thom wins Design Exchange Award for Surrey Library

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Nathan Pachal

With the completion of the Central City Tower in 2003, the tone for design and architecture in Whalley and Surrey was set. The design was so iconic that it became the new logo for the City of Surrey. If you … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Library, Whalley | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

Mixed-use development missing in Downtown Surrey

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Nathan Pachal

One of the concerns I have about the development of Surrey City Centre and Whalley is the lack of mixed-use buildings. If you believe the thousands of books on urban planning, they mostly agree that mixed-use is the key to … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Whalley | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments