Comment 103814

By ItJustIs (registered) | Posted August 08, 2014 at 11:21:45

I've lived in Dundas. And worked there, too. Frankly, this comparison (because in the end, that's what's going on, comparing it to our general situation in Hamilton) reminds me of a recent article in urbanicity where a stretch of Queenston Road in Stoney Creek was compared with Locke Street re: walkability. Which was, as I wrote in an email, a decided FAIL.

Comparing King Street in Dundas and Hamilton in general is a suspect exercise. The most important factor towards understanding why this 'high street' is the way it is, is historical. Because of the nearby concentration of residents (now including no small number of them in the retirement apartment buildings and condos), King Street never suffered from the usual calamitous effects of malls. (It's vital to factor in the demographics, here.) What you see on King Street is a 'downtown'. It's not a thoroughfare (yes, I understand that it's a segment of Highway 8 and that there is steady traffic to and fro because of its location as a gateway). It's a 'downtown strip'. Stoney Creek's downtown used to be like this. (Again, I lived there, so I have irrefutable evidence-based memories) When towns are able to sustain their heritages in so vital an aspect of their existences, a good many of the walkability qualities are extant.

Downtown Dundas is the way it is because it had its own 'structural integrity' BEFORE amalgamation. It is a gem, a great place to live or just to visit, but it's very much an anomaly in today's world. So I'd be very hesitant to use it in comparisons without properly understanding its history and its evolution. To do otherwise is to both muddy and diminish this vital conversation.

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