When cities such as Edmonton, Canada, are below freezing for the majority of the year, it's hard to want to embrace the cold and snow. However, landscape architecture student Matthew Gibbs and city council members are considering a way to encourage residents to enjoy the cold rather than try to hide from it. According to BBC, the city is pondering the idea of a "Freezeway" and may launch a pilot project as early as next winter.
The idea was first brought up during a city council meeting during the 1990s, when a council member made an off-hand comment that suggested opening the fire hydrants and letting the streets flood and freeeze over. The comment inspired Gibbs to design the Freezeway, which won first place at the 2013 COLDSCAPES international design competition.
Gibbs said that if two existing rail corridors were connected, then an 11-km route could be established to allow people to skate to work, school, or events in the city. The Freezeway would also encourage more active lifestyles during the winter months, said Gibbs.
Design plans for the Freezeway include:
- Setting up skate rentals in nearby metro stops
- Using buildings as windbreaks
- Using "curbside skating lanes" that could be rolled up in the spring
- Providing built-in snow storage to serve as traffic dividers and contain the ice
- Building developments and plazas in sunny areas
Many council members have said the Freezeway is a good idea, and could be financed with corporate sponsorship or crowdsourcing. The price tag would be hefty, however, at as much as $400 per meter.
Related Stories
| Sep 9, 2014
Ranked: Top religious sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Brasfield & Gorrie, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest religious sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 7, 2014
Ranked: Top state government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
PCL Construction, Stantec, and AECOM head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest state government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 3, 2014
Ranked: Top local government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
STV, HOK, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest local government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 3, 2014
New designation launched to streamline LEED review process
The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.
| Sep 2, 2014
Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Aug 29, 2014
The new College Football Hall of Fame opens in Atlanta
Adjacent to the Georgia World Congress Center and Centennial Olympic Park, the three-story, 94,250-sf attraction is designed to celebrate the traditions of college football.
| Aug 29, 2014
Phifer and Partners to design 'transparent' Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
The design includes a stage that opens onto the city's Parade Square, so anyone passing by will be able to see performances.
| Aug 25, 2014
Ranked: Top cultural facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Arup, Gensler, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 25, 2014
Photographer creates time-lapse video of 1 WTC using 30,000 photos
Choosing from 30,000 photos he took from the day construction began in 2006 to the day when construction was finished in 2012, Brooklyn-based photographer Benjamin Rosamund compressed 1,100 photos to create the two-minute video.
| Aug 14, 2014
Museum of Mayan Culture draws inspiration from temple design [slideshow]
The Museo Maya de América in Guatemala City will be the world’s largest museum of Mayan history and culture, at 60,000 sf.
