Coming into town this morning I realised the size of the new HSBC headquarters building looming over Front Street. It’s only half built yet it dwarfs the city block. It has changed the face of Hamilton. What were they thinking?
An annual music festival doesn’t add lasting Pop & Sizzle to our town – a people friendly streetscape does. That means one with street-level retail and friendly public spaces … something that is disappearing in the big redevelopments. Moreover, why is it that every house in Bermuda has to “stick to the vernacular” but so many new buildings in town are vague beige international boxes? The quirkiness and colourful variety of Bermuda’s old city buildings were part of the vibrance of the City.
We need a plan for the development of our towns so that there is a space for all kinds of business in them. The squeeze on small local retailers to move into the residential “suburbs” merely increases congestion.
Bermuda is urbanizing very quickly. People are living in smaller homes, with smaller space. This means we need a more active plan to increase the number of parks and to improve existing trails and sidewalks so people can get outside without cars. That plan should deal with the big pretty spaces (like Southlands) but also smaller areas in the neighborhoods.
It’s about quality of life.
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