Yesterday I wrote about how businesses make Tokyo’s subways stations better. It is just one example of how commerce makes things better. The same is true of airports, of city centers, and even of national parks.
We live in the Canadian Rockies, a short drive away from Banff National Park, Canada’s most popular national park.
What makes Banff great, is not nature, but it’s infrastructure of commerce.
Banff is incredibly beautiful. There are scenic glacial lakes, incredible hikes, and stunning mountain views, but when it comes to natural beauty, it’s not that different than neighboring parks.
But what Banff has, that no other park in Canada has, is a thriving townsite. There are great restaurants, ski areas, well-maintained trails, gondolas to viewpoints, guides and tours, souvenir shops, great hotels, hot springs, and even a golf course.
There is a thriving, living, city in the heart of the park that keeps people coming back. It doesn’t take away from nature, but instead enhances peoples ability to enjoy it.
Leave a Reply