I do somewhat question this statement in Nancy's link:
Clumping bamboo is a great choice for creating a low-maintenance garden
I think one has to be careful not to confuse "low-maintenance" with "no-maintenance". Just like grass actually grows better with at least yearly "maintenance" (isn't that what my geese do?), bamboo, being in the grass family, *needs* yearly time spent removing older culms to give new culms a place to grow. I learned this by having to try to revive old clumps that hadn't been tended for years. By letting them grow too crowded, I couldn't get any tool into the clump to remove dead or old culms selectively. I ended up having to chop huge sections out, and the result wasn't pretty.
Choosing the "right" variety for the "specific" location is always a help, but shade tolerance usually leaves quite a bit of room for any plant that doesn't demand "full sun". I do totally agree with where the link suggests "natural plant shade" is different from "tall building shade". If the bamboo isn't getting quite as much sun as it might prefer, it may just take longer to establish, grow fewer culms/year, and the culms may be narrower and shorter. If you're looking to upcycle the old culms for tomato stakes, a bit shorter isn't going to cause a problem!
