Sundays without cars? A rising trend in North America

June 25th, The Toronto’s Star:

New York and San Francisco call it Sunday Streets, and Portland residents know the concept as Sunday Parkways.

Now Vancouver is joining the growing number of North American cities declaring car-free Sundays. Its new Summer Spaces program will close off four neighbourhoods to cars to create 20 car-free routes on Sundays in July and August.

The idea of reinventing street space for pedestrians and bikes is an offshoot of the original Ciclovia, which started in Bogota, Colombia, in the 1980s.

To continue reading, press here.

What do you think? Could this work in Calgary? And if so, where should be implemented?

Updates: Plan It, Memorial Drive, and Civic Camp Calgary

The past week has been fairly eventful with regards to city council taking action (or at least postponing it only slightly) and the voices of citizens lobbying them to go further. First, a motion opposing the closure of two of Memorial Drive’s four lanes on Sundays in August was defeated. This expansion of the pedestrian realm onto our city’s riverfront parkway should provide an interesting experiment that will hopefully spur further pedestrian-friendly zones.

Also, the date for Plan It Calgary to go before council was pushed back a week to June 23. This gives all citizens of Calgary additional time to prepare to speak before council, and we encourage everybody to send in their written comments to the City Clerk’s office by 10 am on June 11 and to prepare a few words for the public hearing on the 23rd. The City Clerks office can be reached at Mail Code #8007, P.O. Box 2100, Station M, Calgary, AB T2P 2M5. We’ll keep you updated about Plan It!

One of the most driving forces in support of Plan It and a new direction for the city in general is the newly formed Civic Camp. What is it, and what is the organization’s stance on Plan It?

“Plan It Calgary,” Calgary’s new municipal development and transportation plan, has finally arrived. As most of you involved in imagineCalgary already know, PlanIt is the direct outcome of the imagineCalgary process and reflects a great many of the wishes Calgarians have expressed for our city. Foremost, PlanIt seeks to guide the growth of the city in a way that is sustainable. As infrastructure, maintenance and service costs rise, peak oil approaches, the population ages, and housing affordability becomes an ever-bigger issue, it is clear that we need to chart a new and better course for Calgary. The new municipal planning documents that will shape how the city grows for the next 50 years will go to Council for approval in late June, but that approval is not assured. Getting City Council to listen to the voices of its citizens is now more important than ever. Please consider taking part in the public discussions around PlanIt. If you would like to join a group of concerned citizens concerned with PlanIt and other civic issues, consider joining CivicCamp Calgary, a non-partisan citizens’ organization asking Council to support a more fiscally, environmentally, socially responsible city when it votes on Plan It this June.

If you still have questions or would like to get involved, check out the Civic Camp website, join the mailing list at Google Groups, or follow them on Twitter. The time for action is NOW.

Youth participation urged in planning

Guillermo Guglietti wants a say in his future.

As the president of the Urban Calgary Students Association at the University of Calgary, Guglietti said he was dismayed by the overwhelming ratio of senior citizens to youth he’s seen at open houses for Plan It Calgary, the city’s long-term urban development strategy.

“We always saw the same faces and a lot of them were in their 60s and 70s,” said Guglietti.

“But I’m 23 right now and I’ll be 83 when this finishes, so I am the one inheriting this plan.”

Urban CSA approached Plan It Calgary last week, saying city planners should garner more feedback from teens and 20-somethings, as they will be affected by the 60-year-plan for most of their lives.

“We thought, ‘Why not bring this to the youth?’ ” said Guglietti.

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Big Event: UrbanCSA Presents Plan It on Campus

What: The UrbanCSA is proud to present Plan It Calgary at the University of Calgary. There will be displays outlining not only the purposes of the document, but the reasons for its implementation, the role of the students, and a way to provide feedback to the city on just how we want it to look in the future.

Who: On hand to give presentations will be Pat Gordon, project manager of Plan It, and Dr. Byron Miller, the head of the Urban Studies program on campus. Members of the UrbanCSA will be there as well to give further information on the document and to answer any questions you might have.

Where: The event will be held in the South Courtyard of MacEwan Hall (between the Campus Security Office and the SU office).

When: This Thursday, April 2 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

This event is not just for students, but rather is an opportunity for all Calgarians to get educated about the potential this city has and to get involved in directing its future. Feel free to come by at any time, and a few other displays will be set up around campus to get more people interested. We hope to see you there!

Here’s a small preview of one of the displays we’ve created:

For further details, or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to e-mail us.

So It Begins

The Canadian Home Builder’s Association of Calgary and the UDI have used their collective heaps of money to un-ironically plan the arrival of Randal O’Toole in town today. Mr. O’Toole is a long-time anti-planner who touts the supremacy of the free market (an inherently unstable system that, according to pure capitalists, has the ability to not only meet our needs for today but provide unlimited growth and prosperity for the future without any regulation or coordination whatsoever) and a key part of the CHBA & UDI’s war against Plan It.

Since he’s in town, the Herald’s opinion section has come up with a new piece to offend the common sense in us all. Before I detract it too much, I should note that they do make one good point in that the city’s approval process for the medium to high-density developments proposed in Plan It need to be seriously overhauled to give priority to the new forms of building.

That doesn’t make up for the completely contradictory argument you’ll see in the following article; notably that they complain that the future is ethereal and unknowable, yet definite policies and concise direction are needed. I guess it doesn’t matter where we go as long as we do so with boldness and decisiveness.

Forgive me for not having faith that those with vested interests in greenfield, low-density, suburban development will somehow magically create a city I want to live in.

-Derek

Read the story here.

Apparently no planning = smart growth 

Transit is bad, we need more roads.

Students get Okotoks solar lesson

Members of the Urban Calgary Students Association, predominantly University of Calgary students, tour the Energy Centre at Drake Landing’s solar community earlier this month. The students were interested in seeing how solar energy technology is being used to provide heat to homes in Okotoks. photo by Tamara Neely

By Tamara Neely staff reporter

University of Calgary students who have been travelling the world visiting environmentally progressive and sustainable communities made a trip to Okotoks when they realized there is a good example much closer to home.

On Feb. 28, members of the Urban Calgary Students Association (Urban CSA), who are studying engineering, environmental design and other disciplines, toured Drake Landing to look at the technology used to capture, store and use solar energy in that community.

Guillermo Guglietti, president of Urban CSA, and Andrew Sedor, vice-president external, both found it interesting some people bought solar homes in Drake Landing without even knowing about the innovative technology. The pair was also surprised to learn the conventional homes and solar homes were in the same price range when released onto the market.

To continue reading clickhere

Transit key to 60-year plan

Blueprint says city has space for 2.3 million

By Jason Markusoff, Calgary HeraldMarch 10, 2009

Calgary’s new long-range growth blueprint recommends quadrupling the transit network but no new major roads as the city fits 1.3 million more people within its current boundaries over the next 60 years.

It’s already being decried as an undesirable concrete utopia, but Plan It Calgary’s project manager said it will save taxpayers about$ 8 billion over the sprawling alternative.

“The further you push your roads out, the further you push your pipes out, the more it costs you,” Pat Gordon said Monday after releasing the draft Plan It report.

The plan says the city doesn’t need to annex any further rural land if it accommodates one-third of its population growth in the next 30 years, and half over the next 50. It envisions that more frequent transit with more crosstown routes, a better cycling system and a full Calgary ring road will help get that supersized Calgary moving.

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Order Your UrbanCSA Hoodie!

After much deliberation, we’ve finalized the design of our Urban CSA hoodie! This badass bunny hug will keep you warm and sexy, urban studies style. If you want to order one, submit your information to: Hoodies Order Form. We’ll need your name, e-mail address, phone number, and size (S/M/L/XL).

Check these bad boys out!

Events: Gaining Ground

The Gaining Ground Sustainable Urban Development Leadership Summit is being held in Calgary for the second time in two years. As an attendee last year, I can safely say that it was one of the most interesting (and appropriate, given the current economic uncertainty surrounding the energy sector) experiences I’ve had, getting to hear from industry and academic bigwigs about their knowledge of and plans for dealing with the shift to a more sustainable energy infrastructure. Though the ticket prices are fairly steep, student volunteers get in for free, so I would urge all interested students to send Geoff Gosson an e-mail asking to volunteer.

Led by speakers who study energy in the context of urban planning and development, and thought leaders who can frame energy concerns in terms of opportunities and challenges, this conference is planned as a region-wide conversation about Calgary’s future. The conference has lessons for every city, large and small. It’s a conversation that every city and urban region needs to have, and it’s relevant to a wide range of constituent interests.

This Gaining Ground conference frames a uniquely relevant conversation for Calgary because the city is a global centre of energy expertise. You should attend if your work and interests bear on:

• Energy and the energy future
• Land use strategies and policies
• Real estate and development
• Mobility and transportation
• Business and economic planning
• Innovation and technology
• Strategies for skilled worker attraction
• Infrastructure planning
• Urban design
• Community development

Conference location:

The Westin Calgary
320-4th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB Canada T2P 2S6

General Inquiries:

Geoff Gosson, Conference Manager
(250) 858-4600 or info@gaininggroundsummit.com

For more information see:
http://www.gaininggroundsummit.com/calgary2009/index.htm

West LRT Animation Released

Now that Brentwood’s been put on the backburner for the next little while, we can turn our attention to other pressing issues, such as the west leg of the CTrain. The official site has put a 4.5 minute video up which shows the LRT’s route all the way from 11th St. downtown, over the science centre, over Crowchild Trail, and up Bow Trail, all the way out to 69th St. SW. 

Check the post for the video!

Council orders further study in Brentwood

It would appear that the Brentwood residents’ concerns were successful in convincing City Council to hold off on fully approving the new Station Area Redevelopment Plan. It’s being reported that instead, council members have commissioned more studies about the present status of the community and the required upgrades to the surrounding infrastructure to handle the strain of 6,000 new people.

Hopefully the 6-month delay before the plan goes to Council for approval will give the city more time to continue dialogue with the residents, incorporating their priorities into the plan and making it the best it can be for all affected citizens.

From CalgaryHerald.com:

Council orders study before deciding on Brentwood development
By Jason Markusoff (jmarkusoff@theherald.canwest.com)

City council said too many questions linger to rubber-stamp plans for a cluster of office towers, condo towers and lowrises that would create an urban-style core next to the Brentwood suburb.

Aldermen today ordered months of further study of the project’s potential impacts on traffic and transit after hearing Monday from dozens of passionate fans and opponents of the 30-year project that could bring up to 8,500 new workers and residents around Brentood’s C-Train station.

Brentwood TOD Goes Before Council

The long-awaited presentation of the controversial Brentwood Station Area Redevelopment Plan to City Council occurred this afternoon at City Hall. Plenty of concerned citizens were in attendance and both sides of the debate were well represented. Both Tom and I prepared some words for the mayor and his aldermen, and approximately 15 other people also spoke in favour of the new plan. Those opposed came out in force to also express their views on the project, though due to final exam obligations we were unfortunately unable to stay and hear their arguments.

Their hesitations about the plan must have had some substantial pull with Council, as Global and CTV News have reported that the body politic continued debate until around 9:30 pm without resolving the issue. Council will continue debating the proposal tomorrow, and hopefully they are able to resolve their issues quickly and approve the project.

A big thanks to everybody who came down and showed their support! If this thing goes through, it’ll be a big day for all of Calgary as we implement a new, modern design mentality.

-Derek Pomreinke

Audio of Tom’s interview on CBC Radio One

Jim Brown’s “Calgary Eyeopener” on CBC Radio One held a discussion this morning regarding the proposed Brentwood TOD plan. His guests were Craig Maxie, a resident of the community and opponent of the plan, and Tom Howard, urban studies major at the U of C and VP Academic of the UrbanCSA.

Click here to listen the interview:

Urbancsa on CBC radio one

Today the UrbanCSA’s own Tom Howard was interviewed by Tom Spear of CBC Radio and given the chance to voice our organization’s support for the Brentwood TOD.  Sound bytes will be played during CBC Radio One’s news segments this evening and anybody interested can listen in at the bottom of every hour. The webcast can be found here, while those of you feeling old-school can tune your dial to 1010 AM or 99.1 FM. Be sure to listen in at 5:30, 6:30 or 7:30 to hear from Tom!

Even better than this exposure is the invitation for Tom to be interviewed again, this time during the CBC’s live on-air morning segment shortly after 7:00 am on Monday, December 5th. The station will be doing a piece exploring both sides of the Brentwood TOD plan, with both supporters (that’s us!) and opponents getting to voice their thoughts, giving the city a final dose of information before the plan is presented to City Council later in the day.

Because of the vociferous opposition to this redevelopment, the UrbanCSA will be preparing a short presentation of our support for the plan and will also be speaking on behalf of the U of C’s chapter of the Institute for Transportation Engineers. If you’d like to get involved, or for more information, just send us an e-mail.

-Derek Pomreinke

UrbanCSA support for the Brentwood TOD

Tom Howard, VP Academic of UrbanCSA, wrote the a support letter for the Brentwood TOD. His views are widely supported by the executive council of UrbanCSA, and represent our perspective towards urban development and the future form of our City.

This letter will be included in the public hearing to be held on Monday regarding the Brentwood TOD. There has been significant resistance to this project which, it is important to notice, has been widely discussed and consultated with the Community Association and the neighbors.

The Brentwood Transit Oriented Development represents a step forward towards a transit oriented, denser and more human Calgary. Let’s hope that, through involvement and understanding, a concensus is reached in our City on Monday!

Letter sent by Tom Howard to Alderman Farrel:

 

Alderman Farrell,

As an executive member of the Urban Calgary Students Association, an organization currently representing over 50 University of Calgary undergraduates, I would like to formally express our associations support for the Brentwood Station Area Redevelopment. The collective experience of our group in studying sustainable, functional communities informs us that the current proposition is a sound, workable plan that may serve as a catalyst for further such optimal growth patterns.

December 1st update

Just a quick update,

• New exams have been posted in the members’ area

• UrbanCSA now has material in the collections room (fourth floor earth science)

• If you are interested in the tour of Drake Landing (Okotoks Solar Community) we need to know if December 18^th or December 19^th works better.

• Remember to check out the Undergraduate Bureau of Urban Design (UBUD), for the opportunity to improve your understanding of urban design.

  17 days until everyone is done exams!

  -Andrew Sedor

-Also, there are a few more pictures of the Plan It Calgary design tiles uploaded. You can find a few by clicking on the thumbs, and the rest can be found in the Members Area:

-Derek Pomreinke

PlanIt Calgary Summit: Results on Display

Results from the Plan It Calgary Summit are now available to the public. The 15 map tiles selected for the project feature a collaborative effort by citizens, community association members and participants from the development and home building industry (as well as a few Urban CSA members!) will be on display in the City Hall atrium from 11:00am to 1:30pm Tuesday and Wednesday. Pictures of the finished map tiles will be uploaded shortly.

Also, Dr. Jeff Kenworthy’s presentation for EcoCity 2008 is available on WordPress at the following link, where he talks about Perth, Australia and the challenges and benefits of converting our urban form. This presentation is related to the one given at the summit in Calgary on Nov 14th, which will also be available in the City of Calgary Website.

Jon Gregg

Knock, Knock (a letter from an UrbanCSA member to the Calgary Hearld)

Calgary Herald

By: Adam Zendel, Calgary

Published: Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I would support a $25 million bridge if it accessed the mayor’s office window, thereby allowing citizens on fixed incomes to each day pound on the windows and remind Bronco that he must listen to the will of the people.

Jerry pitts, Calgary Saying no to sprawl Re: “Planning for the future citywith a vision,”Nov. 16.

After attending both days of Plan It, I was confused whether Jason Markusoff and I were at the same conference. I have no recollection of anyone defending the suburban lifestyle.

Contribute!

What do you want Calgary to look like in 10 years? Have your say!

 

If you find an interesting urban studies related news story, have an urban studies related project that you are proud of, or have an opinion on any urban issue and want it posted on UrbanCSA.org, please submit it to contact@urbancsa.org.

Congratulations!

UrbanCSA is now the official University of Calgary Urban Studies club!