Planning Calgary's Future / Jim Brown / Radiant City

[OracleOfCalgary]

So Jim Brown or "Radiant City" fame is currently working on another Calgary-bashing "special report" that he will air on his "Eyeopener" shown on CBC Radio. It will focus on Calgary city planning. As much as I despise Jim's thinly veiled hatred of Calgary, I have to say I have my own gripes about the way the city is being developed. What are your thoughts?

[underGRADFlame]

Well if we had the damn flying cars already there would be no problems!!!!!

[McG]

its not edmonton!

[MelBridgeman]

Dont listen to his show
Didnt watch his movie
Dont even know who he is
Dont even care about his opinion

Does he not recognize that the city is built on supply and demand...people want homes, build them homes...i dont think anyone wants to end up like japan with your 200 sqft box and a 100 year mortgage....

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

i dont think anyone wants to end up like japan with your 200 sqft box and a 100 year mortgage....

you gotta admit, that does sound appealing.

[Kjesse]

100 year mortgages? Seriously?

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by Delgar

100 year mortgages? Seriously?

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00001/art90004

they exist

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

you gotta admit, that does sound appealing.

not really, didnt radiant city bash the existance of people who choose (oppose to being forced) to live in rows of houses that look the same, making fun of your small plot of land....which isnt much different than condos that all look the same that are even smaller than a house.....

kudos to people who can raise a family in a condo..kudos...but there needs to be some sort of reality of life attached to these environmental bitch fests...

[Flames in 07]

I don't know much about his initative, however leaving city planning to simple supply and demand forces unchecked is about one of the most naive and destructive things you could do.

Calgary hasn't had much 'planning' until recently but has made decent strides and has good initiatives planned over the next.

Speficically, Calgary has one of the lowest density counts on earth for larger cities. Everyone here thinks it is their birthright to have a huge 50ft lot and a massive house on it. The reality is that this is unsustainable from a amenities perspective and also an energy perspective.

Things like TOD's and the consolidation of the beltline communities are good steps.

[photon]

It drives me nuts when they take years to build an interchange, and what does that interchange have... traffic lights! That just seems like poor planning to me, but then again I don't know all the reasons and such.

[MarchHare]

It's been awhile since I've seen it, but did he even mention Calgary by name in Radiant City? I thought it was a film criticizing urban sprawl and surburbia in any city, not Calgary specifically.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Some good links relevant to this topic:

http://www.imaginecalgary.ca/
http://www.sustainablecalgary.ca/index.php
http://www.creatingcalgary.ca/
http://www.calgaryregion.ca/crp/

http://www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability/
http://housingaction.ca/

http://www.sustainablerepublic.com/
http://worldisgreen.com/

http://library.ucalgary.ca/subjectpa...bresources.php

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

not really, didnt radiant city bash the existance of people who choose (oppose to being forced) to live in rows of houses that look the same, making fun of your small plot of land....which isnt much different than condos that all look the same that are even smaller than a house.....

kudos to people who can raise a family in a condo..kudos...but there needs to be some sort of reality of life attached to these environmental bitch fests...

The reality is that the resources that we need to sustain this lifestyle are limited and the way we develop Calgary is putting a big strain on them.

Locally speaking, land isn't an issue, but water is. So is access to quality public services. And then there is the pure and simple quality of life argument - one that is frequently brought up when discussing living in this city.
http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/..._footprint.pdf

I agree with Radiant City's sentiment that living in the burbs is very much like being in a dormatory. Calgary is especially bad for this because as we grow, we become more and more disconnected with both our living past and our peers. What is culture in the city of Calgary?

Calgary is in a unique position in the sense that we have a highly educated and diverse population, with a rich history, a good amount of money being generated, and literally world class environments surrounding us - and thus we have the opportunity to create something really special.

To me, the lazy boom and bust type planning that we take here is indicative of the attitude of those who live here. We are here to work, earn some money, and then take off to somewhere we really want to be. We aren't committed to the city, ourselves, or each other for the long term... and this is what hurts the most when I really sit down to think and reflect on it.

You catch glimpses of what this city can be, and the sad thing is that those events do not happen enough. Maybe I feel this way because I was born here. Maybe I feel this way because I know that what we are doing is a terrible waste - with little reward. I love it here, but I do not love what this city is becoming.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Here is a really good initiative from the city, PlanIt:

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server....It/Plan+It.htm

For anyone really interested in PARTICIPATING in this discussion, read this workbook and then fill out the survey:

https://www.morrisonhershfield.com/D...ey/survey.aspx
http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/BU/...t_workbook.pdf

[Muta]

GREAT Posts SeeGeeWhy. That ecological footprint PDF you posted was really simply and telling about the current state of our city.

Do I dare venture into this thread topic again....?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Does he not recognize that the city is built on supply and demand...people want homes, build them homes...i dont think anyone wants to end up like japan with your 200 sqft box and a 100 year mortgage....

The problem isn't big homes on big lots vs small condos.

The problem is that suburban developers no longer build multiuse developments. Instead you get big areas devoted to houses, retail is isolated somewhere else and employment centers are in yet another location. Because of the distances, driving is the most logical form of transportation. You have big box developments that can be dangerous for pedestrians.

Unfortunately, developers no longer build traditional main street developments where everything is within walking distance. They can include single family homes and apartments over the businesses on the main street. The odd part is that the old developments like this are in huge demand, probably because they aren't being developed any more.

[Ozy_Flame]

Just last week, the City of Calgary said the current mode of development is unsustainable and is a considerable strain on resources - suburban house building has to be curbed. A moratorium on building permits is being considered too, since there is such a backlog the City can't keep up with.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by fotze

Radiant City doesn't blame the people who live in the outskirts at all (it does make fun though which is where the film got stupid), it explains why people live there and why urban planners should be smarter.

Radiant City also points out that the post-war suburbs, which everyone admires, have a decent mixture of residential and commercial properties spread throughout the neighbourhoods. The type of planned communities being built today, where it's nothing but identical homes built three feet apart as far as the eye can see, have nothing in common with the suburban homes built decades ago.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

The reality is that the resources that we need to sustain this lifestyle are limited and the way we develop Calgary is putting a big strain on them.

Locally speaking, land isn't an issue, but water is. So is access to quality public services. And then there is the pure and simple quality of life argument - one that is frequently brought up when discussing living in this city.
http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/..._footprint.pdf

I agree with Radiant City's sentiment that living in the burbs is very much like being in a dormatory.

I dont get that? What is the alternative for most.living in a condo? arent condos even more like dormatory...

[Muta]

Originally Posted by fotze

Radiant City doesn't blame the people who live in the outskirts at all (it does make fun though which is where the film got stupid), it explains why people live there and why urban planners should be smarter.

I agree, urban planners do need to be smarter. But shouldn't there also be some responsibility on the homeowner's part to be part of the solution, not the problem? If people are really concerned about these critical infrastructure problems and condition of the environment itself, can't they make lifestyle choices accordingly?