Friday, August 22, 2014

Jen Keesmaat in Own Your City —
In Complete Communities
Pedestrians Take Precedence

RAFFI ANDERIAN ILLUSTRATION
Jennifer Keesmaat is chief planner and executive director of the City Planning Division, City of Toronto.
As one columnist recently put it, the suburbs can be a “snooze fest” for the younger generation. Echo boomers, loosely defined as those between the ages of 16 and 34 and the fastest-growing demographic in Toronto, are choosing urban over suburban and are forgoing a driver’s licence in favour of walking, cycling and transit. Our data confirms this trend in Toronto.
There are many differing reasons why, including the high cost of driving, greater awareness of environmental impacts, a rejection of the quality of life, costs and sacrifices that accompany a long commute, and importantly, it is increasingly possible to live without a car. Read more: In Complete Communities, Pedestrians Take Precedence | Own Your City
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course, that is in "The Big Smoke". What we discovered in Nanaimo back in 1982 when I was camping in New Castle Island with the rest of the first year UBC architecture students, and what we demonstrated with the Downtown Nanaimo Charrette in 2005, is that the street and block pattern downtown was made for walking—in comfort—over this wonderful terrain.

It sounds like there may be an opening for a go-between to help developer and city agree on better options. Keep up the good work. Don't be afraid to as the dumb questions!

August 24, 2014 at 11:05 PM
Frank Murphy said...

Thanks Lewis. From the
charette you refer to.

August 25, 2014 at 3:35 PM

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