@StrongTowns Curbside Chat Video Why Traditional Development Wins

Why the Traditional Development Pattern Wins -
#6 in the @StrongTowns Curbside Chat Video Series https://t.co/sEogd8g5lb via @YouTube

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) June 13, 2019

---

From Strong Towns — The shopping mall death spiral

As an indicator species in this great auto-oriented paradigm we've created, the shopping mall is in what one industry insider calls, "a death spiral." This dinosaur of another age is finding it hard to exist amid an ecosystem that has more nimble, adaptable competition. Read more: The Shopping Mall Death Spiral — Strong Towns

"Cities that tethered their future to the shopping mall experiment are going to struggle." https://t.co/ntfoRQpQ8w pic.twitter.com/64er5FKuKJ

— Strong Towns (@StrongTowns) July 19, 2016

---

From transportblog.co.nz — "Downtown development is the golden goose of urban economics"

When it comes to the debate about housing and development, there’s been plenty of discussion about the physical impacts of decisions we make, for example the height and bulk of buildings. There’s even been to a lesser extent a discussion on the capital costs of development, the costs of building or upgrading roads, pipes and other infrastructure. Some of this is quite evident now with the Transport for Future Growth consultations currently underway.

One area that hasn’t really been discussed at any level – other than probably some obscure high level planning papers – is the impact our development choices have on rates and operational costs. In many ways this is odd given how loudly many sections of our society protest every time rates are increased. But there is a clear link between rates and the types of development we allow. More at: The Value of Well-Designed Cities.

"Downtown development is the golden goose of urban economics" @TransportBlog #yycplan #yyccc https://t.co/ctLRDXtP5A pic.twitter.com/8quQrBwMYt

— Dale Calkins (@DaleCalkins) April 25, 2016

From Fernwood Neighbourhood Group – The story of Duncan's “The Station”

When most Victorians think of Duncan, they think of the strip of gas stations, fast food joints and shopping malls just north of the bridge over the Cowichan River. But that’s not really Duncan—just the strip on the highway. The actual town of Duncan is a few blocks west and it’s really quite charming if you’ve never been.

Across the tracks from the old train station there are two bright and colourful buildings separated by a small parking lot: one is the privately owned Duncan Garage, a postmodern community centre complete with a café and bakery, an organic market, a used bookstore, a hair salon and a variety of other small tenants; the other is the newly revitalized “Station,” a mixed use building with green retail businesses, a commercial kitchen for rent, non-profit offices, and 20 housing units upstairs.

The Garage has been going strong for well over a decade as a vital part of the community, and was the pioneer on the block in terms of revitalizing the area. For most of that time, however, the Phoenix Station Motor Inn next door was a shabby establishment, operating illegally as a rooming house, and home to a rundown pub, a private liquor store, and some empty space formerly used as the motel dining room. At least it was, until it was purchased by the visionary Cowichan Green Community (CGC) Society in 2013, and transformed into “the Station.” Read more: Fernwood NRG – The story of “The Station”

.

Across

From Business in Vancouver — Traditional infrastructure funding throws money down the sewer

PETER LADNER Amid all the excitement about the Christmas bounty of infrastructure spending coming at us from our deficit-happy new federal government, it’s a good time to ask how we got ourselves into this infrastructure hole. 

Charles Marohn, the Republican civil engineer behind the U.S. Strong Towns movement, has an answer. He likens traditional suburban development to a Ponzi scheme. Tax revenues from low-density development don’t come near paying for maintenance and depreciation on costly infrastructure. He estimates suburban property taxes bring in only $0.04 to $0.65 for every dollar of liability. So cities embrace new developments to keep their cash flowing, or they go into debt, or both. At every stage, they pile on future liabilities.

“When people say we’re living beyond our means, they’re usually talking about a 40-inch TV instead of a 20-inch TV,” Marohn told Time magazine. “This is like pennies compared to the dollars we’ve spent on the way we’ve arranged ourselves across the landscape.” Municipal servicing costs in low-density sprawl can be 2.5 times those in compact, high-density neighbourhoods. Read more: Traditional infrastructure funding throws money down the sewer | Economy | Business in Vancouver

LIVING/WORKING - Traditional infrastructure spending throws money down the sewer https://t.co/mb6V2wzFbn pic.twitter.com/OeDgHPiruV

— BusinessInVancouver (@bizinvancouver) December 6, 2015

---

Senior management posts not filled, Council fractious, Committee suspended — City of Nanaimo staff proceed with South Downtown Waterfront Lands master planning process regardless

The @CityofNanaimo, shortly after the South Downtown Waterfront Committee Chair, VIU VP Dave Witty, in frustration,...
Posted by Nanaimo Commons on Thursday, December 3, 2015

Dave Witty's PP presentation to Council: here.

---

From Project for Public Spaces — The Impact of Public Markets and Farmers Markets on Local Economies

Local markets can stimulate the economy. They are encouraging happy face-to-face interactions in the city! https://t.co/WgSLCyjRtZ

— Charles Montgomery (@thehappycity) November 2, 2015

Great presentation tonight. The best part? "Nanaimo, better than it use to be!" Maybe it can be our official slogan?! thx @thehappycity mom.

— Stephanie Watkins (@WatkinsStephie) November 4, 2015

Thank my mom for that one! https://t.co/eDDDrDSNl1

— Charles Montgomery (@thehappycity) November 4, 2015

On August 17, 1907 Pike Place Market opens in Seattle @WhatWasThere

Posted by Nanaimo Commons on Monday, August 17, 2015

---

We approach the 1st anniversary of #Nanaimo City Council, a Council more broadly representative of our community…

Submitted to @NanaimoBulletin as a guest column — (declined).

We approach the first anniversary of our new City Council, a Council more broadly representative of our community than previous ones. Our aboriginal community, the non-profit sector, a small business entrepreneur, a neighbourhood and anti-poverty activist. There’s been tensions, there’s been missteps. Interesting times, and you know what they say about interesting times.

It’s reminding me of the inner city high school where nothing much ever happened. It had been a stable, even boring place. Students attended, played on sports teams, graduated much as their parents had before them. It took pride in its uniformity and conformity. But then the neighbourhood changed. The high school found itself attended by students from different backgrounds, with different attitudes and styles. It was dynamic, anything but boring. To the school’s Principal and administrators it was also dangerous. It was unruly and rebellion was in the air.

The Principal, who previously had only to somewhat regally walk the well-behaved halls, appear at ceremonies and to cheer on the football team, found it suddenly hard to cope. In a panic a crisis meeting was called in a kind of war room. It was decided that order must be restored. Dress and behaviour codes were quickly put in place with warnings of harsh punishments for non-compliance. All student creativity and any excess of youthful energy were to defer without question to the authority of the classroom teachers..

And as you can imagine things quickly got much worse. The poor Principal and most of the administrative staff went into a kind of bunker mentality, many left for work in less challenging environments.

The story ends happily though. Wise replacements at the highest levels understood that the new dynamic presented great opportunity. Rules that benefited all were established with general buy-in by the students. Old rules that mostly existed to bolster the institution itself were loosened or jettisoned. The school became a place students looked forward to going to and staff were proud to work at.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if Nanaimo’s current upheaval had a similar outcome.

Frank Murphy

#Nanaimo: a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. https://t.co/nCw0VREsm0

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) October 28, 2015

---

Nanaimo needs a public market!

With two big cruise ships in port - so many visitors to the @sjcitymarket today from all over the world!
Posted by Nanaimo Commons on Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Local & Delicious. Open 7 days a week! Come down and join us at 1701 Douglas Street in The Hudson. pic.twitter.com/2ZAxF0wrhz

— Vic Public Market (@VicPubMark) October 1, 2015

---

From Winnipeg Free Press —From parking lot to urban paradise

It is rare for a city to be given an opportunity to build a brand new neighbourhood in the heart of its downtown. When it happens, it is usually the result of an industry that was once the economic engine relocating out of the modern core.

In Toronto, the railway lands along Lake Ontario have seen a multibillion-dollar transformation into a forest of highrises, altering the city's postcard skyline image into something resembling lower Manhattan. False Creek was once the industrial heart of Vancouver, but today it is home to 60,000 people living in a signature West Coast condo tower neighbourhood.

When the rail yards at the intersection of the Red and Assiniboine rivers were closed 30 years ago, Winnipeg was given that same opportunity -- but went in a different direction... Read more: From parking lot to urban paradise - Winnipeg Free Press

Nanaimo South Downtown Waterfront master plan terms of reference report has been sent to Council

BACKGROUND: On 2013-MAR-27, the City purchased 10.8 ha (26.7 acres) of land and water from Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway along the southern Nanaimo waterfront (1 Port Drive). Since that time, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to prepare the property for redevelopment, including environmental studies and select demolition work. The 2015-2019 Financial Plan identifies completing the plan as a priority for 2015; the planning process is scheduled to begin in September 2015 with a target completion date of February 2016. 

The next step is to issue a Request for Proposals for consulting services based on the attached Terms of Reference. The purpose of the Master Plan is to provide specific guidelines for future land use, transportation, servicing, open space, trails and environmental protection, as well as phasing of development for this portion of the south downtown waterfront. The long-term vision for the area includes enhancement of the downtown waterfront, improving connectivity of the south downtown with the surrounding neighbourhoods, and creating opportunity for a new regional transportation hub.

The report was presented to Council on July 20. Pdf here

---

Toronto’s New Waterfront Street — Queens Quay Open After Three Years of Revitalization Work

After three years of construction, Toronto’s revitalized waterfront boulevard is open – on schedule, and in time for the Redpath Waterfront Festival and the upcoming Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

Once a street that featured poor design, insufficient room for pedestrians, and ageing infrastructure, Queens Quay has been transformed into a beautiful boulevard that includes a separated TTC right-of-way, a new section of the Martin Goodman Trail that connects the Trail across the downtown waterfront, and an enlarged pedestrian promenade that reflects the central waterfront’s importance as the second most-visited area of the city. Under the street, key infrastructure has been replaced or upgraded, including power, gas, water, sewage and telecommunications systems.

Area: Central Waterfront  Topic: design excellence,  parks & public spaces, queens quay,  reconnect to the water,  sustainable development

Read more: Toronto’s New Waterfront Street - Queens Quay Opens on Time After Three Years of Revitalization Work / Waterfront Toronto

Where's Senior Gov's help in #Nanaimo?—Canada, Ontario + City created WaterfrontToronto to oversee waterfront renewal http://t.co/dIwNaiO2xl

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) June 30, 2015

---

From SFU Continuing Studies — Strong Towns' Charles Marohn Curbside Chat

In October 2013, SFU hosted an urban planning lecture featuring Charles Marohn. The lecture was part of a series on Minnesota, a state that shares more than a border with Canada. 

Marohn is the co-founder and president of Strong Towns, and a professional engineer who is passionate about planning and small towns. He brings a civil-engineering perspective that results in original ideas such as the "stroad," a street/road hybrid that manages to be both expensive and unproductive. He's a fiscal conservative who makes his case effectively to a small-government audience as much as to urban planners and engineers.

This lecture was sponsored by TransLink, the City of Surrey, and SFU Urban Studies. It requires an hour of your time but if you're interested in cities you won't spend a more rewarding hour this week: 

The Minnesota Series: Original Thinking from the American Midwest - YouTube

I recently raised pedestrian safety concerns at the...@StrongTowns

I recently raised pedestrian safety concerns at the Fitzwilliam/Wallace intersection with City of Na... @StrongTowns https://t.co/VZkKj48vCW

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) June 4, 2015

Nanaimo Downtown Urban Plan and Design Guidelines: Parks and open spaces

#Nanaimo Downtown Urban Plan and Design Guidelines: Parks and open spaces. https://t.co/aMJTzNmzgw @andrewtrevjones @katemac22 @Rearrang3d

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) May 31, 2015

---

Canadian Institute of Planners — 5th annual Great Places in Canada contest

2013 Great Public Space winner - Saint John NB City Market CNW Group/Canadian Institute of Planners

2015 edition of Great Places in Canada and all features on the greatplacesincanada.ca website have now been activated! Nominations from people across the country will be posted online as they compete for the title of Great Street, Great Neighbourhood and Great Public Space for 2015. The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), created this contest to engage Canadians in sharing their favourite places and to recognize the work accomplished by Professional Planners to make these places possible. Read ore: Canadian Institute of Planners | Great Places in Canada 2015 Kicks Off Today!

---

FCM Green Municipal Fund — $175m for South Downtown Lands enviro investigation

FCM PRESS RELEASE The Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, and Brad Woodside, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Mayor of the City of Fredericton, New Brunswick, today announced a Green Municipal Fund™ (GMF) grant of $175,000 for the City of Nanaimo. The City used the funding to supplement a complex environmental investigation at 1 Port Drive, a City-owned 10.8-hectare brownfield site, also known as the South Downtown Waterfront property. Read more: FCM - Government of Canada and FCM support Nanaimo’s study of contaminated former railyard

Seattle City Council approves $34-mil investment for Pike Place Market

King5: #Seattle City Council approves $34-mil investment for Pike Place Market expansion: http://t.co/xQK09oQwj0 pic.twitter.com/oYQaGu2OYj

— Andrea Woo (@AndreaWoo) March 23, 2015

---

From @Livability — 2014 10 Best Downtowns #8: Bellingham, Washington

Since 1988, Bellingham, Wash., city and community leaders have followed a plan to improve their small yet vibrant downtown. Sure, that plan has changed from time to time, getting an update here and there, and while new construction projects and even revitalization plans are still in the works, the results speak for themselves. More than 1,000 new residences were constructed downtown, renovated storefronts and redesigned streets enhanced the visual appeal, and businesses have created more jobs. 

Local business owners make up the majority of Bellingham's economy, which keeps money in the pockets of residents who reinvest in their community by supporting other local businesses.

This city by the bay has become a model for urban sustainability, and the downtown area highlights how a local living economy can work. 

The "buy local" movement is strongly supported, and some residents even barter with others for food, services and building supplies. 

A population of nearly 2,400 residents and about 7,500 employees in the downtown area enjoy a highly walkable community with easy access to grocery stores, parks, restaurants and entertainment venues. Depot Market, a central gathering point in the downtown area, hosts the Bellingham Farmers Market, one of the largest farmers markets in Washington, plus many other events throughout the year.

Bellingham holds the second highest ratio of arts-related businesses to residents in the country, and it shows. Functional works of art like benches, street lights, trash cans and bicycle racks add a touch of whimsy across downtown. Whatcom Creek creates a natural boundary around the Cultural Arts District, which includes the beautifully restored Mt. Baker Theatre as well as Whatcom Museum and Pickford Film Center. Events like summer concerts, food festivals and parades draw thousands of people to this area. Downtown Bellingham is dotted with green parks, yet one of the largest green spaces, Sehome Hill Arboretum, is located less than a mile south of the Arts District, near Western Washington University. Read more: Bellingham, Washington | 2014 10 Best Downtowns

---

Ranking Criteria • Vacancy rate • Population increase since 2010 • Percentage of new homeowners • Daytime population • Projected median household income • Walk Score • Entertainment options • Arts/Cultural attractions

Huntsville Alabama $70m downtown mixed use development calls for "road diet"

The project will include 230 apartments, a 150-room hotel, multiple restaurants and stores, professional office space and a six-level parking deck. Huntsville Chief Planner said the city needs to put Williams Street on a "road diet" so people who live, work and shop at CityCentre won't have to walk across four lanes of traffic to get to the park. CityCentre will initially cover more than six acres. More at Huntsville OKs $70M downtown mixed-use development next to Big Spring Park

Baltimore Inner Harbour "the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment"

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor has many stories to tell, from its heyday in the 18th century as the nation’s leading shipbuilding site, to a major site for oyster canning, steel working, railroad building, immigration port and military supply center. In 1980, the Inner Harbor area underwent a major revitalization with the addition of many attractions, hotels, restaurants and shops. Today, the Inner Harbor is a major tourist destination and port of call for cruise ships. More at: Baltimore Inner Harbor 

1. The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as “the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world.” Wikipedia

---