Tuesday, November 13, 2018

One-size-fits-all solutions to Nanaimo problems is at best a sisyphean task

I’ve an idea. Here it is.
A lot of Nanaimo’s challenging problems in transportation, and in both environmental and economic sustainability are caused by the fact that relatively few of us live on a relatively large land mass. Victoria and Nanaimo have about the same population. But Nanaimo’s physical size is 5 times larger. (2016 census)
I’ve come to accept that one-size-fits-all solutions to these problems is at best a sisyphean task. But consider : There is a salvageable city here — in our city centre core. Investments in equitable mobility options (including walk, bike, accessibility networks) like efficient, affordable, frequent transit and improvements to the public realm, key to supporting the further urbanization of our downtown (enhanced and expanded waterfront plazas and promenades and within downtown neighbourhoods well-sited and thoughtfully designed urban squares and parks) would immediately produce measurable benefit.
It’s time to direct public focus and investment on the one neighbourhood everyone in the city benefits from and everyone has equitable access to : Downtown, and the city centre core. An innovative approach would be zoning within this zone geared to its needs and even include the creation of a City Centre Ward that would elect it’s own dedicated Councillor.

Those beg-buttons gotta go!

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Decisions this council will make about our south downtown waterfront will have consequences for a century.

Our new City Council will face a number of urgent issues. One issue will have, potentially, the greatest impact on the largest number of Nanaimo citizens and over the longest period of time, over generations in fact. It's no exaggeration to say decisions this Council will be asked to make about our south downtown waterfront will have consequences for a century.
The City of Nanaimo, in 2013 purchased 26.7 acres of downtown waterfront lands from CP Rail. The City currently refers to these lands as 1 Port Drive. There were a number of complex issues resolved but one key issue remains unresolved, the Land Claims and Treaty Rights of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. When, and not until, this is satisfactorily resolved the site will be ready for important decisions on how to proceed. Waterfront redevelopments across Canada in recent years have proven to be transformative for their cities. Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Victoria have all invested in this important industrial lands renewal and repurposing.
There are two tools which these cities have used to ensure the success of these projects. In one variation or another they have employed an Open Design Competition to attract the top talent specializing in this area: Architects, Urban Planners, Urban Designers, Landscape Architects, with proven experience and documented accomplishments.
The second tool common to these projects is a Public Development Corporation, a City-owned corporation operating under a charter making clear its mandate and restrictions. This was also among the recommendations of the City's South Downtown Waterfront Initiative Committee. This tool was used in one form or another to develop Granville Island; Pike Place Market, in Seattle; Waterfront Toronto; The Forks, Winnipeg. The SDWI Visioning and Guideline Principles document available on the City of Nanaimo website gives these and other examples..
Good work has been done to prepare the site and now it's ready for the next exciting phase. It's time for an Open Design Competition to attract top national and international talent to create a new downtown neighbourhood to be proud of.
This downtown waterfront property is a gem, the envy of any and every city in the country. It deserves, Nanaimo deserves, that we settle for nothing less than excellence here. — Frank Murphy


This appeared also in the Nanaimo News Bulletin as a guest column.

Monday, October 8, 2018

"The citymaking process is a topdown, ideological-based, expert-driven approach — and it's failing us."


Wednesday, September 19, 2018

From a Parking Lot to an Urban Square

Urban Design for the Public Good, Assignment: Choose an uninviting public place in your neighbourhood whose layout and structure make you feel uncomfortable or unwel­come. Propose solutions...
http://nanaimocommons.blogspot.ca/…/democratic-values-in-pl…


Thursday, September 13, 2018

Tyler Brown

About a year ago this time, I met with Tyler at Bocca. I knew from social media that we had shared interests in urban planning and general 21st Century city-building, but we hadn't before met in person.
Tyler's background includes Urban Planning, which I knew, but I also learned his post-grad studies were in Urban Policy (University of Glasgow). His CV can be found at his website: tylerbrown2018.com. He's employed by the Regional District of Nanaimo, as Intergovernmental Liaison — currently on leave while he campaigns for a seat on Nanaimo City Council.
It came up in this chat a year ago that he was considering running for City Council. Tyler is a young man, starting a family. He and his partner had just had a baby.
I've been in Nanaimo 25 years and I can confidently say that no one has before brought to City Council Tyler's skill set, talents, training and direct work experience in City and Regional government. I'm very excited about what his election can bring to Nanaimo and am very supportive. You'll see on his website a platform far more detailed and thoughtful and expansive and, yes, ambitious than you perhaps have ever before. Tyler and his family have put a lot on the line to do this and, having gotten to know Tyler especially over the last year, I can tell you his motivations are genuinely to make this a better more equitable more environmentally and economically sustainable mid-sized city.
In 2017 Tyler and I had considered organizing Nanaimo’s first Jane’s Walk but weren’t able to pull it together in time. Jane's Walk celebrates the legacy of urbanist Jane Jacobs by getting people out to explore their neighbourhoods. Time seemed right this year and we planned one, under Tyler’s leadership as City Organizer and sponsored by his tactical urbanism site Our Street Nanaimo, to take place for May 5th starting at the front steps of City Hall.
Nanaimo’s was one of 250 cities around the world to hold Jane's Walks on the anniversary of her birth weekend. And I saw first hand some of the skills and talents that Tyler will bring to being a City Councillor. Forging working relationships on the fly, engaging with a wide spectrum of people with different interests and agendas to come together to participate in this event. Thinking on his feet, making decisive decisions when at the last minute we realized so many people were arriving we had to split into 2 walks!
I believe a City Council with Tyler on it will be a better City Council. It will work better, it will make better decisions. Tyler will be in a unique position, with his background training and work experience in Urban Planning and Public Policy, to help his Council colleagues understand often complex, technical reports from city staff and consultants. He'll be able to put the reports in context, perhaps explain alternatives. Councillors will be better able to ask informed questions of city staff and be better able to make better decisions. A City Council with Tyler on it will be a better City Council.
— Frank Murphy


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