[thommyjo]

So You Want to Run For City Council? | Urban Affairs

Well, here’s some advice from someone who’s been there, seen it, done it, and bought the T-shirt

urbanaffairs.ca

An article he wrote in January ^

 

[Whatup]

What an ignorant statement

Totally agree - I'm a "white guy" so I guess I have white privilege etc etc and I am a "colonizer" etc etc. However, my ancestors were dirt poor farmers from Scotland, Ireland and Northern England. My kids are half white so maybe they will only be blamed for half the world's problems.

 

[Gronk!]

Please, just put @trevorhayden on your Ignore List and move on - he's clearly not worth the bandwidth to respond to.

I might consider Michael Walters for Mayor although I'd want to know where he stands with various issues.

 

[constance_chlore]

All of them succumbed to the planner’s fascination with numbers and prescriptive formulas that allow them to play architect with no responsibility for the final built form.

Not a single one of them made any real attempt to address the elephant in the room which was and remains quality of design and respect for things like streetscapes and urban form and fabric.

Does it not strike you as odd to accuse council of "play[ing] architect" and having a "planner's fascination with... prescriptive formulas" due to an alleged lack of mandated design standards? Like, if anything, you should be saying that they're not playing architect enough.

 

[TAS]

"Janz said in hindsight, he recognizes that future debates about infill should be tied to lot sizes. He said some larger lots can accommodate the bigger projects, while others are too small for those sorts of developments. Coming up with blanket limits doesn’t work."

Cracks appear in Cartmell's Better Edmonton coalition

Candidates on Cartmell's slate hesitate to give their leader votes of confidence in wake of infill controversy

edmontonjournal.com

 

[trevorhayden]

I guess no one is concerned Walters and Knack will split the reasonable person vote and then Omar Mohammed will win.

 

[policyenthusiast]

I guess no one is concerned Walters and Knack will split the reasonable person vote and then Omar Mohammed will win.

Maybe dental expertise is the missing link that will correct the City's trajectory.

 

[kcantor]

Does it not strike you as odd to accuse council of "play[ing] architect" and having a "planner's fascination with... prescriptive formulas" due to an alleged lack of mandated design standards? Like, if anything, you should be saying that they're not playing architect enough.

Not in the least… when I say “playing architect”, I’m talking about a mindset that thinks good design can be achieved by applying mandated prescriptive “design elements” to the exterior of a building while completely ignoring both its interior and its relationship to its neighbours and to the streetscape/urban fabric that it is - or will be - a part of.

 

[roe_]

Not in the least… when I say “playing architect”, I’m talking about a mindset that thinks good design can be achieved by applying mandated prescriptive “design elements” to the exterior of a building while completely ignoring both its interior and its relationship to its neighbours and to the streetscape/urban fabric that it is - or will be - a part of.

Sounds to me like you're making the same tired argument that skinnies and townhomes don't fit within the "character" of certain neighbourhoods. I can sympathize with people who don't want towering blank walls directly beside them, but the pearl clutching about destroying neighbourhoods is a bit much.

As for Walters, it will be interesting if he runs. I think this is a particularly apt passage from his article:

Leave the previous council decisions alone​

Let the new bike network and the new zoning bylaw be. If you hate any kind of bike lane anywhere or you despise skinny houses or row houses in your neighbourhood, there are just as many people who support them and three times as many people who don’t care. There is no worse look than for a new council to spend all of its time relitigating decisions made by previous councils. Be humble and realize council is a continuum. Take the good with the bad and focus on the moment in front of you.

 

[Greenspace]

I guess no one is concerned Walters and Knack will split the reasonable person vote and then Omar Mohammed will win.

Two candidates on the same part of the political spectrum can have vastly different chances of winning. Being a good candidate also is not enough in itself to win. You need a bit of money, lots of support and a good GOTV strategy.

 

[kcantor]

Sounds to me like you're making the same tired argument that skinnies and townhomes don't fit within the "character" of certain neighbourhoods. I can sympathize with people who don't want towering blank walls directly beside them, but the pearl clutching about destroying neighbourhoods is a bit much.

As for Walters, it will be interesting if he runs. I think this is a particularly apt passage from his article:

I guess if you can’t counter my argument re that would go s as long way to fixing the too often truly crappy design of 8 unit infill on single family mid-block lots, you’ll just have to accuse me of being anti-skinnies and town homes. Oh wait, that’s what you did.

PS I am anti straw man arguing as well as anti the current zoning’s attempt to implement City Plan objectives and I have suggested putting mechanisms in place that would help minimize what are legitimate concerns. with it.

 

[David A]

Two candidates on the same part of the political spectrum can have vastly different chances of winning. Being a good candidate also is not enough in itself to win. You need a bit of money, lots of support and a good GOTV strategy.

Agreed. However, there is a lot of negativity related to the current council, which is probably why you also see several other politicians from the past such as Caterina and Jaffer running.

So if there is going to be vote splitting this time it will probably be on all sides. Although, I really don't agree with the leave past council decisions alone argument, by that logic nothing could ever change.

Past decisions are made based on the information available and sentiment at the time, both which can change. There is nothing sacred about them.

 

[TAS]

Agreed. However, there is a lot of negativity related to the current council, which is probably why you also see several other politicians from the past such as Caterina and Jaffer running.

So if there is going to be vote splitting this time it will probably be on all sides. Although, I really don't agree with the leave past council decisions alone argument, by that logic nothing could ever change.

Past decisions are made based on the information available and sentiment at the time, both which can change. There is nothing sacred about them.

Caterina runs every election.

 

[kcantor]

Agreed. However, there is a lot of negativity related to the current council, which is probably why you also see several other politicians from the past such as Caterina and Jaffer running.

So if there is going to be vote splitting this time it will probably be on all sides. Although, I really don't agree with the leave past council decisions alone argument, by that logic nothing could ever change.

Past decisions are made based on the information available and sentiment at the time, both which can change. There is nothing sacred about them.

This council started with a lot of second guessing previous council decisions. While they are certainly legally within their rights to do so, if they’re not prepared to respect the decisions of previous councils - particularly if primarily for ideological reasons - then the decisions they make aren’t going to be respected by subsequent councils either and at that point, they might as well close up shop.

 

[trevorhayden]

A lot of NIMBYs are criticizing the City for the lack of design standards for infill projects. What they don't seem to know is this is actually the UCP's fault. The Municipal Government Act LITERALLY BANS municipalities from regulating building, design, and site plans. Once again, the UCP/PC craps on Edmonton and our city government has to take the blame.