archited
Senior Member
^^^^ Think electric, produced from passive energy sources.
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- Thread starter Daveography
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TAS
Senior Member
Absolutely, hopefully that is coming sooner than we think but in the meantime while we are trying to curb massive carbon emissions and meet our targets, i would advocate for reducing the amount of energy intensive new roads we need to build.
archited
Senior Member
California leads the way here. The State Government has banned the licensing and sale of new internal combustion cars after the year 2030 (only eight years away) and service stations are beginning to accommodate the trend towards electric -- I now have two local clients that are converting their service stations to electric charging stations, moving away from the gas pumps. And the car companies are responding as well. Every major car company in the world has their design offices in SoCal and they are all making the conversion to electric vehicles. Edmonton -- with the Hydrogen Economy looming -- ought to invest in and encourage Fuel Cell development for large-scale vehicles -- Buses, Semis, Heavy Equipment -- it could become a world trendsetter here. This kind of effort would make a large dent in carbon production.
ChazYEG
Senior Member
I am actually glad you brought that up...
Let's start with the Rio favelas, which are NOT EVEN CLOSE to being a good example here. For once, I DARE YOU to find a Brazilian immigrant here who used to live in one of these. You won't, for the very simple reason that those are the poorest of the poor in Brazil, while the average immigrant that leaves the country comes from the upper-middle class, particularly because immigrating is VERY, VERY expensive (it is not like: oh, let's try and live in Canada, cheers!). This particular substrate of the population, in most of Latin America, lives in condos, yes, but usually larger than the average Canadian condo/apartment, in dense, walkable neighborhoods. We are also NOT DESPERATE for anything like you suggest, please and thank you (please, refrain from using the voice of people you don't represent, it is offensive, condescending and sounds VERY arrogant). If anything, most Latin Americans that move here come fleeing from other problems that have absolutely nothing to do with lifestyle: violence, job insecurity, economic instability, etc... If you ask, 9 out of 10 Brazilian immigrants in Canada if they would come back to Brazil and live in a condo in Ipanema, Leblon (in Rio) or Moema and Vila Olimpia (Sao Paulo), should Brazil overcome all of these issues, I assure you they would. And they'd welcome the lifestyle of these neighborhoods (which likely explains why Leblon has one of the most expensive square footage ON EARTH, not just Brazil). You will find similar reactions from Peruvians, Chileans, Colombians and Mexicans.
Going around the world, talking to random strangers and making assumptions about motivations for immigration, without even questioning their very ability to do so and the actual demographics of those who do makes for a very poor argument. Those you claim were imploring you for help coming to Canada were likely the ones who would have never been able to do so, except under (very unlikely) situations that would make them eligible for refugee status. I can't speak for all Latin Americans (or even Brazilians, for that matter), but I can assure you that what you are saying is a far cry from the reality and that what you'd hear in conversations within the Latin American immigrant community in Canada (or anywhere, for instance), so please stop using us as a (very flawed) argument for your defense of suburban sprawl and car dependency, please and thank you!
Platinum107
Senior Member
@TravellingChris Why is it 0-100 with this discussion...
@archited You're right in saying that planners are the ones who caused many of these problems in the first place, and that the top-down thinking of many lead to the creation of the standardized suburban lifestyle and the subsequent destruction of the central ecosystem of cities, especially American cities.
I'm going into a BA Major of Urban Planning at the U of A, and while you might not believe in the merits of the practice I want you to know that I want to be an advocate for what I talk about and I'll work to break down major misconceptions around what a sustainable and well-designed city is from the bottom-up. I want to educate the everyday person about these ideals in a real yet straightforward way, not hide behind these terms like "Vibrancy" and "Live, Work, and Play" in the hopes that they sound nice enough to cover up a mediocre plan. I want people to know how every kind of city design affects them directly, and how people's lifestyle change depending on their built environment.
This applies to wherever I do work, whether it be North America, Europe, or anywhere else.
@archited You're right in saying that planners are the ones who caused many of these problems in the first place, and that the top-down thinking of many lead to the creation of the standardized suburban lifestyle and the subsequent destruction of the central ecosystem of cities, especially American cities.
I'm going into a BA Major of Urban Planning at the U of A, and while you might not believe in the merits of the practice I want you to know that I want to be an advocate for what I talk about and I'll work to break down major misconceptions around what a sustainable and well-designed city is from the bottom-up. I want to educate the everyday person about these ideals in a real yet straightforward way, not hide behind these terms like "Vibrancy" and "Live, Work, and Play" in the hopes that they sound nice enough to cover up a mediocre plan. I want people to know how every kind of city design affects them directly, and how people's lifestyle change depending on their built environment.
This applies to wherever I do work, whether it be North America, Europe, or anywhere else.
archited
Senior Member
@Platinum107 -- Just don't go into your post-secondary studies with an "I know it" attitude. Study, criticize, research, question... do not be in awe of instructors. Try to rid yourself of preconceived notions of "good" vs "bad". Learn the history of "Urban Planning -- the Profession". Try to dissemble the reasons that so many errors have been made in the name of "Planning". Don't look for broad utopian solutions; get down in the mud. Take as many Anthropology courses as you can comfortably fit in (maybe even a double-major). Learn the extended meaning of "Project Edges". Seek out the true meaning of "the New Retail". Always look for "active" solutions to problems as opposed to "passive solutions". Seek out the global successes in terms of projects and try to get a deep understanding as to why they are successful. Good Luck!
northlands
Senior Member
I don’t have much to add this discussion that hasn’t already been beaten to death, but I do quickly want to say @Platinum107 I hope you enjoy the program—I took one urban planning course at the U of A as an elective, and it was one of the most impactful courses I took during my undergrad (right next to a Christian theology course, and I’m not a spiritual nor religious individual). I just hope you don’t find it too elementary given your already extensive knowledge and passion for it.
Mr. @archited has some great words of wisdom. All the best in your degree!
Mr. @archited has some great words of wisdom. All the best in your degree!
TravellingChris
Active Member
It's truly disheartening to see in a democratic society, that those on the left side of the political spectrum tend to try to silence their opponents by impugning their motives, suggesting that they have no relevant experience or understanding and make statements in the vein of "you don't speak for me so you shouldn't be speaking at all."
At no point did I claim to be speaking on your behalf or use you as part of my argument. I'm not sure where you're getting that.
occidentalcapital
Senior Member
This is getting way too political. No one here is on the "left side" or the 'right side'. I made the point that most people in urban slums are from the rural areas and actually choose to live in the City. The point is that you actually don't know motivations (i.e. you have incorrect knowledge) not that anyone is trying to 'shut you down'. I could equally say that in a democratic society you are attempting to shut down others when they question you, free speech goes both ways. But again I don't think this needs to be a political issue , and this website is really not a politcally aligned place - you can speak to politics on the dedicated threads but I for one do not appreciate that kind of language injected into what was a good policy discussion.
Platinum107
Senior Member
CplKlinger
Senior Member
That degree is right up your alley, and our region would be lucky to have a planner like you, who's so passionate and excited about making it a better place to live. It's good you recognize that there's a lot to learn, and take it from someone who just graduated: You'll never stop! Five years into my degree, I still found myself learning plenty of new things on a daily basis. Part of it was learning new concepts, but a huge perk of university is being exposed to a variety of different perspectives based on different lived experiences. I can read all the things I want, but I'm a white, cis, straight dude; I'll always have that bias based on what I experience.
Your profs will be experts in their field, and you'll have classmates with a wide variety of backgrounds. This is a golden opportunity to broaden your horizons using more than just books and documents. Attend your lectures (even the morning ones), make use of office hours (one-on-one assistance can help with things you're stuck on, plus many of your profs will be more lenient with your grading if they know you care), listen to your classmates (don't assume that everything they claim is 100% true, but don't write off anything that clashes with your worldview as false), and keep tabs on your degree requirements/progress to make sure you're taking the courses you need (and don't leave all the boring/hard/bad required courses until the end of your degree). Most of all though, try to enjoy yourself! Take options that you find interesting, join some clubs, try to make new friends and network with profs (it helps to have two or three profs who know you and like you so that you can use them as references down the road). This is your time to step out of your comfort zone a bit and really find out who you are, and what your passions are
Platinum107
Senior Member
Thanks @CplKlingerThat degree is right up your alley, and our region would be lucky to have a planner like you, who's so passionate and excited about making it a better place to live. It's good you recognize that there's a lot to learn, and take it from someone who just graduated: You'll never stop! Five years into my degree, I still found myself learning plenty of new things on a daily basis. Part of it was learning new concepts, but a huge perk of university is being exposed to a variety of different perspectives based on different lived experiences. I can read all the things I want, but I'm a white, cis, straight dude; I'll always have that bias based on what I experience.
Your profs will be experts in their field, and you'll have classmates with a wide variety of backgrounds. This is a golden opportunity to broaden your horizons using more than just books and documents. Attend your lectures (even the morning ones), make use of office hours (one-on-one assistance can help with things you're stuck on, plus many of your profs will be more lenient with your grading if they know you care), listen to your classmates (don't assume that everything they claim is 100% true, but don't write off anything that clashes with your worldview as false), and keep tabs on your degree requirements/progress to make sure you're taking the courses you need (and don't leave all the boring/hard/bad required courses until the end of your degree). Most of all though, try to enjoy yourself! Take options that you find interesting, join some clubs, try to make new friends and network with profs (it helps to have two or three profs who know you and like you so that you can use them as references down the road). This is your time to step out of your comfort zone a bit and really find out who you are, and what your passions are
You guys are so kind, I'm really looking forward to uni after this hahaBut anyway, enough of me derailing this thread lol
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EtoV
Active Member
Are we just going to ignore that European countries with dense walkable cities also see a large amount of immigration?
If you look at immigration rates, the correlation is much stronger between wealth/GDP than the density of Cities.I highly doubt a major reason for immigrating to Canada or the US over Germany or the Netherlands is because you have a bigger yard and get to drive everywhere. I wonder if there's any data on something like this though, in terms of whether City density/form has an impact on immigration desirability.
archited
Senior Member
Canada's immigration story can be viewed here:
en.wikipedia.org
Immigration to Canada - Wikipedia
TAS
Senior Member
Interesting take on NIMBYism in Japan in this zoning video.
People have a lot of options for the land they own in most areas - various types of housing, small businesses, religious and learning institutions are pretty much acceptable on any property and it just increases from there in terms of uses.
People can do what they want or don't want in their own backyard, but have no say when it comes to their neighbours' backyards.
Also notable - Japan provides virtually no street parking and somebody can't buy a vehicle and register it until they provide proof they have obtained a parking space. It's at their own cost versus most of the residential streets here that seemingly have to accommodate parked cars on both sides.
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