Putting people back inside the cities core.
Edmonton charts a progressive course for urban renewal - The Globe and Mail
Edmonton charts a progressive course for urban renewal
Faced with the prospect of an empty site in the middle of the city, with 300 acres of land ready to be developed, a lot of municipal governments would have seen nothing but dollar signs.
Edmonton pictured families.
The City Centre Redevelopment plan, scheduled to break ground in 2014, is an ambitious project that will turn what is now a functioning airport into a carbon-neutral residential neighbourhood for as many as 30,000 people.
On Thursday, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel is scheduled to address the Innovation City conference at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, unveiling his vision of a cutting-edge urban environment built on a foundation of three- and four-bedroom condos.
His city has recently emerged as its own centre of urban innovation, a place that is managing both its money and its politics in a refreshingly productive way, and where technology is being used to streamline bureaucracy and prioritize transit-oriented, sustainable projects.
“The mayor and council are forward-thinking visionaries,” said Peter Busby, managing director of the Vancouver-based design firm Perkins + Will, which will create the City Centre master plan. “They’re not mired in politics. They’ve got an agenda to do the right thing.”
Mr. Mandel’s appearance at Innovation City comes a week after the Toronto’s deputy mayor, Doug Holyday, voiced his opposition to developers being required to include three-bedroom units, saying he did not think downtown is an appropriate place for children.
Unlike Mr. Holyday, Mr. Mandel is hoping to draw families to Edmonton’s core, and believes the idea will be so popular that City Centre’s 25-year time line is accelerated.
“It’s going to keep some of our citizens with children from moving to the suburbs,” he said this week. “And I think it’s going to create an entirely different dynamic in the north end of our city. I bet you in seven years it’s sold out.”
Mr. Mandel keeps an intentionally lower profile than his neighbour, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. But since the first of his three terms began almost eight years ago, his city has invested more than $9-billion in capital projects.
The City Centre Redevelopment will include large swaths of designated parkland, recycled storm water, bike paths, light rail and have its own on-site biofuel energy system.
Last year, Edmonton was also named one of IBM’s Smarter Cities, the first Canadian municipality and just one of 24 worldwide to receive a $400,000 grant from the tech company. It gave the city access to a team of IBM employees who helped develop a streamlined City Hall management system, allowing employees of various departments to share information and concentrate their efforts.
Edmonton charts a progressive course for urban renewal - The Globe and Mail
Edmonton charts a progressive course for urban renewal
Faced with the prospect of an empty site in the middle of the city, with 300 acres of land ready to be developed, a lot of municipal governments would have seen nothing but dollar signs.
Edmonton pictured families.
The City Centre Redevelopment plan, scheduled to break ground in 2014, is an ambitious project that will turn what is now a functioning airport into a carbon-neutral residential neighbourhood for as many as 30,000 people.
On Thursday, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel is scheduled to address the Innovation City conference at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, unveiling his vision of a cutting-edge urban environment built on a foundation of three- and four-bedroom condos.
His city has recently emerged as its own centre of urban innovation, a place that is managing both its money and its politics in a refreshingly productive way, and where technology is being used to streamline bureaucracy and prioritize transit-oriented, sustainable projects.
“The mayor and council are forward-thinking visionaries,” said Peter Busby, managing director of the Vancouver-based design firm Perkins + Will, which will create the City Centre master plan. “They’re not mired in politics. They’ve got an agenda to do the right thing.”
Mr. Mandel’s appearance at Innovation City comes a week after the Toronto’s deputy mayor, Doug Holyday, voiced his opposition to developers being required to include three-bedroom units, saying he did not think downtown is an appropriate place for children.
Unlike Mr. Holyday, Mr. Mandel is hoping to draw families to Edmonton’s core, and believes the idea will be so popular that City Centre’s 25-year time line is accelerated.
“It’s going to keep some of our citizens with children from moving to the suburbs,” he said this week. “And I think it’s going to create an entirely different dynamic in the north end of our city. I bet you in seven years it’s sold out.”
Mr. Mandel keeps an intentionally lower profile than his neighbour, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. But since the first of his three terms began almost eight years ago, his city has invested more than $9-billion in capital projects.
The City Centre Redevelopment will include large swaths of designated parkland, recycled storm water, bike paths, light rail and have its own on-site biofuel energy system.
Last year, Edmonton was also named one of IBM’s Smarter Cities, the first Canadian municipality and just one of 24 worldwide to receive a $400,000 grant from the tech company. It gave the city access to a team of IBM employees who helped develop a streamlined City Hall management system, allowing employees of various departments to share information and concentrate their efforts.
