NEW: Interested in a BETTER conversation on parking, & a VERY different approach to municipal parking strategy, for much better city-building outcomes? Our game-changing new @cityofkingston Parking doc is a must-read. See our preamble: #ThePowerOfParkingcityofkingston.ca/documents/1018…
MEDIA RELEASE: “There are few things we could do as a city that would have a bigger effect on whether we achieve Council’s strategic priorities than reconsidering how we do parking.” Kingston #YGK launches #ThePowerOfParking bold city-wide conversation: cityofkingston.ca/-/-the-power-o…
“When it comes to the many benefits of rethinking parking, it’s clear that the biggest public interests come from less parking, lower personal vehicle ownership & fewer/shorter driving trips.”
Want less residential parking, with all the many public benefits that go along with that reduction? Make urban biking as attractive an alternative to car ownership/use as possible. A key to doing THAT is recognizing bike theft prevention for what it is, a KEY public policy issue.
Reduced or zero parking minimums.
New parking maximums.
New incentives for bike infrastructure, carshare & EV infrastructure.
No reduction in accessible spaces.
New regs for bike security, cargo/bike trailer & E-bike parking.
If you’re still wondering what a “15-Minute City” really means, at least as proposed by Paris Mayor @Anne_Hidalgo, it’s really simple.
Everything you need is available within a 15 minute walk, wheel chair or bike-ride from home.
Everything.
NOT by car trip.
Not even transit.
By Comparison, a “City of 20-Minute Neighbourhoods” (a core of Melbourne’s city plan) sets a different definition of success — MOST (not all) things needed for a good life within a 20-minute walk, bike OR TRANSIT RIDE. 3 important differences that affect/reflect a different city.
Altho details vary, this idea of communities where “everything we need is close by” is far from a new concept. Just look up...
- complete communities
- city of short distances
- “the power of nearness” (I used this one while at Vancouver City Hall)
- MANY more
Trucks have been getting bigger, more energy & space consuming, more polluting, and much deadlier to everyone around them, including kids. Not because most of us actually need bigger vehicles, but as ego boosts, status symbols & “indicators of male virility.” HT @PickledEntropy
Over the last decade, global SUV ownership has doubled. If it keeps growing at its current rate, increased SUV ownership will offset the entire emissions reduction from electric vehicles. Plus they’re much more likely than smaller cars to kill pedestrians. fastcompany.com/90420280/shoul…
Have trucks gotten more fuel efficient? Of course, thanks largely to government regulations. However they have also gotten larger on average, & as #JevonsParadox explains, improved fuel efficiency has helped us justify larger vehicles & more driving, causing emissions to go up.
Most of the conversations I’m hearing & reading about the permanent growth of virtual working aka working from home #WFH post-pandemic are dramatically oversimplifying the implications & ripple effects to the ecosystem of cities — starting with assuming it will all be positive.
Consider the implications for successful downtowns, for example. A lot fewer downtown workers mean less demand for walkable downtown housing (which has many public interest benefits) & for downtown retail, restaurants, entertainment & other elements of a mixed downtown ecosystem.
A lot of positive commentary around #WFH is based on the assumption that weakened downtowns & other urban concentrations will lead to dispersed but COMPLETE, multi-modal 15-minute communities. That’s a REALLY big assumption that at best would involve lots of time & controversy.
I hear it was the largest individual #climateCrisis protest in history. Any city wish to challenge that? Regardless, 500,000+ people in #Montreal today for #ClimateStrike makes a POWERFUL statement that we’ve reached a real turning point toward #ClimateAction! Via @GretaThunberg
This makes me happy of many levels — including that #Vancouver showed up 100K+ strong for the @ClimateStrike, AND that citizens did it by showing how streets, bridges & our FUTURE are about people, not cars. #ClimateCrisis
This is one of the longest hashtags I’ve tried, and maybe the most challenging idea, but here goes — what if we showed all the AMAZING THINGS WE LOVE IN CITIES that could physically fit inside a shopping mall or power centre parking lot, using hashtag #LookWhatFitsInAParkingLot!
I really didn’t think there would be very interesting responses to this attempted hashtag #LookWhatFitsInAparkingLot. Boy was I wrong. Well done, Tweeps, very cool.
Which example of #LookWhatFitsInAParkingLot do you like best to far? Look through all the great responses to the first tweet in this thread, & favourite or retweet the best examples. The one with the most favourites & retweets by the end of the day tomorrow wins bragging rights!
1. A thread on #NIMBY (not in my backyard) & change in cities:
First off, although it might feel that way, NIMBY isn’t unique to your city, & it’s definitely (probably) not worse in your city than anywhere else. It’s also not surprising, since it’s based on human nature.
2. #NIMBY isn’t surprising when you understand that it’s human nature, it’s normal, to fear change & to weigh potential loss more heavily than potential gain. So NIMBY should be expected because it can’t be avoided. It’s hard everywhere, & there’s no place that it doesn’t exist.
3. But #NIMBY needn’t be debilitating when it comes to smart, positive & badly-needed change in your city. Cities that are skillful & self-confident listeners can learn a lot from NIMBY fears, & that learning can help make decisions better & outcomes more successful.