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Originally Posted by rrskylar
Another good article in todays Free Press by Vike!
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Yes, much agreed! For those who want the WFP link, here is the article on Winnipeg having
more city than we can pay for (i.e. too much suburban sprawl).
Also, anecdotally I want to add that Bellamy needs to keep pumping these articles out - within reason, obviously, to maintain quality. But the past few years of putting pressure on elected and government officials, and shedding light on the issue for the general public is helping this narrative is gain traction. These pieces are being read by City Hall and people are giving them serious thought, something that has been lacking for the last three decades.
I'd be willing to bet money that articles in the past from Bellamy have gotten the ball rolling to get the City to actually do the math on the cost of development costs relative to revenue to actually figure out if/how much sprawl costs and how to alleviate the issue. It will take them a few years to do the analysis, but I believe it will be very insightful and add a lot to the debate moving forward when citizens and politicians want to discuss how to grow, what types of development to encourage or discourage, and financial sustainability. I also know the Halifax study often citied in these articles have been a good launching pad. But the issue of sprawl versus density isn't as cut and dry as one sometimes thinks it can be. Density has costs too - old inner-city wastewater infrastructure would need to be replaced sooner, back lanes paved, and aging infrastructure would reach its limits quicker, but these are all likely cheaper than sprawl in the long run. The trick is getting politicians to think about the city and its finances as an eternal entity, not some 4 or 8 year term.
Anyways, please keep it up. The pressure is good, and will be critical in framing the mayoral candidates and debates later this year.
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