Developing Dynamic Resilient Cities, Issue 36

I have written eleven of thirty-five newsletters about the future of community.   I now realize that I have not presented a cohesive position on developing dynamic resilient cities.  Some order is needed.

I will consolidate the relevant  newsletters into one document and scrap the Street Competition series. This one document will reflect my opinions on how cities and communities should evolve. It will be supplemented by blending in new subject-matter articles.

So far I have:

• Considered the impact of Covid 19 on the way people live
• Looked at the pandemic as an accelerator of retail trends
• Praised public washrooms and arcades as desirable street amenities
• Looked at the concept of  the Fifteen Minute City
• Imagined the composition of an ideal neighbourhood
• Opined on the  environmentally corrosive evolution of “Drive to” destinations
• Examined the current uses of Street Space
• Weighed the issue of cars versus people
• Thought about exclusionary single family zoning 

Coming:

I have no formal qualifications to opine on urban design. My views are influenced by my love of cities, working in the real estate community, life experience, travel,  and, reading. So, opine I will.  

I might draft out some newsletters on city and community design over the next couple of weeks.  None will appear until I have cobbled together a cohesive story from my existing newsletters. I will share the compilation with my next article about developing dynamic resilient cities.  In the meantime, I will continue to publish articles on evolving trends, slow travel, and occasionally, some random thoughts.

Television and Great Cities

A relevant random thought about great cities: some television programs and movies are part love letter to the cities that play host to the story. I got hooked on the French Netflix series, Dix Pour Cent (Call My Agent) for a whole number of reasons. I enjoyed the story line, the humour, and character development. Also and maybe most importantly, Paris upstages everyone and everything. Georges-Eugène Haussmann created a masterpiece. It helped that he worked for an emperor and could do as he wished by decree.

The usual reminders:

• Buy better, buy less, reduce, repair, reuse and recycle 
• Shop local, support local businesses, buy from local farms, and support local artisans and manufacturers
• Wear face masks where required. Wash your hands, practice social distancing, hydrate, and exercise