Author: Natalie Ethier

In Support of Bike Lanes & Public Squares

Natalie EthierLeave a comment

Two related issues that have caught my attention this morning are the Vancouver Public Space Network’s petition to permanently pedestrianize the 800-block of Robson Street , and David Suzuki’s article in support of bike lanes.  Beginning from the end, Suzuki’s article in the Georgia Straight sums up our current reality with the following statement:

As oil becomes scarce and pollution and climate change increase, people are finally realizing that transporting a 90-kilogram person in two tonnes of metal just isn’t sustainable, especially in urban areas.

It’s important to note this is not a crusade against the car, and Suzuki points out that reducing traffic and gridlock makes it easier for those who are unable to use alternative modes of transportation to get around, while creating many benefits for cyclists, pedestrians and transit users.  With examples from Zurich, Switzerland and Amherst, Massachusetts, Suzuki outlines some of the economic and social benefits of creating mixed-use transportation infrastructure.  He also references  the results of a recent study by Stantec Consulting, published here in the Globe and Mail, which shows that in reality, businesses suffer little and traffic congestion and travel delays are mitigated when bike lanes are present. 

‎Back in November I wrote a letter in support of the permanent closure and expansion of Vancouver’s Robson Square.  The issue is making headlines again, as the Vancouver Public Space Network collects signatures in support of this initiative.  Unfortunately, according to this article in the Straight, this isn’t something that is going to happen immediately, with full transit service set to resume through the square after Labour Day.  However, several City councillors and TransLink support the idea of a long-term study to create a transportation plan that would enable the permanent closure of the 800-block of Robson St. and expansion of a public square, while meeting the east-west transportation requirements of transit users in the downtown core.  As of today, 75% of respondents support the permanent expansion of Robson Square. Cast your vote now!

HASTE & Sustainable Cities

Natalie EthierLeave a comment

I’m very excited to be collaborating with two fantastic organizations!  HASTE (Hub for Action on School Transportation Emissions) and Sustainable Cities International.  The work I’m doing in coordination with HASTE involves about 60 grade 5 students in New Westminster – read about the project here.    And Sustainable Cities has invited me to give a memory mapping workshop as part of their International Youth intern training happening at the end of June.  These are both great opportunities and I look forward to doing more work of this sort in the future.

Pedestrian City at Walk 21

Natalie EthierLeave a comment

I received some very exciting news this morning.  My proposal was accepted for the Pecha Kucha session at Walk 21 Vancouver this fall!  Walk 21 is an international conference on Walkable and Liveable Communities.

This will be the second one I participate in.  The first was in Toronto in 2007, where I displayed a poster presentation of Pedestrian City, which was still very much in its infancy then.  I’m incredibly honoured and excited to have been accepted for this, and look forward to showcasing the evolution of the project.

For those of you unfamiliar with Pecha Kucha, here’s some background.

Plan-It Earth

Natalie Ethier9 Comments

Last Friday I participated in Plan-It Earth, a student-organized forum that engaged about 120  high-school students in designing a sustainable future for the GVRD.

Facilitated by students at Prince of Wales Secondary with the help of Bruce Ford and Vanessa Lee from Metro Vancouver, participants were invited to look through the lenses of urban planners and decide where the next 10,000 people in the region should be located and what those communities should look like.  There was a lot of focus on building up instead of out and having work located close to home to reduce commute times and transit-related emissions.  Solutions to meet energy and food requirements were presented, and concerns about how to handle waste were expressed.  A number of innovative green technologies were highlighted, as well as the need for inclusive communities and education.

By mid-morning students were engaged in a variety of workshops.  Ian Marcuse presented a cob house demo, there was a student-led workshop on  backyard chickens, and Kevin Millsip presented the Vancouver School Board’s Sustainability Plan.  Amanda Mitchell engaged students in thinking about how the 10 goals of the City of Vancouver’s Greenist City 2020 Plan can be met, and I had students participate in a memory mapping exercise focused on their routes to and from school, with a focus on walking and active transportation.

After a lunch of organic locally sourced salad and pizza, it was time for City on the Wall.  An engagement process developed by architect Stanley King, the founder of Co-Design and a firm believer in the importance of engaging youth in urban planning and design processes.  Students were split into 10-12 groups, each with an artist to design their ideal livable community.  Most of these reiterated the values identified in the morning sessions with a focus on sustainable, complete communities that accommodate a range of daily activities and requirements within the radius of a few blocks.

During the Green Mapping workshop I was surprised to learn that a number of students don’t know the names of  streets in their neighbourhoods.  One participant commented that she doesn’t need to know street names because she knows where things are and has no need to remember the names.  I’m curious to know whether this a common occurrence? Not just with youth, but in general.  I can still fairly accurately recall the names of the streets in almost every neighbourhood I’ve lived in (and there have been many).  While some are a bit foggy, I think I could still draw a map and correctly label the streets of the neighbourhoods from my childhood and youth.

This was an incredibly inspiring and valuable experience.  I gained a lot of insight into the world of youth engagement, and look forward to doing more of it in the future.  Thank you everyone!