Comments on: Seasons in a City http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/2009/04/04/seasons-in-a-city/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 17 May 2012 08:59:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Carl http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/2009/04/04/seasons-in-a-city/#comment-158 Carl Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:20 +0000 http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/?p=162#comment-158 I grew up in Edmonton, up the road from Calgary, and what you write rings a loud bell with me. Cities where people hop in the car for everything - even to drive 300 yards to the corner shop. One of the reasons I like living in London so much is that it is a city built before the era of the car. Sure, cars have taken over, but the basic layout and dimensions of the place remain very human. My own neighbourhood is gloriously slow. My kids walk to school two blocks away. We have two huge parks at either end of our street. At the bottom of our road is a traditional high street with butchers, bakers, fruit and vegetable stalls, a honey shop, a cheesemonger, wine merchants, etc. And I know all the them by name. And yet we are not far from the centre of one of the most dynamic cities on earth. So it is possible to have the best of both worlds. By the way, I will be speaking about slowing down at the Calgary Public Library on April 22nd. Click here for more: http://blog.calgarypubliclibrary.com/blogs/cplnews/archive/2009/04/15/Carl-Honor_E900_.aspx I grew up in Edmonton, up the road from Calgary, and what you write rings a loud bell with me. Cities where people hop in the car for everything - even to drive 300 yards to the corner shop.

One of the reasons I like living in London so much is that it is a city built before the era of the car. Sure, cars have taken over, but the basic layout and dimensions of the place remain very human.

My own neighbourhood is gloriously slow. My kids walk to school two blocks away. We have two huge parks at either end of our street. At the bottom of our road is a traditional high street with butchers, bakers, fruit and vegetable stalls, a honey shop, a cheesemonger, wine merchants, etc. And I know all the them by name.

And yet we are not far from the centre of one of the most dynamic cities on earth. So it is possible to have the best of both worlds.

By the way, I will be speaking about slowing down at the Calgary Public Library on April 22nd. Click here for more:

http://blog.calgarypubliclibrary.com/blogs/cplnews/archive/2009/04/15/Carl-Honor_E900_.aspx

]]> By: Jill Browne http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/2009/04/04/seasons-in-a-city/#comment-154 Jill Browne Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:46:11 +0000 http://www.slowplanet.com/blog/?p=162#comment-154 I know what you mean. I live in Calgary and share a similar climate. My neighbourhood is one of an increasingly small number of communities where there is a little shopping centre. I'm surprised at how many of its businesses I've used: grocery store, post office, coffee shop, almost daily. Drug store, music studio, weekly. Travel agent, hair dresser, shoe repair, lottery ticket seller, liquor store, florist, Italian food store, used book store, pizza place, ice cream shop, greeting card store - as needed. I even had a transaction at the law office once. Oh, and we have two banks. All of this fits within a space that I would guess is smaller than the SuperStore or the giant Safeway that everyone has to drive to. By having a walkable commercial centre in our neighbourhood, we keep people on their feet and local. I shop at my local Safeway because it is local, and that is a deliberate choice. If I drive for ten minutes, I can shop at a bigger and perhaps cheaper store. But if I do that, and my neighbours do that, we'll lose our local Safeway, and if that happens, our neighbourhood will lose its heart. The new neighbourhoods with only convenience and fast food stores are forcing people into cars, and as you say, creating and promoting a false environment. I know what you mean. I live in Calgary and share a similar climate.

My neighbourhood is one of an increasingly small number of communities where there is a little shopping centre.

I’m surprised at how many of its businesses I’ve used: grocery store, post office, coffee shop, almost daily.

Drug store, music studio, weekly. Travel agent, hair dresser, shoe repair, lottery ticket seller, liquor store, florist, Italian food store, used book store, pizza place, ice cream shop, greeting card store - as needed. I even had a transaction at the law office once. Oh, and we have two banks.

All of this fits within a space that I would guess is smaller than the SuperStore or the giant Safeway that everyone has to drive to. By having a walkable commercial centre in our neighbourhood, we keep people on their feet and local.

I shop at my local Safeway because it is local, and that is a deliberate choice. If I drive for ten minutes, I can shop at a bigger and perhaps cheaper store. But if I do that, and my neighbours do that, we’ll lose our local Safeway, and if that happens, our neighbourhood will lose its heart.

The new neighbourhoods with only convenience and fast food stores are forcing people into cars, and as you say, creating and promoting a false environment.

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