tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post6373759084057851476..comments2023-07-23T05:21:37.867-06:00Comments on Brososkablog: Edmonton's Biggest ChallengeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052276787105341528noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-23220090492188950452015-12-08T03:05:45.885-07:002015-12-08T03:05:45.885-07:00I'm late to the party, but here's my two c...I'm late to the party, but here's my two cents. There is a plan afoot, led by consultants and civic administrators, to ceaselessly remind Edmontonians of the supposedly backward, provincial place that Edmonton used to be. This is a convenient fib, designed to justify "civic transformation". What is civic transporfostion? It's spending taxpayer money on hockey arenas and downtown Icd Districts. It's building a LRT system to benefit developers. It's about hiring self-proclaimed communication mavens to monitor and respond to useless social media platforms. It's about raising your taxes and celebrating, almost in an Orwellian way, urbanism as the city spreads ever outwards. Yes, this is the new Edmonton. This is transformation. Who benefits? Professional boosters, charlatans, the super wealthy, the cultural elite. Who loses out? Virtually everyone else. Edmontonians - I urge you to remove the scales from your eyes and see your city as it is, not as others would have you see it. You don't need civic transformation; the Edmonton of old - built by blue collar, industrious citizens - formed a solid bedrock. Pedrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13706482768435417007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-12383996896758006752012-01-24T10:11:34.363-07:002012-01-24T10:11:34.363-07:00Hey Doug, that's totally it. Until we're p...Hey Doug, that's totally it. Until we're positive with ourselves, no one is going to be positive about us. It's Self-Esteem 101.Randy Brososkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346983682643473710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-46771410569639039562012-01-22T02:03:19.469-07:002012-01-22T02:03:19.469-07:00The thing that bothers me is that poster comes now...The thing that bothers me is that poster comes nowhere near describing my home. Faults here for sure (like all cities) and lots to work towards but that's not my city now. And I'll keep telling people as long as I have to until our self confidence issue is improved.Doughttp://thebackupgoalie.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-4398093803840791972012-01-20T13:20:17.360-07:002012-01-20T13:20:17.360-07:00Hey Nancy,
I totally sympathize with your challen...Hey Nancy,<br /><br />I totally sympathize with your challenge in finding a place that suits your needs. In Edmonton, that list of demands is a tall order. Not impossible, but certainly rare. I have friends that live just off downtown, couple blocks from LRT, school, groceries, river valley etc, but they live in a house. If you ever decide to house hunt, I have a few suggestions for neighbourhoods...<br /><br />Edmonton is not without its failings. I'm certainly not about glossing over those. What I think this poster allows us to do though, is to take a more informed approach towards the viable, positive evolution of our city. It's like a negative creative brief. Here's where we are. Here's where we want to steer away from. I don't think that we can start by saying what Edmonton should be. With over a million people in the Greater Edmonton Area, there's just too many valid opinions. But when you see, clearly laid out, what isn't working, then you have a chance to take steps to improve it.<br /><br />I think that since this poster already resonates with Edmontonians, we can use it as a common starting point. And as has been evidenced by debates over the airport lands and the arena, a bit of common ground is a damn rare thing.Randy Brososkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346983682643473710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-21369619053434427392012-01-20T01:09:15.680-07:002012-01-20T01:09:15.680-07:00Hi Randy,
I love your passion and your commitment...Hi Randy,<br /><br />I love your passion and your commitment to Edmonton. As an "accidental" transplant to Edmonton (the things we do for love!), I have a much more ambiguous relationship with the city. Mostly, it frustrates me. Yes, I have come to realize that there are absolutely wonderful things about Edmonton (EPL, cool people, the Uni, the summer). But I just cannot come to love the city itself. <br /><br />After having lived in Vancouver for a decade, Ottawa for five years, and three different cities in Germany for a year each time, I have come to believe in the power of good urban planning. Right now, we are living in Freiburg, Germany and there are as many kms of bike and walking paths as there are roads. We live on the edge of the city, but I can hop on the tram (2 min walk there) and be in downtown in 12 minutes. There are 12 playgrounds within a 1 km radius of our apartment. All of these things make my life good on a daily basis. They make my kid's life good on a daily basis. They have made us lose weight. I could go on. <br /><br />In Edmonton, we have struggled to find a place to live that gives us this quality of life. It is hard, man. Really hard. We want to lead lives with limited car use. We want to walk and bike to work and to school and to grocery stores. We want to live in an apartment, close to the centre of the city. Where we live isn't bad, but I almost get run over every day on my way to work. There is no chance that I will let my son do this on his own.<br /><br />(And I should add that this is not a winter thing -- we are way more active outdoors in the winter than most native Edmontonians that I know!)<br /><br />So I have this fundamental conflict with Edmonton that I can't seem to find the solution to. I know that I'm not the only one to complain about these things and I know that there are changes coming (like the airport redevelopment), but I don't have your history or connection to Edmonton. So I'm not totally motivated to stick around for 20 years to see these changes happen. It's a conundrum. <br /><br />I should add that we want to look for a 3 bedroom place when we return (I need an office). I'm dreading it. If anyone knows of a good building/townhouse complex in downtown, Old Strathcona or near the south LTR stations, I'd be happy to hear about it.Nancy Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-8666772349041643222012-01-19T22:07:23.466-07:002012-01-19T22:07:23.466-07:00Awesome post, man! I agree with everything you...Awesome post, man! I agree with everything you're feeling, and count me in! I've been battling this for years!Wildsauhttp://wildsau.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-22566370018477769152012-01-19T21:25:44.528-07:002012-01-19T21:25:44.528-07:00As someone who just CHOSE to move back to Edmonton...As someone who just CHOSE to move back to Edmonton - I get asked everyday about why. I want to make Edmonton a place that people don't say "why did you move here?" but "of course you moved here - welcome!"<br /><br />I'm in.<br />MarissaMarissanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-31296014345792536782012-01-19T18:12:32.599-07:002012-01-19T18:12:32.599-07:00The image of my home as portrayed by that poster i...The image of my home as portrayed by that poster is what I fight everyday. <br /><br />I'm in, friend! With all that I am!Kikki Planethttp://www.kikkiplanet.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5478039311346051106.post-29158880372560102492012-01-19T17:34:30.862-07:002012-01-19T17:34:30.862-07:00Great epideictic for those of us who see Edmonton ...Great epideictic for those of us who see Edmonton for what it CAN be instead of lamenting what it's STUCK WITH. Pessimism is rather lazy.Idrishttp://www.redpaperclip.canoreply@blogger.com