Excellent story Bartley. I hope you are right...
Going up, like it or not
By: Bartley Kives
When city council endorsed a new planning blueprint back this spring, cynics in this town -- myself included -- did not quite believe the new emphasis on growing Winnipeg upward instead of outward.
While lacking teeth, the idealistic document known as Our Winnipeg represented a sea change for this city, which has struggled to deal with its unwieldy size and lack of density for decades.
Our Winnipeg calls for the redevelopment of older areas, more infill in newer neighbourhoods and less of the sprawl that has sucked the soul out of urban life in North America.
The only problem is getting residents and developers on board. And that problem is immense, because even the politicians who signed off on the plan are uneasy.
Over the past two weeks, there have been two tests of Winnipeg's commitment to greater density. The largest infill development in the city's history was approved for the Fort Rouge Yards, while an appeal against an infill apartment building in Linden Ridge was partly successful.
While it would be foolish to dismiss opponents of either development as mere NIMBYs -- people have a right to their opinions -- the fact is the rest of the city should take notice. More disputes are coming, likely with increasing frequency, as Winnipeg's growth begins to accelerate.
In light of this, here are five simple but quite possibly uncomfortable ideas for every Winnipegger to consider:
1. Winnipeg will change.
After beginning life as a relatively compact trading centre, the City of Winnipeg took decades to become like many other North American cities -- far too spread out.
This is problematic in several ways. From a straight financial perspective, the city has too many kilometres of roads, sewers and water pipes to be maintained easily by the taxpayers who live here.
From an environmental perspective, the lack of density leads too many of us to drive. And from a cultural standpoint, the layout of almost all post-Second World War neighbourhoods in Winnipeg actually makes it difficult for people to do anything but drive.
The lack of people on the streets in many neighbourhoods also promotes isolation and exacerbates safety concerns.
Reversing this situation will take decades, but improvements can and are being made. And this happening not just in the inner city, but in the newer neighbourhoods we used to call suburbs.
2. Your neighbourhood in particular will change.
During the decades Winnipeg experienced exceptionally slow growth, some residents seemed to believe they had a God-given right to enjoy the same view out their front window for their entire lives. Politicians enabled this perspective by knuckling under whenever they were faced with an angry mob.
While this situation still persists to some extent, this city is beginning to grow more quickly. Commercial development along regional and collector streets is increasing in residential neighbourhoods. Residential development is increasingly geared to taller buildings on smaller footprints.
Post-war neighbourhoods dominated by single-family homes are now seen as unsustainable environments. To some, this idea will seem outrageous.
3. You will see more multi-family housing.
For several years, residential vacancy in this city has hovered around one per cent. There are few places for newcomers -- the migrants and immigrants who fuel our growth.
The cost of construction is high enough to lead developers to prefer building single-family homes and condos, which offer better profit margins. And some existing apartment buildings are disappearing, due to lax provincial rules governing condo conversions.
While all three levels of government are aware of the housing situation, it's up to private developers to step up to the plate -- and some of them are doing so.
4. Your car will become more inconvenient.
Thanks to decades of low density, some Winnipeggers believe they have the right to park for free wherever they want, whenever they want. This belief will fade.
Large parking lots in commercial areas drive up rental and property tax bills, which means you are actually paying for those spots when you patronize businesses. And if there's a scarcity of parking in front of your house or apartment, the Winnipeg Parking Authority may designate it a restricted zone -- where residents can park all they want, in exchange for a $25 annual parking pass.
Similarly, the congestion that appears to be increasing on Winnipeg's streets will only get worse as the population rises, even if the city grows up instead of out.
Building more roads will merely encourage the use of more motor vehicles. And transit corridors will only alleviate some of the traffic.
At some point, transit will become more desirable for many motorists. And some commuters will choose to live closer to their workplaces. And that in itself will promote more density.
5. You may choose not to accept this.
If you find the previous four statements upsetting, city life may not be for you. I'm not suggesting you should leave Winnipeg. But the urban environment some people recall nostalgically may actually have been a semi-rural environment.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 5, 2010 A4
