Edmonton Headlines: Thursday, May 4, 2017

The latest data from Canada’s 2016 census is out, with Statistics Canada reporting there are more millennials here than seniors. Let the millennial uprising begin! Of course, Edmonton has been one of the youngest cities in the country for years now. This just proves you should be bowing down to your millennial overlords (or at least stop tanking the economy on them).

Other details from the data include the fact Edmonton (and Calgary) continue to build more single family homes than other cities. Good for suburb developers but not so great for our density.

“Edmonton is building out as farm land on the city’s outskirts is converted into new neighbourhoods full of apartments, town homes, duplexes and single family homes.” This kind of planning includes $1 billion to help build the neighbourhoods and an extra $10 billion to service them over the next number of years. So, not a super-sustainable plan.

Something that could help our sustainability, and create more density in older neighbourhoods, is the idea of homes built in our alleys. The City should speed up the work around potential alley improvements because it could mean more people living in our mature neighbourhoods, and better back lanes for everyone. And we do hate how cruddy our back lanes can get. Seriously though, this is the kind of building that helps increase our density and allows for that single-family feeling.

Sticking with the theme of sustainability and building, the City is also trying to catch up on plans to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and make more of its buildings green.

Owl in Brunchberry Meadows, photo by Betty Fisher, EALT

Around the city

In the wake of the mosque shooting in Quebec we have to keep calling out racism and anti-Muslim behavior. And that very much applies to us here in Edmonton, and Alberta.

This fall, you’ll be able to enjoy Brunchberry Meadows, an old-growth forest to the city’s west that is being preserved thanks to a land trust purchase. Also, brunchberry is a good word.

Also by the end of the year, we’ll be able to see the work of the first Edmonton Cemetaries-artist-in-residence.

This round of the playoffs, the washroom problems of our new arena went from embarrassing problem of design and planning, to sexist. Designers of buildings need to start thinking about gender-neutral washrooms and similarly flexible options, so there is more opportunity to go when people need to go.

Oh, and try not to pee all over the downtown, mmmkay. Personally, I hope the Oilers keep going in the playoffs only as long as we keep coming up with new story angles to all the pee problems. #yegpee

Public engagement

If you’re interested in seeing possible plans for the Lauderdale off-leash pilot project, you can check them out tonight at a public consultation session, 5-8 p.m. at the North West Edmonton Seniors Society.

The City continues its information sessions on a new public engagement strategy, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at West Edmonton Mall.